question about the effectiveness of karate

[Sid Vicious]

i've been kickboxing for awhile and now i want to take Karate. i took kickboxing because i know it is effective for self defense. my question is, is Karate good for self defense?

[hobbitbob]

This has beeen extensively covered in teh other froums, but...my 2 cents worth: it's not the style, its the practitioner.

[LeaF]

Karate has the potential for being very effective in self defense situations, but it is not something that can be learned or taught overnight. If you are looking for something that will teach you how to defend youself very quickly, stick to kick boxing or Mauy Tai. But if you give karate a few years you will feeling confident in self defense situations, and it is something you will be able to train in an carry through your entire life

[aes]

Well said LeaF. I have been studying Karate for 3 months now. Sure I could kick someone a lot better now and maybe have some better punch mechanics etc but I am a long way from being able to really defend myself using it.

 

I didn't think that Kick Boxing would be that useful in a self-defence situation myself but this is likely just ignorance on my part. Just like I don't really consider boxing that good. Karate can teach you how to maim/kill etc someone (or a group) with brutal efficiency. Seems to me this could be very handy in Self-Defence.

 

Al

[Thai_Kick]

I didn't think that Kick Boxing would be that useful in a self-defence situation myself but this is likely just ignorance on my part. Just like I don't really consider boxing that good.

 

What would make you think this about kickboxing and boxing? Sure they use basic techniques; jab, cross, roundhouse kick... but these techniques are ring & street proven. The techniques are heavily emphasized and trained making boxers and kickboxers effective fighters in a short period of time, the same goes for Muay Thai. In a street fight you will NEVER see someone use Karate style blocks or stances, you won't see someone using Monkey style or Crane style in a fight, WHY... because it's not realistic you could get hurt or killed from that. IMO Boxing and Kickboxing is much more effective then Karate in a street fight but the most effective stand up style without a doubt is Muay Thai.

[Kensai]

Karate, in general is a fine style. As long as you have a good Sensei and a willingness to work hard, Karate gives you the tools to be a very effective "fighter".

 

Thai_Kick, I would have to disagree that Mauy Thai is the most effective stand up style. I would agree that it is very effective, but to say it is the most effective, it a little rash. Its always down to personal oppinuion ofcourse, I think that Shaolin Gung Fu, Ba Gua and Hsing I are the most effective standing striking styles. But they take along time to master.

 

Take Care.

[Thai_Kick]

Kensai, what makes Shaolin Gung Fu, Ba Gua and Hsing I the most effective standing arts over Muay Thai?

[LeaF]

For one, They are all arts that can be trained throughout ones entire life without losing effectiveness. They also incorparate the power of ones mind, if I understand correctly, also know as Ki/Chi.... But as kensai said, they take much longer to learn

[Thai_Kick]

For one, They are all arts that can be trained throughout ones entire life without losing effectiveness. They also incorparate the power of ones mind, if I understand correctly, also know as Ki/Chi.... But as kensai said, they take much longer to learn

 

 

 

I understand, but a person dosen't want to be an effective fighter in 15 years, also learning differnet stances, blocks, forms, Ki/Chi, won't make you an effective fighter. Come on guys, like I said before...

 

"In a street fight you will NEVER see someone use Karate style blocks or stances, you won't see someone using Monkey style or Crane style in a fight, WHY... because it's not realistic you could get hurt or killed from that."

 

These arts you have mentioned are not even close to being as effective as Muay Thai. Some of the top fighters in MMA cross train in Muay Thai because it works, because it's effective, becasue it's realistic, theirs no forms, fancy strikes or movements just hard, effective techniques. Lets be honest if we made a poll of what style you would not want to fight against; Muay Thai, Shaolin Gung Fu, Ba Gua or Hsing I, (99.9%) almost everyone would choose Muay Thai.

[Pacificshore]

In my opinion, it comes down to the application of techniques, no matter if it's karate or Muay Thai. It's the understanding of timing, distance, angles, body mechanics, etc.

 

Thai_Kick, you state that you wouldn't see anyone use karate style type blocks or stances in a street fight, that may be true, but how do you know that the karate person didn't just modify their stances or blocks? Again it boils down to application.

 

Also don't mistake static training that happens in the dojo for learning self defense as the end all of karate training. Many times there are sets of self defense techniques to be learned that can come into play at any given moment. What you are essentially taught are basics that allow you a base to work from.

 

If anyone seeks to become a fighter, then as I have said before, choose those arts that teach you to become a fighter in a few months, but if anyone is looking for more than just fighting, then I say take up any form of martial arts that'll offer more than just fighting.