Amanda Volovik enjoys martial arts like judo and karate in her free time. While karate began over 1,000 years ago in China, the modern form developed in Okinawa, Japan between the 15th-17th centuries when weapons were banned. Karate later became a source of national pride in Japan and spread internationally in the 20th century, with the four major styles now practiced globally.

2.  Amanda Volovik oversees Digital Art by Amanda
Volovik, a Sparks, Nevada-based company that
specializes in digital graphics production, multimedia
programs, and photo enhancements. In her free
time, she enjoys an active lifestyle that includes
martial arts, such as judo and karate.
Although the evolution of karate began in China
over a thousand years ago, the modern form of the
martial art was developed on the Japanese island of
Okinawa during a period between the 15th and 17th
centuries when it was unlawful for Okinawan residents
to possess weapons.

3.  After being practiced in secret for a number of years,
karate became a source of national pride in Japan
and an institution in Japanese schools, youth
organizations, and military divisions.
The establishment of the Japan Karate Association in
1948 brought international attention to the fighting
style, and its practice soon spread to other countries.
It became popular in the United States and the
United Kingdom in the 1950s and took hold in France
and Soviet Union a decade later. Today, the four
major karate styles--Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu, Shotokan,
and Wado-ryu--are studied by adults and youth
throughout the world.