Karate: Making a case for 2016

Olympic fans might have to brush up on some new sports or they might rejoice at the return of some familiar ones as the International Olympic Committee's executive board meets this week in Berlin to analyze bids from seven sports vying for a spot on the docket at the 2016 Olympic Games.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said Friday in published reports that a review of seven sports --- baseball, golf, karate, rugby sevens, roller sports, softball and squash --- will take place Thursday at a board meeting before the opening ceremony at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin.

The IOC will vote on Oct. 9 for a maximum of two sports to be added to the Games at the 121^st IOC Session and XIII Olympic Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Softball and baseball had been part of the Olympic Games but were hit with a huge curveball in 2005 when the IOC voted to exclude the sports for the London 2012 Games. Both sports were part of the Olympic program last summer in Beijing. Golf was an Olympic sport once, back in 1904 in St. Louis.

Rugby sevens, squash, karate, golf and roller sports made bids to become Olympic sports back in 2005 but none of them earned required two-thirds majority vote. This time around, only a simple majority is required.

Today, we examine each of these sports as the vote for their inclusion approaches. 

Like many Americans, George Kotaka was inspired as he watched Michael Phelps swim to a record eight gold medals last August in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Seeing that success provided motivation for Kotaka, a top American karataka.

"I said to myself, 'If Michael Phelps can win eight gold medals, why can't I just win one?' " Kotaka said. "I wanted to push it to the next level."

Kotaka pushed himself and won a karate gold medal. But it wasn't in Beijing. It was at the 2008 World Championships last November in Tokyo. Despite claiming 100 million members of the World Karate Federation in 180 countries, karate is not on the Olympic program, but it just might be in 2016.

"That was actually my biggest dream, to have karate in the Olympics," said Kotaka, who retired after the World Championships. "But for whatever reason it's not in there."

Karate is one of seven sports vying for inclusion into the 2016 Olympic program. The International Olympic Committee members will vote on the 2016 host city and program at the 121st IOC Session October 2 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Karate finished second in the voting for inclusion into the 2012 Olympics, but did not reach the needed two-thirds majority to be added. This time around, the top two sports-baseball, golf, karate, roller sports, rugby, softball and squash-only need a majority of the votes to be included.

"With the correlation of everything that we offer, I think that we have a strong chance of getting in," said Tokey Hill, the first American karate world champion and now director of coaching for the United States National Karate Federation.

"We have the membership base both domestically and internationally, we have a worldwide representation, and I've been there. I know what it's like to train like these athletes do; I know how to sacrifice like these athletes do. I think with the caliber of the athletes we have that they should be the top of that short list."

When he was competing in the 1980s, Hill doesn't remember karate ever being this close to inclusion into the Olympics. He says the organization of the sport is also more professional than it ever has been.

"I've been there from when you couldn't get a phone call from the governing body," he said. "But now they are there waiting for your call."

He credits that largely to WKF President Antonio Espinos and WKF General Secretary George Yerolimpos.

"Basically they have provided a professional arm to the international body," Hill said. "They have preserved the elements of tradition to karate-do, but have also modernized the sport, which it so desperately needed."

Hill said they have helped create a better organizational structure for every country and support countries in either reorganizing or creating their national governing bodies.

"They provide a tremendous amount of support," he said. "Again, that shows the international membership base how committed they are to making this an Olympic sport."

That's not to say it will be easy. The sports have to show the IOC that they have a global audience, appeal to young people, would bring their best athletes to the Olympics and that they could comply with World Anti-Doping Agency standards.

"I'm not familiar with the politics of it and what it takes to get voted in, but I think just acting as a sport alone, it definitely has what it takes to be an Olympic sport," said American Elisa Au, a three-time world champion. "You need athletic excellence and you need tremendous skill. There are lots of practitioners who do the sport all over the world."

One of the factors against karate is that there are already two martial arts in the Olympics: judo and taekwondo. Those who compete in karate, however, would argue that the three martial arts have clear differences.

"People aren't aware that these martial arts are very different form each other," Au said. "But karate is very unique and dynamic. It's a very spectator friendly sport as well. At the world championships, people are cheering and it's easy to follow."

According to Hill: "The technical elements of judo and taekwondo are not as easy to follow from a general spectator perspective. The sport of karate is fast paced and strategic and can be followed by anyone. I believe it can eventually be like the sport of boxing, which encompasses many enthusiasts out there.

"When you look at karate, it is fast paced and there are high risk elements such as head kicks, punches, countering, take downs where the competitor is rewarded by a point system for a high degree of difficulty or flashier techniques. The sport has moved in the direction of quick, intricate footwork and impressive, evasive head movement, which can really wow the crowd."

Whether or not karate gets into the next Olympics, Hill is convinced that karate in America is on the rise due to U.S. Olympic Committee's involvement in the sport's organizational structure.

"The U.S. athletes should only improve as the United States' karate program continues its reorganization along with the international arm of the WKF," Hill said. "The WKF is constantly modifying the rules to make our sport more appealing to the general public. I think the United States' karate athletes have really excelled over the past year.

"With the USOC involvement in the sport and the correct athlete support, it seems only certain that the program and the athletes should continue progress."

Kotaka has retired from competition and is now a full-time teacher at his family karate school, International Karate Federation in Hawaii.

When Au was a child, she told her parents that karate would be in the Olympics when she grew up. Now, she is 28 and living in Chicago. And 2016 could be a doubly good year for year. Not only might Au see Olympic karate in her lifetime, but also she might be able to compete in an Olympics in her adopted hometown.

"It is so tempting,'' Au said. "If I didn't have any kids by then it would definitely be something that's do-able. I definitely wouldn't rule it out."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Chrös McDougall is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee or any National Governing Bodies.