Karate’s Untapped Sponsorship Potential: A Goldmine Waiting to be Discovered

As I watched the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, I couldn’t help but notice the way old and new were seamlessly intertwined throughout the evening of entertainment.? From the beautiful sounds of the mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel, who sang France’s national anthem, “La Marseillaise,” to the pop sounds of Aya Nakamura, Paris 2024 showed how old and new could come together in a refreshingly unexpected way that we loved.

What I appreciate about old and new coming together is that we still honor and acknowledge our past while embracing the exciting future ahead.? A similar phenomenon has been occurring in martial arts for the past century.? Before that, the wonders of the Orient were largely unknown to the Western world, rich with martial arts and other cultural practices.? When Japan opened up to the West, along with it came a worldwide obsession with karate.? Before long, martial arts movies were hitting the silver screen, followed by the word “Karate” plastered on every strip mall in America.? Karate had become something more than its Okinawan roots.

While Americans enjoyed their martial arts movies and the growth of dojos, karate was also spreading to all corners of the world. Today, an estimated 100 million people practice karate, from Saudi Arabia to Serbia, China to Chile and everywhere in between.

But what does this new globalized version of karate look like? While karate around the world is not entirely homogenized, there are a few stark similarities no matter where you go.

Youth: Kids Do Karate

All around the world, kids are starting karate as early as three years of age.? Karate has been a part of my life since I was five.? Like the Olympic gymnast or figure skater, karate athletes start at a very young age.? You can walk into any dojo around the world, and chances are you will find a room packed with young people under the age of 16.? You’ll see their parents lounging around on the perimeter, making mental notes of their child’s progress so that they can add their two cents on the car ride home.??

Goal Setting and Character Building

You’ll see sensei handing over freshly unwrapped belts in a rainbow variety of colors to a newly promoted 8-year-old, with a look of relief and accomplishment on his face.? The sensei shows an equal pride in his stern yet soft expression.? He knows that this is just a tiny incentive on a long road ahead, but he hopes that one day, this child will achieve his black belt just as he did in his early years and go on to mentor and teach a new crop of eager young tots in miniature white karate uniforms.

Karate as a Sport

You’ll see a packed gymnasium on a Sunday, filled with athletes ages 6 to 64, showcasing their kata on the puzzle-locked red and blue tatami, being carefully scrutinized by a panel of judges in navy blue suits.? You’ll hear the crowd's roar in their cramped and uncomfortable bleachers, cheering on their athlete as she connects a beautifully executed hook kick to her opponent’s head.? You’ll see the two opponents bow to one another as the referee announces the winner of the match, only to be followed by the girls embracing in a warm hug of sportsmanship.? You’ll see the girl run over to her coach for an even larger embrace and look to the crowd as their cheering crescendos as she pumps her arms in the air from her victory.??

This is the world of karate, and it is indeed worldwide.? These scenarios, these moments of victory, defeat, and sportsmanship, play out no matter where you are, creating a shared experience that is truly remarkable.??

Karate has had major sponsors over its lifetime as a sport, but it is still an untapped goldmine of potential. Despite all the iterations of this martial art over the years, our values and core remain constant and ever-spreading across the globe.? There are few things that the global community truly shares in common, and karate remains one of them.? In the world of sports, I can think of only a few others that do that. What makes karate unique is that it is a way of life.? Whether you practiced karate for two years as a kid or you are a lifetimer like me, you can attest to the way karate has impacted your life, many times for the better.? You can remember the life lessons that you learned from your sensei.? You can recall the effort it took to master the kata, the courage to perform it in front of others and the perseverance it took to sit in your horse stance.? You can also remember the friendships you made along the way.

The potential for karate is vastly untapped and waiting to be discovered.? It is incredible to see how far we've come without the significant economic support other sports have enjoyed.? But that’s why we’re different and why we are not going away.? Today’s Karate is for everyone. Today’s Karate is for life. Today’s Karate is for the world.