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Boxing) by the Okinawan farmers in order to fight the Chinese occupiers, and later the Japanese aggressors. As such, Karate was designed to be swift and violent, quickly dispensing of an enemy using foot and hand strikes and not getting involved in grappling, though the opponent may be held on to for a short amount of time in order to prevent them from dodging an attack. Karate did not take on a spiritual side until the 20th century with the development of Karate-do in which students study Karate as a means of self-improvement. (The beginner should note that most training centers practice Karate-do but simply go by the name "Karate") Karate is fragmented into many different forms or schools, and although many of these forms only differ very slightly from one another, some do differ in significant ways, such as the use of circular blocks (which sweep the attacking limb out of the way) or linear blocks (which meet the attacking limb directly with the intent of damaging it). Thus, the beginner should make sure to ask questions about any specific aspect of martial arts which is important to them when choosing a training center.
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