Should full-contact Karate be an oylmpic sport?

[supacoopatroopa]

Becasue the olympics are going on, I want to ask a question; should full-contact karate be an oylmpic sport. Should it be in the knockdown format or should it use a point system similar to TKD. I think that it should be a semi-knockdown event with cloth shin and instep pads and cloth hand pads and dipped-foam headgear and mouthgaurds as the protection.

 

What say you?

[Luckykboxer]

i think muay thai kickboxing should be an olympic sport.... complete with knees and elbows

[Rotten Head Fok]

I would love to see a more (in-depth) martial arts in the olympics. External and Internal competitions.

 

Empty hand forms, weapons, chi demonstrations. I think sparring should be done on some kind of a point system, but also a UFC type reality. I like to be able to see a technique applied well enough that those knowledgable would have no doubt disputing it's presence and to prevent the sight of an out-right brawl. A three-bout smoker is one thing, watching two martial artist use tried and true learned skills from thier respective style against one another for let's say 20 minutes is another. I would also enjoy seeing the different styles color's, rituals, and uniforms. My vote is a big yes!

[Chibi]

NO

[manuelito]

since we only get to see a certain aspect of a martial art in the olympics i think that sometimes it gives itself a bad name or look. if you can not show all of it then do not show any of it. example tkd is more than just kicks and judo is more than just throws. all or nothing is what is think.

[Radok]

I think if Karate goes to the Olympics, it should be American full contact. If it is point sparring, Karate might go the way of TKD, and that would suck.

[WapCaplet]

I really like the idea of kata competitions as well. So many of the olympic sports are judged based on form (diving, gymnastics, synchro swimming, etc) that it would be cool to see some martial art forms displayed, as well as the combative aspects.

 

I guess it's like any other sport that isn't an olympic sport; somewhere there is a big group of people saying "Hey, why isn't OUR sport an Olympic sport?!" Obviously you wouldn't be able to have every single martial art, but I could understand having the most popular ones.

 

So that begs another question; are TKD and Judo considered the most popular (world-wide) martial arts? I would have thought that Kung-fu or karate would make that list.

 

One does have to wonder how ballroom dancing, air-rifle shooting and ping-pong are olympic sports and karate is not.

 

Wap

[Shorinryu Sensei]

As much as having other aspects (kata, sparring, etc) of the martial arts in the Olympics sounds appealing to me, I think it would be a bad idea.

 

After judo was introduced into the Olympics, it became more of a sport than a martial art and is now almost exclusively taught worldwide as a sport. After TKD was introduced, many branches of it are now becoming more of a sport, or at least, appears to be heading in that direction also.

 

Kata competition, both hard and soft forms and perhaps kobudo (weapons) kata might be OK. However, I would expect it to become incredibly flashy (including splits, flips, etc.) and essentially, not a true representation of what real karate kata is all about in the end. You'd end up with a gymnastics floor routine performed in colorful "gi's" in very short order I'm afraid.

[SoulAssassin]

As much as having other aspects (kata, sparring, etc) of the martial arts in the Olympics sounds appealing to me, I think it would be a bad idea.

 

After judo was introduced into the Olympics, it became more of a sport than a martial art and is now almost exclusively taught worldwide as a sport. After TKD was introduced, many branches of it are now becoming more of a sport, or at least, appears to be heading in that direction also.

 

Kata competition, both hard and soft forms and perhaps kobudo (weapons) kata might be OK. However, I would expect it to become incredibly flashy (including splits, flips, etc.) and essentially, not a true representation of what real karate kata is all about in the end. You'd end up with a gymnastics floor routine performed in colorful "gi's" in very short order I'm afraid.

 

agreed

[DLopez]

I think if Karate goes to the Olympics, it should be American full contact. If it is point sparring, Karate might go the way of TKD, and that would suck.

 

Eh? How would becoming the most popular martial art in the world suck?

 

Whatever TKD's quality control problems are, I don't see how that is a reflection on TKD as a martial art. Just because Chef Boy-ar-dee makes lousy ravioli, does that mean you can't get good ravioli anywhere?