The World Senior Karate Championships 2012 will take place from 21 to 25 November 2012 at the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy.

   The World Senior Karate Championships are held every two years. In 2012, Paris will host the 21st edition of the World Championships. It will be the second time, after 1972, that the French Federation welcomes the competition. The first edition was organized in Tokyo in 1970. Since their creation the World Championships gather an increasing number of participants. In Paris this year, more than 100 countries and 1000 athletes are expected.

During this championships, 16 titles will be awarded to the kata and kumite competitors:

kata categories : individual female kata / individual male kata / female team kata / male team kata
kumite categories : individual female kumite (-50kg/-55kg/-61kg/-68kg/+68kg) / individual male kumite (-60kg/-67kg/-75kg/-84kg/+84kg) / female team kumite / male team kumite.

Karate word means "the art of fighting with bare hands".

Francis DIDIER, President of the French Federation of Karate and Associated Disciplines : "In the learning of Karate, there are several technics because the fighting distances are different. The karate practiced during competitions uses long and short distances, but rarely the short ranges which are reserved for self defense techniques. These short ranges fighting technics were practiced on the Island of Okinawa, it is that we name commonly the "Traditionnal Karate". For example, in fencing, it's impossible to compare the sword fighting technics applied during real battles with the technics actually used in competition. It is the same for the Karate."