Find out what advantages and disadvantages have martial arts: karate, boxing and taekwondo and what to choose for training at home. Although there are significantly more martial arts, the question most often arises - which is better than karate, boxing or taekwondo? Today we will pay attention not only to the three mentioned above, but also to a few that are also popular. However, to begin with, I would like to make a short excursion into the history of taekwondo and karate. We are sure that this information will be useful to many.
The origins of karate
The word "karate" in Russian can be translated as "the path of an empty hand." From this we can conclude that the technique of this combat single combat presupposes the skills of wrestling without the use of weapons. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the island of Okinawa was an independent kingdom and was not part of Japan. The locals considered themselves a sovereign people and carefully kept the secrets of the martial art passed down from generation to generation.
After the unification of the Land of the Rising Sun, karate quickly spread throughout the entire state. Many men from the island of Okinawa, after being drafted into the army, showed good physical fitness and were significantly superior in this indicator to representatives of other regions of Japan. It soon became known that the reason lies in the knowledge of karate.
Many styles have emerged throughout the twentieth century. At the moment, several international federations have been created, uniting fans of the most popular. Their own tournaments are held under the auspices of these international organizations. However, despite the abundance of styles, they all have common features:
- Strong and sharp blows with the lower limbs, delivered at high speed.
- The advantage is given to short, accurate attacks, rather than sweeping ones. More damage to the opponent can be caused by a short blow to the painful point.
- Opponent's attacks are blocked with both hands and feet.
- Striking technique is most often used, although there are throws in the arsenal of karatekas.
Note that due to the high mobility of the opponents, the duel between them looks exciting.
Taekwondo history
This type of martial arts originated in Korea and is relatively young. The history of taekwondo begins only in the past century. Translated from Korean, the name of martial arts sounds like "the path of the legs and arms." Elements of various oriental martial arts are harmoniously intertwined in taekwondo.
The martial art gained fame in the world thanks to the general of the Korean army Choi Hong Lee, who decided to make the study of taekwondo compulsory among the military. Soon after, the first federation of the new sport was created. It is quite obvious that this happened at home in 1959. If in karate the main emphasis is on punches, then in taekwondo the lower limbs are used more actively. If we try to describe this type of martial arts in a few phrases, we get the following:
- Sweeping kicks prevail.
- There is no throwing technique and combat is rarely fought over short distances.
- Although there are punches in the arsenal of fighters, they are rarely carried out.
- The enemy's attacks are not only blocked, but various moves with a simultaneous counterattack are also actively used.
If you watch the duel of two fighters, then their high activity is immediately evident. Opponents move a lot and exchange powerful kicks, both from a standstill and from a running start or in a jump.
Which is better - karate, boxing or taekwondo: a comparison of disciplines
So we come to the main question of our article, which is better than karate, boxing or taekwondo. The answer is not as easy as it might seem. Each martial arts has a lot of fans and they are all sure that it is their art that is the best. We will try to be as objective as possible and consider the existing differences. The choice is up to you.
Karate and taekwondo - which is better?
First of all, the difference in striking technique is striking. If karate fighters often use close combat and prefer punches, then in taekwondo the situation is the opposite. It is not entirely correct to evaluate martial art by its effectiveness in a street fight, but in this case, preference should be given to karate.
If you need to resist an intruder. The advantage of short accurate attacks with hands over sweeping kicks is obvious. We also draw your attention to the fact that in karate, the defense system is also more effective. It is not so obvious in the ring, but in a street fight it can be quickly assessed.
However, you must remember that all martial arts are focused not so much on training the body as on developing the spirit. This is especially evident in wushu, which we are also planning to talk about today.
Boxing or kickboxing: which is better?
Kickboxing is a new kind of martial arts, and it has absorbed all the best from karate, muay thai and other martial arts. Unlike classic boxing, kickboxing is allowed to use legs. Boxing, in turn, is a classic sport, the rules of which have been formed a long time ago. Also note that the boxer must master the technique of movement. Many believe that if kicks are prohibited, they are excluded from work. Just watch the fights of the great boxing masters, and everything will become clear.
