kendall-graveman

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The First "International" Competition is Held

Although karate is viewed as an ancient sport and art form, it wasn't introduced to Europe until Japanese masters from the Japan Karate Association introduced it to them in the 1950s. The first international karate event, however, did not take place until 1963. It was at this time that the President of French Karate, Jacques Delcourt , invited federations from Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and Switzerland to compete in an international event in karate. Only Belgium and Great Britain accepted Delcourt's invitation, but it helped spark an interest in international karate competition. In fact, six of the seven federations gathered in Paris later that same year and formed the first European Karate Congress.

European Countries Come Together
In 1966, Paris hosted the first European Karate Championships, which was aired on live television and attracted approximately 300 spectators. The event received criticism, however, as many considered the injuries endured by competitors to be too excessive and violent. Although the European Karate Union did not entirely agree upon what led to the injuries, the concern was addressed by holding a referee course in Rome in order to make certain all referees were using the same rules.