What Are The Differences Between Karate And Taekwondo?

Karate and taekwondo are two martial arts which, although they have a few things in common, have marked differences. Find out in this article.

The karate and taekwondo are two martial arts common practice, at first glance, can be difficult to differentiate. Indeed, they have some similarities. But in reality they are not the same.

Both disciplines emphasize self-discipline as well as an important personal code of conduct. In addition, they share their competitive aspect. However, although of Japanese origin, taekwondo is an ancient style of wrestling, and karate is a discipline that emerged only a few hundred years ago, derived from Chinese kung fu .

It should be noted that despite the similarities,  postures and specific movements differ considerably between taekwondo and karate.

Origin and history

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art  characterized by an emphasis on aerial  kicks, jumping and turning kicks, as well as fast kicking techniques. As a martial art, it has existed in Korea for over 2300 years.

In its beginnings, taekwondo was a martial art of defense with bare hands or without weapons. He was known as the subak . The style which is at the origin is the taekkyeon . At that time, there were three rival kingdoms in Korea that trained their men in unarmed combat.

However, when the Japanese invaded Korea in the early 20th century, they banned Korean martial arts. Although some groups continued to practice them in secret. In addition, for various reasons, styles have diversified. Nevertheless, thanks to a conference held in 1955, they were merged into one form of uniform teaching.

As a curiosity, tae means “to destroy with the feet”, kwon means “to strike or destroy with the hand” and do means “way”. Therefore, taekwondo can be translated as “the way of the foot and the fist”.

As for it, karate developed several hundred years ago on the Ryükyü Islands (Japan), which we know today as Okinawa. It developed from Chinese kung fu .

Its origins date back to the 16th century when in 1600 Japan forcefully occupied Okinawa and confiscated all weapons. The locals therefore fought with their bare hands and feet, because they had nothing else.

The meaning of karate is “empty hand”. It is very likely that the term is linked to the origin of the discipline, as a system of self-defense based on the effective use of the disarmed corps.

Fighting style and techniques

Karate is a martial art based on punches, kicks, knees and elbows, as well as techniques with open hands. This discipline also includes blocking techniques, such as parries as well as certain throws or pushes (KO). As for the movements, they are sharp and linear.

Taekwondo, on the other hand, places more emphasis on kicking techniques. However, the training is comprehensive and also involves learning punches, blows with open hands, knockouts, pushes and blockages of the joints.

You should know that in taekwondo, the traditional style to start is done with the arms together. While in karate, it consists of holding the torso straight with the hands just below the waist and making the salute by bending the torso forward while keeping the gaze on the opponent.

The differences between karate and taekwondo in competition

When competing, the differences between karate and taekwondo are visible at first glance. In karate, we use protections, while in taekwondo we use no type of protection.

In addition, if the two martial arts were until now considered to be Olympic sports, karate will no longer be present as such at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.

In traditional karate tournaments,  punches and kicks are worth the same amount of points.  However, in taekwondo kicks are worth more points than punches.

Common points between karate and taekwondo

Despite their differences, these two disciplines have some similarities. The most relevant are the following:

• They are taught in a dojo .
• Both disciplines use and wear similar uniforms. Usually white in lightweight cotton for ease of mobility and flexibility.
• They follow some of the traditional rules.
• Both disciplines emphasize respect for teachers and other students.
• The techniques used are part of a set of choreographed forms which are known as kata (karate) and poomsae (taekwondo).
• Each discipline facilitates the development of abilities and qualities  such as patience, self-discipline and self-confidence. Both for children and adults.

Martial arts with special characteristics

We can see that the differences between karate and taekwondo are very obvious. Especially on television. However,  if we do see them in action in a movie, chances are these distinctions aren’t so obvious.

In addition, it is always interesting to know the characteristics specific to each martial art.

And now you might be wondering what martial art Bruce Lee practiced . Know that it is neither. Bruce Lee practiced wing chun gung fu. He ended up creating his own fighting style: jun fan gung fu .