Boxing and karate: which is better?
There are certain differences between these martial arts, but there are also common features. First of all, karate is a real philosophical teaching with a long history. Of course, not everyone starts to engage in this sport precisely for the purpose of knowing their spiritual abilities. Boxing in this sense seems to be a more monolithic martial art, which, however, is also not devoid of a spiritual component.
Between these sports disciplines, the methods of training fighters are in common. Of course, there are differences, but there are many similarities. The main difference in our opinion is the use of legs by karatekas. In a street fight, both martial arts can be quite effective.
Thai vs classic boxing: which is better?
Muay Thai or Thai boxing is rooted in the ancient martial art of Thailand - Muay Boran. Fighters are allowed here to kick and punch, but knee attacks are the most popular. Training in these sports has a lot in common. Note that today Muay Thai is considered one of the most violent sports.
We tried to tell you what is better than karate, boxing or taekwondo. However, other martial arts cannot be ignored. In the next section, we will dwell on some of them in more detail. After that, you have to make a decision. If you do not like this or that martial art, you can always change the section.
Wushu: what is it?
Wushu is also often called kung fu, and this martial art has deep philosophical roots. It should be admitted that today many ignore spiritual perfection, preferring exclusively the physical component. The history of wushu goes back more than 20 centuries.
If for the majority of foreigners this is exclusively a type of martial arts, then in the Middle Kingdom, the emphasis is primarily on the system of human upbringing. According to official figures, more than 80 percent of the entire population of China learned not only wushu skills, but also reading and writing skills while studying in wushu schools.
As a rule, exercises in wushu are performed slowly and from the side they are similar to a dance. But the complexes should be performed at a fast pace, and they allow you to fully demonstrate the capabilities of your body. Note that all forms of kung fu have both combat and medicinal purposes. You can start practicing this ancient art at any age, regardless of gender or body type.
Using the same exercises, a person can solve different problems. This makes Wushu a versatile art with which you learn to protect yourself and improve your physical condition. A few words should be said about why this type of martial arts has several names.
The thing is that outside the Celestial Empire it became known thanks to the numerous Chinese emigrants. From their "light hand" the term gongfu first appeared, which later turned into kung fu. For a long time, this word was called not so much the traditional Chinese combat skill as various ways of waging a duel that fall under a certain system. For example, the system that Bruce Lee created is also called kung fu.
Someone probably remembers those legends that talked about the "death touches" or "energy blows" that are mastered by adherents of kung fu. All this came to us from the cinema, although it is now known for sure that not a single direction of wushu pursues its sole purpose of causing harm to another person. We repeat once again that Wushu, first of all, allows you to heal yourself and improve spiritually. Combat skills should be viewed solely as a bonus.
Many people today strive to lose weight. Many girls use various types of fitness for this. In the course of studies conducted by Chinese doctors, it has been proven that a similar duration of training in wushu can burn more calories in comparison with popular aerobics.
Jiu-jitsu: what is it?
In Russian, the name of this ancient martial arts can be translated as "soft art". Over the past few decades, it has been improved, and many of its elements have passed into aikido, sambo, judo and karate. One legend says that Okayama Shirobei (this man is considered one of the founders of jujitsu) once noticed a thin branch that sagged under the weight of snow.
Then she straightened up and the snow fell. But the thick branch was unlucky and broke. As a result, Shirobei said that gentleness will always defeat evil. The basis of jiu-jitsu is the throwing technique, as well as the power effect on the joints. In addition, strikes are often used, the task of which is to unbalance the enemy and then apply a painful hold.
At first glance, jiu-jitsu is very similar to judo - almost the same stances, steps and throws. However, in these sports, victory is awarded for various achievements. Also note that when creating judo, many techniques were borrowed just from ju-jitsu.
That's all we wanted to tell you today. Based on the information received, you just have to make the right choice.
