The Prince Of Tennis (Japanese: テニスの王子様 Hepburn: Tenisu no Ōjisama) is a Japanese manga series about a tennis prodigy written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. The title is often shortened to Tenni-Pri (テニプリ), a portmanteau of the words "Tennis Prince". The manga was first published in Japan in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in July 1999, and ended publication on March 3, 2008. A total of 379 chapters were serialized, spanning 42 volumes. As of volume 40, the manga has sold over 40 million copies in Japan.^[1] News that a sequel to the manga series was going to be developed was announced in the December issue of the Japanese manga magazine Jump Square.^[2] The new manga series, entitled New Prince of Tennis, began serialization in the Jump Squaremagazine on March 4, 2009, with the story taking place several months after the end of the original manga.^[3] Viz Media acquired the license to distribute the series in English in North America.

The manga was adapted into an anime series directed by Takayuki Hamana, animated by Trans Arts and co-produced by Nihon Ad Systems & TV Tokyo. The anime aired across Japan on the anime satellite television network Animax and the terrestrial TV Tokyonetwork from October 10, 2001 to March 30, 2005, spanning a total of 178 episodes, as well as a theatrical movie. In April 2006, an original video animation (OVA) continuation of the anime began to be released on DVD. The beginning of the second OVA series was released on June 22, 2007, roughly 3 months after the end of the first. The second OVA ended on January 25, 2008, and the third and final OVA started on April 25, 2008.

The series developed into a media franchise and has had numerous other adaptations outside of the animated incarnation. Since April 2003, more than fifteen stage musicals have been produced for the series. An animated movie was released in 2005, as well as a live action movie in 2006. The franchise has also had a long-running radio show, numerous video games, well over 250 soundtracks and CDs, and other merchandise or collectibles 
 

Plot[edit]

The series is primarily set in Tokyo, and centers around Ryoma Echizen, a tennis prodigy who attends Seishun Academy (青春学園Seishun Gakuen), or Seigaku (青学) for short, a private school famous for its strong tennis club and talented players. Ryoma quickly defeats numerous upperclassmen shortly after entrance to secure himself a spot as one of the team's regulars. In pursuit of their ultimate goal of winning the National Middle School Tennis Championship, members of the team make new friends while learning and mastering increasingly complex techniques. Ryoma also begins to develop his own style of tennis, and eventually realizes what the sport really means to him.

The New Prince of Tennis is set shortly after the end of the original manga. Ryoma returns to Japan after his trip to America as a candidate for the Japanese U-17 (under 17) High School Representatives Selection Camp, along with 50 other middle school tennis players. They begin a new adventure there.

The purported advertisement from the Jump Square issue says that everything in The Prince of Tennis up to now has been "prologue" and that "a new legend for [the main character] Ryoma and the others will begin. 

 

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Hanashiro Chomo
| Also known as | Karate Do 空手�
| Focus | Striking
| Hardness | Full-contact, semi-contact, light-contact
| Country of origin | Ryukyu Kingdom
| Creator | Sakukawa Kanga; Matsumura S�kon; Itosu Ank�; Arakaki Seish�; Higaonna Kanry�
| Parenthood | Indigenous martial arts of Ryukyu Islands, Chinese martial arts^[1][2]
| Olympic sport | Yes (2020 Summer Olympics)

Karate (空手) (English: /kəˈrɑ�ti�/; Japanese pronunciation: [kaɾate] (

listen); Okinawan pronunciation: Ryukyuan pronunciation: [kaɽati]) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called te (手), "hand"; tii in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fujian White Crane.^[1][2] Karate is now predominantly a striking art using punching, kicking, knee strikes, elbow strikes and open-hand techniques such as knife-hands, spear-hands, and palm-heel strikes. Historically, and in some modern styles, grappling, throws, joint locks, restraints, and vital-point strikes are also taught.^[3] A karate practitioner is called a karateka (空手家).

