Karate striking

[dangermouse]

I`ve done taekwondo in the the past and noticed the striking focused mainly on kicks. Does Karate training tend to have an equal focus on punches and kicks? Or doe it overemphasise one?

[Torre]

Most karate styles I have seen do focus more equally on kicking and punching. But in taekwondo the reason of the imbalance might be that TKD has a huge number of different kicks.

[complete]

Can't comment on the ratio for Karate but for Tae Kwon Do, they say the ratio is about 70% kicking 30% punching.

[Draven]

Shotokan Karate uses mostly hand strikes, and Goju is about the same, the reason for the infighting skills involved. Something sprot Karate isn't big on.

The reason Tae Kwon Do has so many more kicks and focuses on kicking is that, as per an interview with the modern found of TKD, it was a quick patch. The Japanese infantry soildier was trained in Karate and focused greatly on using hand strikes to stun or kill an enemy soldier. So the Korean infantry & rebel forces during Koreas occupation by Japan, trained in keeping the Japanese solders at a distance and delivered strikes which would disable them at long range for hand-to-hand combat.

This has been overly focused in sport TKD, so that the infighting methods, like sport karate, have been "forgotten" in focus.

[Shinobi_Kokujin]

Korean arts have always been quite adept at kicking for thousands of years

its like a trademark. but most commercialized schools....or schools that simply miss the point over emphasize kicking

when i did taekwondo in Korea, we did more kicking yeah, but the other striking techniques such as punches, elbows, knees, headbutts were not overshadowed so there wasnt an imbalance.


most karate styles do an equal amount of punching an kicking like was stated before. but use low kicks in the katas.

the reason why most karate schools started using advanced kicks in self defense an tournaments is because taekwondo and kung fu showcased them when martial arts training became popular

so, not to be out done the karate schools started incorporating high and advanced kicks too. this also helped with gaining students over the competition

[marksmarkou]

I would say that modern karate is more equal in its use of striking and kicking, but old school karate focused more on hand strikes as in self defence situations you are mainly in close quarters and its hard to kick, even to low areas. If you look at nearly all katas, there focus is on arm techniques rather than leg.

[Draven]

Originally Posted by Shinobi_Kokujin

Korean arts have always been quite adept at kicking for thousands of years

its like a trademark. but most commercialized schools....or schools that simply miss the point over emphasize kicking

when i did taekwondo in Korea, we did more kicking yeah, but the other striking techniques such as punches, elbows, knees, headbutts were not overshadowed so there wasnt an imbalance.

Well I'm just quoting from what General Cho said in a Black belt magazine interview back in the day. I believe he drew mnay of the kicking techniques from an older Korean art that was totally kicking but TKD kata, and many of its techniques were in fact drawn from Shotokan Karate.

The issue most South Koreans don't mention is that the founder of modern TKD had sided with the Chinese & North Koreans and has two graves one in Canada and one in North Korea. Most South Koreas don't reconize the true history of modern TKD, because that would mean they had to acept that Japan influenced them so greatly.

TKD in Korea is very different then here in the states, and allot of TKD taught over there is more combative in nature, due to the Korean males being drafted into service for over 2 years at the age of eighteen. I was stationed on Camp Casey BTW so I know both the Mr. Kims that teach TKD around there, the old guy is more combative & knowledgable. Both are excellent instructors by the way...

[ladyfighter]

Originally Posted by Draven

The issue most South Koreans don't mention is that the founder of modern TKD had sided with the Chinese & North Koreans and has two graves one in Canada and one in North Korea.

How do you mean, "he sided with"?? Most all TKD artists know that a grave is in North Korea and in Canada. He had to cut through a great bit of red tape to get TKD in North Korea and to be allowed to be buried there.

[Draven]

Originally Posted by ladyfighter

How do you mean, "he sided with"?? Most all TKD artists know that a grave is in North Korea and in Canada. He had to cut through a great bit of red tape to get TKD in North Korea and to be allowed to be buried there.

Gen. Cho's unit was in the northern part of Korea what is now North Korea. Allot of his influences came from studying at a university in Japan, where he studied Shotokan under Funikoshi himself. When the General began teaching TKD it was to forces in that area. Also most of his orgional TKD system remains what is taught in North Korea.

The South Korean government & the TKD organization located there have done everything to dismiss that reality, especially in commercial TKD. North Korean propaganda states that he isded with North Korean & the South Korean governments actions with counter propaganda is widely known as such so...

[ladyfighter]

Originally Posted by Draven

Gen. Cho's unit was in the northern part of Korea what is now North Korea. Allot of his influences came from studying at a university in Japan, where he studied Shotokan under Funikoshi himself. When the General began teaching TKD it was to forces in that area. Also most of his orgional TKD system remains what is taught in North Korea.

The South Korean government & the TKD organization located there have done everything to dismiss that reality, especially in commercial TKD. North Korean propaganda states that he isded with North Korean & the South Korean governments actions with counter propaganda is widely known as such so...

But you said he sided with the North Korea and China.. The WTF may dispute his training in Japan, but in his biography Gen. Choi does not! However, I guess people will believe what they want in the end.

[souldrum71]

Back to the topic: I've had experience with American karate, Japanese karate, and taekwondo, and I would say the style of shotokan that I started out in in the U.S. focused equally on kicks and punches. The kyokushin and seishin juku I studied in Japan focused mainly on punches but there were quite a few low kicks and even knees. Taekwondo has been mostly kicking but with a fair amount of hand strikes. I'd say the 70 percent kicking, 30 percent punching is a good estimate for the style of TKD that I practice.

[Draven]

Originally Posted by ladyfighter

But you said he sided with the North Korea and China.. The WTF may dispute his training in Japan, but in his biography Gen. Choi does not! However, I guess people will believe what they want in the end.

Yes before he defected and moved to Canada, he was a North Korean General. He initially sided with North Korea's communist propaganda until he realized it was B.S.

[ladyfighter]

Originally Posted by Draven

Yes before he defected and moved to Canada, he was a North Korean General. He initially sided with North Korea's communist propaganda until he realized it was B.S.

He was a South Korean General before he defected and he moved to Canada because he did not believe that the Korean government should have any influence on TKD because he truly believed it was for the World. But reguardless, anyone can google this information and view it for themselves

here is one such place:
Choi Hong Hi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Draven]

Originally Posted by ladyfighter

He was a South Korean General before he defected and he moved to Canada because he did not believe that the Korean government should have any influence on TKD because he truly believed it was for the World. But reguardless, anyone can google this information and view it for themselves

here is one such place:
Choi Hong Hi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

See now again there is where the books are off, mine says he was North Korean initially, something about his family living up north and his unit being up north & his having worked with the Chinese Army against the Japanese occupation. And this is a book I bought in Seoul to boot...

Either way, the South Korean Government does allot to denouce him, their TKD schools are very political over there. Which is why I just trained with some of the TKD people and never studied it over when I was stationed over there.

But the wiki-officals say something different so I'll conceed. I may be & probaly am wrong.

[ladyfighter]

Originally Posted by Draven

But the wiki-officals say something different so I'll conceed. I may be & probaly am wrong.

You were only going by what information you were given! He was born in North Korea and that is why he asked to be buried there, to be by his family! Of course, he did have to bargain abit with the North Koreans to allow this (some say he made a deal with the devil) but I can understand wanting to be buried with your ancestors, I suppose *shrugs* Though I think I'll go with cremation and be placed in Chinese puzzle box to be displayed at all of our National Tournaments.. lol j/k