Tae Kwon Do vs Karate.

[Jerome]

I"m sure this question has likely been asked many times before but I've finally decided to go full-time into a martial art and I have 2 choices. Tae Kwon Do or Karate. I've heard Tae Kwon Do is about 80% feel and 20% arms where as Karate is 50/50. So I'm asking for some opinions on the two, which tyles of fighting do they differ in, is one more aggressive, more contact, more attack, "more deadly"? Also I've heard in most turnements the Tae Kwon Do guy usually looses becasue the Karate guy automatically goes on the inside where the Tae Kwon Do guy can't do anything. It seems kindof bias but I'd like some opinions on one vs the other.

[Ravencroft]

which style of karate are we talkin here...kyokushin? issyn ryu(or however it is spelled)? shotokan?depends which style u mean because they differ greatly.

[SBN Doug]

You'll also need to provide us with the organization affiliation of the TKD. (ITF, WTF, ATF, etc.)

[Jerome]

I haven't visited the Karate gym yet, I"m doing that this week. I have visited the Tae Kwon Do one which is taught by Dane Williams the Canadian Lightweight Champion. If its not too much trouble could you list a general description of the different Karate styles and its comparison to Tae Kwon Do. I'd like to gather some information because some ppl just want money and I want whats best for me.

 

W.T.F 4th Degree Master Dane Williams.

 

EDIT: Sry can't spell

 

Oh a comparative forum, thx mods didn't see this. I'll read on through the threads to get my answers.

[Vito]

if you want to learn to fight... seriously, niether. unless its shotokan karate- i understand thats pretty good. otherwise, find a boxing gym or mma or judo or soooomething other than those mcdojo crap places. but, assuming you have only those two choices, karate seems to be, in general, more geared towards fighting as tkd is almost completely nonsense. this of course may not be true if you find a good teacher who happens to do tkd, but that seems to be the way it usually works.

[WapCaplet]

Obviously I'm going to plug Shotokan Karate because that's what I train in. I suppose if I were training in TKD I would plug that instead.

 

It's such a personal thing. Perhaps find someone who has trained in both to provide a qualified explanation of the differences, strengths, weaknesses, etc.

 

My karate club has a really good balance of kata, kihon and kumite. The forms and "style" of the MA is there, the basic principles and work-out is there, and the sparring and application of techniques is there. I'm happy with it, anyway. But then again, I've never trained in anything else, so I'm completely biased.

 

Wap

[aefibird]

Well... like I've said before (and others on these forums have said as well), the style isn't as important as the club and the instructor.

 

Both TKD and Karate are very similar in many respects, but are different in others. Both styles have dojos or dojangs that have a big emphasis on competition fighting, whilst other TKD and Karate clubs are very big on traditional teaching and training.

 

However... if you get an instructor who isn't really qualified to teach or who is lacking in knowledge (as many instructors are), then it doesn't matter which style you are training in as you will never really learn anything anyway.

 

When you go to visit the TKD school and the Karate school, have a look at the students, especially the higher grades. Do they look competent? Do the blackbelts look worth of their grade? Does the instructor seem friendly and approachable? Does the instructor seem to know what he's doing and know his Martial Art 'inside out'?

 

If both clubs seem decent, then try out a few lessons in each and decide which club you could see yourself training with on a regular basis. Could you see yourself sticking with that school for years to come? If so, it's the one for you and that's miles more important about which MA is the 'best'.

[wing chun kuen man]

Jerome,

 

As others have mentioned, there are other factors to consider besides choosing the style of martial arts to practice. However, even if both schools are good and the instructors are good then my money will be on Karate.

 

By the way, when you get to visit the Karate club, find out about the style of karate that they teach and let us know. That way we will have a better idea about your options.

 

Wing Chun Kuen Man

[Zorba]

TKD is actually a derivitive of shotokan karate. I have studied both (TKD) first and it is quite easy to see this.

 

However, tkd was adapted for the situation of its practitioners, ie, they were attacked by soldiers on horses, so they included a lot of high kicking to combat them.

 

There are a few kicks in shotokan, however, if you look at the kata's and the majority of the ipon kumite, bunkai and kihon. its is more like 75 /25 not 50/50.

 

If it is at all possible. do both. if you find that you enjoy one more than the other, stick with it. if not, theres no harm in doing more than one style.

[Zorba]

what the...

 

double post. sorry. dont know how i did it

Edited July 22, 2004 by Zorba