If you stuck to karate in a fight, maintaining posture and did the moves as instructed etc you will likely get your arse kicked.
But using karate in a fight does not necessarily need to stick to what is done in the dojo.the main points note of in karate is application of strength - knowing where to strike and how to deflect and counter rather than just block.
Applying elements of karate to how you defend yourself has much greater benefits than doing karate itself, which is what is intended i guess. If you can do punches, kicks and blocksin a sufficuent manner using techniques in the dojo (like pulling elbow back etc), then imagime how this could imorove your own style.
Most styles of Kara-Te lend themselves more easily to defensive as opposed offensive fighting. For tight spots where you have a lack of manoevability, the internal styles particularily from Okinawa can give you a definite edge. Combine that with Aikido and with your wrestling or boxing and I should imagine you would be quite a handful in the ring.
Most of the martial arts, unarmed combat taught to special forces combines Ju-Jitsu, Aikido and Kempo the unarmed art of the samurai. Along with some practical observations thrown in through experience. As in Krag Maga or Systema.
I'd love to find a guy in the Chicago area that's a black belt in karate that would like to totally practice on me, privately kick me around and own me with his karate.
I was a bit worried that this question might cause arguments, but of course meetfighters.com is a friendly place. :-)
The responses seem to focus on karate in MMA. It makes sense that it's rare for sport karate to lead to MMA, it's so different. As Matt points out, Lyoto Machida adapted his style for MMA. I also wonder if learning karate in the 90s in Brazil was maybe a bit rougher than most dojos in 2014 in Western Europe/USA.
I know it's more about the fighter than the style, maybe it's also more about the people you train with and are trained by, rather than their professed style. I know one person who does BJJ, but the instructor is also into Krav Maga and the lessons and sparring end up being a hybrid.
Outside the ring/cage/mat I think it's different. A lot of "street fights" last under a two seconds and I think proficiency in karate works. Or boxing. Or kickboxing. Or Krav, or back garden dustups with mates. Probably anything.
I like FighterBoyy's point about flexibility, and Sturdy is on the button with speed. If someone tries to mug you at an ATM there's a good chance you can turn the tables if you act very fast and with no warning. Totally different from squaring up against a well matched fighter and tapping gloves.
My approach (some time ago) was to let the ned (that's a "hoodlum" in Scotland) take my wallet out of my hand. While some people think that's the sensible thing to do, I can't help but feel I just rewarded the ned and caused the next victim. It was opportunistic and he wasn't a big tough guy or armed, so I'm sure some experience in any martial art would have turned that around.
Lyoto Machida is the best example of karate in MMA, he has adapted his karate style to work in the UFC against the highest level. That said, he is somewhat of an exception to the rule as I have trained with people from karate backgrounds in MMA over the years and many struggle to adapt.
Disclaimer: I have done 2 years of karate in my youth, never ascending to higher than 6th kyu. I'm offering my semi-educated opinion.
MMA was conceived to answer the question: "does style X hold up against style Y in a real fight?" The simple fact that few karatekas bother to compete in MMA anymore answers your question. (The first few UFCs featured the occasional katate black belt. They were usually swiftly eliminated from the competition.)
A little more background on the topic... "Karate" is not one specific style. There are several schools of karate that roughly divide into two groups: traditional karate and sports karate. Traditional schools concentrate on katas and formal training, while sports karate concentrates on competition. Karate competitions are not "free fights", they have very specific rules that emphasize the style's advantages while eliminating the disadvantages.
Learning karate helps in a real fight to some degree. You learn flexibility, kicks, punches, strength, self-control, etc. There are some drawbacks too. One is that you commit some movements into muscle memory that are downright suicidal in a fight, such as the hikite (pulling your opposing elbow back when throwing a punch). The hikite is a complete non sequitur in a fight, yet you lose points in a kata competition if you don't do it properly.
To summarize, karatekas can be formidable opponents, especially those of the sports variants, but most karate styles lack an edge in MMA.
I've met three good (1st dan or higher) karateka and personally they can kick my ass pretty easy, just using their karate techniques.
My question is when it comes to fighting, and if the opponent is any good, would you still use your karate to fight or would you fall back on boxing/etc.
The reason I ask, is that while I've been impressed by karateka I've met, I don't really see karate style being used in real fights or in MMA.
The Kestrel (49 )
1/06/2016 8:18 AMIf you stuck to karate in a fight, maintaining posture and did the moves as instructed etc you will likely get your arse kicked.
But using karate in a fight does not necessarily need to stick to what is done in the dojo.the main points note of in karate is application of strength - knowing where to strike and how to deflect and counter rather than just block.
