This article is my initial statistics findings. It highlights:
1) Trends
2) Age
3) Uniform Color
4) Favorite Technique
5) Continuing Research
Thank you all to everyone who submitted information about their study of Karate. If you are a new reader or did not get a chance to fill out this quick form, please take a moment and help out our research of trends in Karate. As of right now, there are about 22 entries. This number is far too low to make any certain conclusions, but I wanted to show everyone some of the initial trends:
Age
- The average age of persons who responded to the poll is 32 years old.
- The average starting age in Karate was 18.
- The average time spent studying Karate was 14 years.
- Black belts who responded were 26, on average, when they received their Shodan (1st Dan).
- It took black belts an average of 10 years to receive their black belt.
Uniform Color
The uniform color was predominately white with the exception of a very small majority that wear black gis and one person who does not wear a uniform to practice karate (which is much more practical in some respects). On the right are two pie charts to give everyone a visual.
Favorite Technique
Something I found very interesting was the types of techniques that people described as their favorite. Of the people who responded to the survey, it was a relatively close split between a hand or leg technique, but the majority of people described a strike. Only one person responded saying that their favorite technique was a block.
Conclusion
I will continue trying to get more people to offer some data about their study of Karate and hope to do follow up research if we get a good turn out. If you have friends that do martial arts, please consider sending them the link as it would be very helpful. If anyone has any questions or concerns please just let me know. I am always happy to share the raw data with anyone who has doubts or an interest in this project.
Great stuff. You have combined two of my great loves. Karate and statistics!! Argh I am tragic!
I don’t have too much of a background in it (Stats and Operations Research classes at college), but I think there is a lot that can be learned by it. If nothing else – I try to balance out my opinion on this site with some cold hard facts and numbers.
Well the saying is that 87% of statistics are made up on the spot so it is good to see you can back your inferences up with some quality research.
Statistics don’t always have to do clad in iron to be valuable. They just need to reflect what we believe and give some more support to the things we say and do. The st is in how well we can convince and infuence others with the result.
Personally, I think it is cool that you research has shown that only one person has chosen a block as their favourite technique. I chose a jodan mawashi geri only because I am good at it and use it effectively. After reflecting on the resilts, I might be influenced to rethink what I like as my favourite so that I am not judged as a thug…or…mawashi geri anyone that says otherwise haha
It all depends on how you define a “block”. That same technique may be a neck strike – perhaps you are the lesser thug for not perceiving everything as an attack?