J-Arena S2018E01 - Karate

Making its Olympic debut in 2020, karate is set to become a symbol of the Tokyo Games. We look at the martial art's long history, with a focus on kumite, and visit Teikyo University's karate club, home to 15 Japan team members. We speak to Ayumi Uekusa, kumite gold medalist in the 68kg+ category at the 2016 World Championships, and Miho Miyahara, who fought Uekusa in the 2017 Japan Championship final, and examine the appeal of karate as a sport as well as its unique underlying philosophy.