Should full-contact Karate be an oylmpic sport?

[DLopez]

 

What you are failing to understand, or I'm just not being clear enough, is that the TKD fighters competing in the Olympics are fighting within the constraints of the rules laid down for that competition. Consequently, the TKD fighters are concentrating on what generates the most points. You are also drawing the wrong conclusion that those TKD fighters don't know how to fight any other way but Olympic competition style, just because they are competing in the Olympics. I fail to see that connection myself.

 

Just because a TKD fighter competes in the Olympics, doesn't mean they don't know how to fight full contact style, and should automatically be considered less skilled in full contact fighting than a Karate fighter.

 

Now, if you are saying that a TKD fighter restricted to using Olympic competition rules going against someone allowed to hit full contact, then duh, of course the full contact fighter will probably win but geez, talk about swaying the odds in the full contact fighter's favor! Is that scenario really worth contemplating?

 

Otherwise, I don't know how you can make the blanket statement that based on what you've seen from some TKD fighters you've gone against means that the Olympic TKD fighters would get their "clock cleaned" by a Karate full contact fighter. Until you've actually seen the results of Olympic TKD fighters going full contact against a Karater fighter, then you're really just guessing in favor of your favorite style, right?

 

So long story short, your conclusion about an Olympic TKD fighter getting his clock cleaned by a Karate fighter is seriously flawed.

 

[unknown]

kickboxing, karate and muay thai will never become olympic sports.

 

Why do you think that?

 

There are way too many kickboxing sanctioning bodies for kickboxing to be in the Olympics. Its the "alphabet soup" as they call it. The IOC actually gave kickboxing a chance to get into the Olympics - The IOC told the ISKA, WPKA, WKA and WAKO to agree upon an unified set of rules and to form one organization. All four sanctioning bodies had a meeting and it did not even last 30 minutes.

 

That and the fact that the WTF paid a whole lotta money to the IOC to get their sport into the Olympics. MAny of the kickboxing sanctioning bodies out there dont have the kind of cash that the WTF paid towards the IOC.

[Judo Warrior]

I don't like how people say Judo is now mostly a sport rather than a martial art. If someone does one of the throws done in Sport/Olympic Judo on the street, it would definetly end a fight and be VERY effective as it will really harm the person its done to, or even possibly kill him. And a skilled Judoka should be able to know how to use most throws without the gi. I think most black belt Judoka's should be able to use the throws they learned without the gi, and same thing with the ground work. Judo is only taught on a mat so when u get thrown hard u don't get hurt and also break falling (Ukemi) helps reduce the pain, but imagine someone doing an O Goshi (Major Hip Throw) or an Ippon Seionage(One Arm Shoulder Throw) on concrete, that would seriously harm you. Even an Osoto Gari(Major Outer Reaping) can be deadly on the street.

[rb]

Kakarotto,

 

The idea of the deadly street throw is as bad as the one punch kill.

 

Today Judo is mostly sport. Few schools train all the techniques which include striking. When was the last time you punched or kicked someone in randori? Throws are a great tool but definitely harder to pull off when someone is hitting you.

[Judo Warrior]

The Judo school that i go to doesn't alow striking during Randori ( i dont think any Judo Schools alow striking during Randori) but they do teach the striking when you get your green belt. I will admit that when we do Randori it's not so we can practice for street fights, but its for just practicing our techniques. I do agree that most Judo schools now mostly just focus on the throws or focus on teaching "Sport Judo", but think about it, if one of those throws that are done during competion, or during Randori are done on concrete or on the street, i'm 95% sure it would end a fight unless the person your fighting is extremely tough.

[Rich_2k3]

Karate will be an olympics sport, its fact, it probably wont be full contact though, they've put a bid in for 2008 and are top of list to win.

 

Here is the current figures, you'll notice karate is leading by far:

 

http://www.wkf.net/html/olympic_sport.html

[mushin_042]

I don't know that it's such a sure shot for 2008 but if karate ever ends up in the olympics it will be definetly be with the wkf's rules. The usa's olympic governing body for karate's website is usankf.org for anyone who is interested there's some cool video from the titan games on there for anyone who wants to see what olympic style karate looks like.

[Rich_2k3]

It will probably enter into 2012, but the question is definatley not if but when

[Drunken Monkey]

the thing is, how much different will olympic karate be to olympic tkd?

 

for some reason, i can see it turning into another point sparring competition....

[Rich_2k3]

I hope not...