The World Karate Federation (WKF) cannot wait to get the competition started at Tokyo 2020!

The World Karate Federation (WKF) cannot wait to get the competition started at Tokyo 2020!

With Karate’s Olympic debut only days away, we want everyone to get into the #KarateSpirit with us.

What is #KarateSpirit? It’s a campaign we started last month to showcase all that our amazing sport has to offer in the lead-up to, during, and after the Olympic Games.

The power. The finesse. The commitment. The dedication. The sacrifices. The hard work. The fine-tuning. The defeats. The comebacks. The victories.

This is what #KarateSpirit means to us.

We especially want to highlight the values of Karate, which are also Olympic values. Excellence, friendship, and respect? That is definitely #KarateSpirit.

At the very core of our sport are values such as honour, respect, and tradition; every karateka gets to know the strength and importance of these values from day one, and their application is fully connected to the true essence of Karate.

The WKF has worked tirelessly for many years to get Karate onto the Olympic sports programme, and we couldn’t have done it without the dedication and encouragement of the entire Karate community. Our success is a reflection of this spirit of togetherness.

#KarateSpirit is above all a salute to the athletes themselves. We are extremely proud of the 82 karateka who will compete in Tokyo and we are sure they will be terrific ambassadors for the sport of Karate.

Unfortunately, spectators will not be allowed at Tokyo 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a decision that the WKF fully understands and approves. The safety and well-being of all participants remains our top priority.

But it also means that the support of the global Karate community is more important than ever for our Olympians right now. We encourage everyone to show the athletes your #KarateSpirit over the next month as they prepare to take to the tatami this 5-7 August.

Let our Olympians feel your passion and appreciation for Karate and encouragement for them! It will give them all a massive boost.

Be sure to use the hashtag #KarateSpirit on any content, and don’t forget to check out our Olympic content on www.wkf.net and our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter)!