Applying elements of karate to how you defend yourself has much greater benefits than doing karate itself, which is what is intended i guess. If you can do punches, kicks and blocksin a sufficuent manner using techniques in the dojo (like pulling elbow back etc), then imagime how this could imorove your own style.
Mutz (0)
1/05/2016 10:25 AMMost styles of Kara-Te lend themselves more easily to defensive as opposed offensive fighting. For tight spots where you have a lack of manoevability, the internal styles particularily from Okinawa can give you a definite edge. Combine that with Aikido and with your wrestling or boxing and I should imagine you would be quite a handful in the ring.
Most of the martial arts, unarmed combat taught to special forces combines Ju-Jitsu, Aikido and Kempo the unarmed art of the samurai. Along with some practical observations thrown in through experience. As in Krag Maga or Systema.
karatekickme (0)
12/20/2015 5:01 PMI'd love to find a guy in the Chicago area that's a black belt in karate that would like to totally practice on me, privately kick me around and own me with his karate.
ianw (0)
1/22/2014 2:31 PMI was a bit worried that this question might cause arguments, but of course meetfighters.com is a friendly place. :-)
The responses seem to focus on karate in MMA. It makes sense that it's rare for sport karate to lead to MMA, it's so different. As Matt points out, Lyoto Machida adapted his style for MMA. I also wonder if learning karate in the 90s in Brazil was maybe a bit rougher than most dojos in 2014 in Western Europe/USA.
I know it's more about the fighter than the style, maybe it's also more about the people you train with and are trained by, rather than their professed style. I know one person who does BJJ, but the instructor is also into Krav Maga and the lessons and sparring end up being a hybrid.
Outside the ring/cage/mat I think it's different. A lot of "street fights" last under a two seconds and I think proficiency in karate works. Or boxing. Or kickboxing. Or Krav, or back garden dustups with mates. Probably anything.
I like FighterBoyy's point about flexibility, and Sturdy is on the button with speed. If someone tries to mug you at an ATM there's a good chance you can turn the tables if you act very fast and with no warning. Totally different from squaring up against a well matched fighter and tapping gloves.
My approach (some time ago) was to let the ned (that's a "hoodlum" in Scotland) take my wallet out of my hand. While some people think that's the sensible thing to do, I can't help but feel I just rewarded the ned and caused the next victim. It was opportunistic and he wasn't a big tough guy or armed, so I'm sure some experience in any martial art would have turned that around.
Sturdy (31)
1/17/2014 11:37 PMJoey Bravo started off learning karate before becoming an MMA 'phenom' ... he has a pretty low opinion of it now!
I don't think the style is the crucial factor in a self-defence situation, though, it is more a case of being alert, fast, fit and confident.
MattMelia (18)
1/15/2014 6:11 PMLyoto Machida is the best example of karate in MMA, he has adapted his karate style to work in the UFC against the highest level. That said, he is somewhat of an exception to the rule as I have trained with people from karate backgrounds in MMA over the years and many struggle to adapt.
SileX (195 )
1/16/2014 9:09 AM(In reply to this)
I stand corrected.
SileX (195 )
1/13/2014 9:28 AMDisclaimer: I have done 2 years of karate in my youth, never ascending to higher than 6th kyu. I'm offering my semi-educated opinion.
MMA was conceived to answer the question: "does style X hold up against style Y in a real fight?" The simple fact that few karatekas bother to compete in MMA anymore answers your question. (The first few UFCs featured the occasional katate black belt. They were usually swiftly eliminated from the competition.)
A little more background on the topic... "Karate" is not one specific style. There are several schools of karate that roughly divide into two groups: traditional karate and sports karate. Traditional schools concentrate on katas and formal training, while sports karate concentrates on competition. Karate competitions are not "free fights", they have very specific rules that emphasize the style's advantages while eliminating the disadvantages.
Learning karate helps in a real fight to some degree. You learn flexibility, kicks, punches, strength, self-control, etc. There are some drawbacks too. One is that you commit some movements into muscle memory that are downright suicidal in a fight, such as the hikite (pulling your opposing elbow back when throwing a punch). The hikite is a complete non sequitur in a fight, yet you lose points in a kata competition if you don't do it properly.
To summarize, karatekas can be formidable opponents, especially those of the sports variants, but most karate styles lack an edge in MMA.
ianw (0)
1/12/2014 2:00 PMI've met three good (1st dan or higher) karateka and personally they can kick my ass pretty easy, just using their karate techniques.
My question is when it comes to fighting, and if the opponent is any good, would you still use your karate to fight or would you fall back on boxing/etc.
The reason I ask, is that while I've been impressed by karateka I've met, I don't really see karate style being used in real fights or in MMA.