The Ryukyu Kingdom was annexed by Japan in 1879. Karate was brought to Japan in the early 20th century during a time of migration as Ryukyuans, especially from Okinawa, looked for work in Japan.^[4] It was systematically taught in Japan after the Taish� era.^[5] In 1922 the Japanese Ministry of Education invited Gichin Funakoshi to Tokyo to give a karate demonstration. In 1924 Keio University established the first university karate club in mainland Japan and by 1932, major Japanese universities had karate clubs.^[6] In this era of escalating Japanese militarism,^[7] the name was changed from �手 ("Chinese hand" or "Tang hand")^[8] to 空手 ("empty hand") – both of which are pronounced karate in Japanese – to indicate that the Japanese wished to develop the combat form in Japanese style.^[9] After World War II, Okinawa became an important United States military site and karate became popular among servicemen stationed there.^[10]

The martial arts movies of the 1960s and 1970s served to greatly increase the popularity of martial arts around the world, and in English the word karate began to be used in a generic way to refer to all striking-based Oriental martial arts.^[11] Karate schools began appearing across the world, catering to those with casual interest as well as those seeking a deeper study of the art.

Shigeru Egami, Chief Instructor of Shotokan Dojo, opined that "the majority of followers of karate in overseas countries pursue karate only for its fighting techniques ... Movies and television ... depict karate as a mysterious way of fighting capable of causing death or injury with a single blow ... the mass media present a pseudo art far from the real thing."^[12] Sh�shin Nagamine said, "Karate may be considered as the conflict within oneself or as a life-long marathon which can be won only through self-discipline, hard training and one's own creative efforts."^[13]

On 28 September 2015, karate was featured on a shortlist along with baseball, softball, skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing to be considered for inclusion in the 2020 Summer Olympics. On 1 June 2016, the International Olympic Committee's executive board announced they were supporting the inclusion of all five sports (counting baseball and softball as only one sport) for inclusion in the 2020 Games.

Web Japan (sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs) claims there are 50 million karate practitioners worldwide,^[14] while the World Karate Federation claims there are 100 million practitioners around the world.^[15]

Sport[edit]

Gichin Funakoshi (船越 義�) said, "There are no contests in karate."^[26] In pre–World War II Okinawa, kumite was not part of karate training.^[27] Shigeru Egami relates that, in 1940, some karateka were ousted from their dojo because they adopted sparring after having learned it in Tokyo.^[28]

Karate is divided into style organizations.^[29] These organizations sometimes cooperate in non-style specific sport karate organizations or federations. Examples of sport organizations include AAKF/ITKF, AOK, TKL, AKA, WKF, NWUKO, WUKF and WKC.^[30] Organizations hold competitions (tournaments) from local to international level. Tournaments are designed to match members of opposing schools or styles against one another in kata, sparring and weapons demonstration. They are often separated by age, rank and sex with potentially different rules or standards based on these factors. The tournament may be exclusively for members of a particular style (closed) or one in which any martial artist from any style may participate within the rules of the tournament (open).

The World Karate Federation (WKF) is the largest sport karate organization and is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as being responsible for karate competition in the Olympic Games.^[31] The WKF has developed common rules governing all styles. The national WKF organizations coordinate with their respective National Olympic Committees.

WKF karate competition has two disciplines: sparring (kumite) and forms (kata). Competitors may enter either as individuals or as part of a team. Evaluation for kata and kobud� is performed by a panel of judges, whereas sparring is judged by a head referee, usually with assistant referees at the side of the sparring area. Sparring matches are typically divided by weight, age, gender, and experience.^[32]

WKF only allows membership through one national organization/federation per country to which clubs may join. The World Union of Karate-do Federations (WUKF)^[33] offers different styles and federations a world body they may join, without having to compromise their style or size. The WUKF accepts more than one federation or association per country.

Sport organizations use different competition rule systems.^{[29][32][34][35][36]} Light contact rules are used by the WKF, WUKO, IASK and WKC. Full contact karate rules used by Kyokushinkai, Seidokaikan and other organizations. Bogu kumite (full contact with protective shielding of targets) rules are used in the World Koshiki Karate-Do Federation organization.^[37] Shinkaratedo Federation use boxing gloves.^[38] Within the United States, rules may be under the jurisdiction of state sports authorities, such as the boxing commission.

In August 2016, the International Olympic Committee approved karate as an Olympic sport beginning at the 2020 Summer Olympics.^[39][40]

Karate, although not widely used in mixed martial arts, has been effective for some MMA practitioners.^[41][42][43] Various styles of karate are practiced in MMA: Lyoto Machida and John Makdessi practice Shotokan;^[44] Bas Rutten and Georges St-Pierre train in Kyokushinl;^[45] and Michelle Waterson holds a black belt in American Free Style Karate. ^[46]