Karate is one of the oldest martial arts practiced in the country.  At first sight one would think it is a child’s play whereas it is a sport. Many children are attracted to Karate from childhood due to the techniques of the sports and even grow up with a passion for Karate.

Karate is a martial art that originated in Okinawa with its history being able to be traced back to the 1300s. Karate, unlike Japanese Judo is primarily a striking art and involves the use of punches, kicks, knee and elbow strikes and various other striking techniques. Some forms of karate may also include a small amount of throws, joint locks and grappling, though it is as an exciting striking art that Karate is known.

Karate has gained grounds in Cameroon. There exists a Karate federation with a national championship for Karate. It is a sport that is handed over from one generation to the other. Since the introduction of Karate in Cameroon, the Cameroon Karate Federation has been working hard towards the vulgarisation of the sport. This is seen through the organisation of the regional and national championships and the finals of the Cup of Cameroon at the end of each sports season.

Karate has brought fame and glory to the country at the international scene. Recently, Cameroon hosted the 8th junior and 16th African Karate Championships at the Yaounde Multipurpose sports Complex. Cameroon finished second after Tunisia with 11 medals, three gold, four silver and four bronze. In the junior category Cameroon grabbed 11 medals, one gold, five silver and five bronze and occupied the fourth position behind Egypt, South Africa and Tunisia. Even though Cameroon did not meet the objective of winning the continental title the results were however encouraging. The Karate Lions are working hard to improve on the performance and do better in the next African Championship in Rwanda in 2019.