Warriors, Thugs and Babysitters: America’s Relationship with Karate

We will discuss how the Asian martial art became part of the American mainstream, and the various ways in which Americans have embraced, admired, feared, and criticized Karate practitioners over the decades.

Some topics to be covered include: the role of Hollywood and the US military in the spread of Karate; state bans on traditional weaponry; American Zen; Karate as a part of American childhood; the Olympic Kumite controversy; and the rise of Karate Combat.