TaeKwondo, Lethal Art compared to Karate?

[Rokusho_Tao]

ANY style of martial arts (even the slow Tai Chi) can be deadly in the hands of an experienced martial artist... But with Tai Chi, you may have to speed up the motions a little... lol

[Menjo]

Taekwondo and karate have many marked similarities for the simple reason that the founder of Taekwondo was trained in Shotokan JKA karate. But, TKD distinguishes itself mainly from karate because of its predominant emphasis on kicks. So, the question is: are kicks more lethal than hand techniques? A kick and a punch/hand strike delivered by one and the same person will show that the former has a more destructive force. But, generally the punch/hand strike which has greater popularity in Shotokan karate than in TKD has the advantage of being delivered faster, easier and more accurately aimed to a target by one and the same individual. Furthermore, a kick needs greater distance to deliver and make it effective, so close-in fighting or fighting in tight spots would be disadvantageous to a TKD fighter.

I can only consider TKD which depends mainly on kicks as more lethal than karate, when the test is merely damaging a non-responsive, totally immobilized or completely defenseless opponent. Otherwise, both TKD and karate will be lethal in the hands and feet of equally skilled experts who share equivalent physical attributes and characteristics. If exactly the original and a clone of the original would fight and one would be a TKD practitioner while the other is a karateka, my bet is that it will be a tie or a toss up.

Yes, but shotokan uses ALOT more than just hand techniques. Same with taekwondo. Even generalized; shotokan is more about body connection than hand strikes, but yea good points

[pers]

Taekwondo and karate have many marked similarities for the simple reason that the founder of Taekwondo was trained in Shotokan JKA karate. But, TKD distinguishes itself mainly from karate because of its predominant emphasis on kicks. So, the question is: are kicks more lethal than hand techniques? A kick and a punch/hand strike delivered by one and the same person will show that the former has a more destructive force. But, generally the punch/hand strike which has greater popularity in Shotokan karate than in TKD has the advantage of being delivered faster, easier and more accurately aimed to a target by one and the same individual. Furthermore, a kick needs greater distance to deliver and make it effective, so close-in fighting or fighting in tight spots would be disadvantageous to a TKD fighter.

I can only consider TKD which depends mainly on kicks as more lethal than karate, when the test is merely damaging a non-responsive, totally immobilized or completely defenseless opponent. Otherwise, both TKD and karate will be lethal in the hands and feet of equally skilled experts who share equivalent physical attributes and characteristics. If exactly the original and a clone of the original would fight and one would be a TKD practitioner while the other is a karateka, my bet is that it will be a tie or a toss up.

I agree with most of your post , but like to add that one of the main reasons for karate emphasising on hand techniques is the question of balance ,in a self defence situation or competition with a kicking technique you only have one foot on the ground and are more vunreble .

karate has more emphaise on self defence than t.k.d (close quarter self defence ) t'kd is more competition and sport oriented (nothing wrong with that ,I enjoy watching them) but are t.k.d hand techniques equally good as karate ? I doubt that !

I must add that kicking is my favourite but it takes twice as long as hand techniques to master ,mostly because of balance .to make ippon with a kick takes years of practice .

Edited October 26, 2005 by pers

[White Warlock]

Well, to toss it on the table again, do recall there are two distinct directions in which tkd is taught. One is traditional, self-defense oriented, in which it's mother system (shotokan) is strongly presented, and the other is sport/Olympics oriented, in which ring/sparring techniques are emphasized. Most of what is witnessed and taught is sport/Olympics-oriented tkd.

[White Warlock]

http://www.gbgm-umc.org/otterbeinumc-wv/karatehistory.htm

[Meguro]

When TKD was introduced to the US, it was often sold as Korean Karate. There is a strong influence of Shotokan in TKD. This is not to say that they are exactly alike. TKD also draws from traditional Korean fighting arts-obviously involving high kicking. Like anything else in the world there's a lot of borrowing and sharing of ideas. Karate didn't just come to Funakoshi in a dream.

[mean fighter]

I have had expierienced Karate and I am now in TKD and this art relies more on percision and speed. whenever I dont deliver a teqenuiqe in the right place with enuogh power and speed, I cant leave!

[KarateKid6781]

agreed

[robsnotes4u]

Having read different opinions on which Art is better, I think this will make a lot of sense. It sounds like everyone knows that Tae Kwon Do came from Karate and then a Martial Art, the name escapes me, that was only foot techniques was added. So lets use the following analogy.

How good is a professional football team that only runs the ball? How good is a professional football team that only passes the ball? Neither are very good. You need to have a great running game to open up the passing game and vice-versa. What make Peyton Manning so good? THe ability of Edgrin James. Each aspect compliments the other. By having great foot techniques, it opens up your karate, or hand techniques. What is harder to defend a single layer attack or a multiple layer attack? Therefore the Masters took something that was good and made it better.

Just my two cents worth, you can take it with a grain of salt

[White Warlock]

How good is a professional football team that only runs the ball? How good is a professional football team that only passes the ball? Neither are very good. You need to have a great running game to open up the passing game and vice-versa.

Not necessarily true. It depends upon your opposition. Granted, it makes you less flexible, but it also allows you to put twice as much time into perfecting that one particular area, which means you'll be better at it than anyone else. So, if you make it 'your' game, as opposed to 'their' game, you can 'run the ball' all the way, all the time.... or throw the ball, all the way, all the time.

By having great foot techniques, it opens up your karate, or hand techniques. What is harder to defend a single layer attack or a multiple layer attack? Therefore the Masters took something that was good and made it better.

Well, that's somewhat of a leap. You are completely dismissing that karate implemented both hand and foot, as well as a multitude of other aspects. So, shotokan already is multi-layered.

Also, addiing more doesn't necessarily make something better, at least not due to the problem there's more to learn now.. and thus less time to develop all that is presented.