Japanese Culture Days in Odessa
Odessa is hosting festive events celebrating Japanese culture in honor of 60 years of friendship with Yokohama.
On this occasion, a thematic meeting for school-age children took place at the I. Ya. Franko Central Library, featuring a demonstration supported by the Odessa Regional Karate Federation.
With the assistance of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports of the Odessa City Council, athletes showcased kata (a sequence of moves in Japanese martial arts) and kumite (actual sparring between athletes following competition rules) to the students.
The young aspiring athletes were so inspired by the master class that they requested the athletes to sign their origami creations received by all participants.
Karate is a self-defense art using strikes and blocks. Currently, around 100 million people in 192 countries practice various styles of karate, making it a truly global sport. The Ukrainian Karate Federation was established in 2009, and it held its first Ukrainian championship in 2011. Notably, in 2014, members of the Ukrainian national team ranked among the top 5 strongest athletes in Europe.
In August 2016, the 129th session of the International Olympic Committee in Rio de Janeiro made a historic decision to include karate in the program of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where Ukrainians won two medals: Angelika Terliuga's silver and Stanislav Goruna's bronze.
