Karate in Britain: what is the appeal?

Karate is an age-old Japanese form of combat that has spread throughout the west and become a renowned example of Japanese tradition and cultural identity.

So why is it so popular within nations that have entirely separate cultures to The Land of the Rising Sun?

To find out, and gain further insight into what motivates the modern British Karateka, Elephant Sport attended the 18th Legend Shotokan Karate Open.

The annual contest sees teams from throughout Europe coming to Bracknell in Berkshire to take part in various categories of competition.

We spoke to Shotokan Karate Do of United Nations (SKDUN) technical director and chief referee, Colin Putt, who explained the draw of karate, and why it remains popular today.

Elephant Sport also chatted with some of the competitors to discover the motivating factors among karate’s current crop of practitioners.