Celebrating Japanese Culture in Odessa

Odessa is currently celebrating Japanese culture in honor of the 60th anniversary of its partnership with Yokohama.

On this occasion, a special meeting for school-aged children took place at the I. Ya. Franko Central Library, featuring a demonstration performance supported by the Odessa Regional Karate Federation.

With the assistance of the Odessa City Council's Department of Physical Culture and Sports, athletes from the Odessa Karate Federation showcased kata (a structured sequence of techniques in Japanese martial arts) and kumite (the actual sparring between two competitors according to competition rules) to the students.

The young aspiring athletes were so inspired by the masterclass that, after it concluded, they asked the athletes to sign their origami creations, which were given to all participants of the event.

Karate is a self-defense art using strikes, blocks, and movements. Currently, around 100 million people across five continents and in 192 countries practice various styles of karate, making it a truly global sport. The Ukrainian Karate Federation was established in 2009. In 2011, it held its first Ukrainian championship. 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 Executive Board 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 Terlyuga took silver and Stanislav Horuna earned bronze.