Mixed Martial Arts Forum banner

Karate vs Kickboxing?

32K views 28 replies 20 participants last post by  slapshot 
#1 ·
Which one is better to learn for Strikeing?


I was thinking about taking a Jiu-jitsu class (to work on my ground skills).

Then later on take either a Kickboxing or Karate class to work on my strikeing.



That way, I'd be covered in self defense or if I got in a fight either on the ground or on my feet. So which is better for strikeing, Karate or Kickboxing?

Whats the difference? Which is harder to learn? Which is cooler? :)
 
#2 ·
Karate can be great if its the right style and your in a good class which sadly many of them are not but for Karate i would suggest...

Kyokushin
Goju Ryu
Shotokan

Keep in mind some strikes of Karate and so forth are illegal in MMA.

Kickboxing is very good aswell and great for MMA.

The difference is huge so i can't explain it much although Karate has many forms of standing while Kickboxing really has one and also Karate teaches many strikes(punches, elbows, kicks etc.) while Kickboixing is just kicking and punching but once again they are both great for MMA and its a hard choice.

Over all Karate is harder to learn not because its better but because theres much more to learn than in Kickboxing which is great aswell.

Which is cooler? its a very hard choice for me because they are my 2 favourite stand up arts but i suggest you go try them both out for a lesson or 2 and make your mind up...if they are both great classes then it will be a very very hard choice but be careful of mcdojo's.
 
#5 ·
Well how hard and time consuming would in be to train (at the same time) in BJJ and Karate or Kickboxing? Like for me I am REALLY interested in BJJ so that is a must. But on top of that maybe six months to a year after I start BJJ, I was thinking about simultaniously doing Karate.

Would this interfere and contradic my training in BJJ? Or is it do able? (Just imagin I am a purple belt in BJJ and begin Karate as a White belt; During a sparing session during class I woop up some poor dude) :)


I think Im thinking TOO far ahead. I need to dip my toe into BJJ and see how I like it before I think any further.
 
#6 ·
Scorch said:
Well how hard and time consuming would in be to train (at the same time) in BJJ and Karate or Kickboxing? Like for me I am REALLY interested in BJJ so that is a must. But on top of that maybe six months to a year after I start BJJ, I was thinking about simultaniously doing Karate.

Would this interfere and contradic my training in BJJ? Or is it do able? (Just imagin I am a purple belt in BJJ and begin Karate as a White belt; During a sparing session during class I woop up some poor dude) :)


I think Im thinking TOO far ahead. I need to dip my toe into BJJ and see how I like it before I think any further.
Don't get to excited...Karate sparring is standing up and so if Kickboxing.

And yes of course it is do able and its a great idea unless classes clash, if not then its great idea...loads of people practice 2 or more martial arts.
 
#8 ·
for self defense i would say kickboxing, you will spar more and most people in a street fight will not have a karate stance most of them have a boxers stance with hands really low, and by learning kickboxing you can capitalise on that weakness, muay thai would be better if its offered near you, if not kickboxing ftw!
 
#9 ·
if you're training for MMA don't learn Karate over Kickboxing. Both have their pro's and con's but KB is better than Karate overall. And like stated earlier, try to focus on a MT style of kickboxing
 
#10 ·
Scorch said:
Well how hard and time consuming would in be to train (at the same time) in BJJ and Karate or Kickboxing? Like for me I am REALLY interested in BJJ so that is a must. But on top of that maybe six months to a year after I start BJJ, I was thinking about simultaniously doing Karate.

Would this interfere and contradic my training in BJJ? Or is it do able? (Just imagin I am a purple belt in BJJ and begin Karate as a White belt; During a sparing session during class I woop up some poor dude) :)
I'm taking Karate (Shotokan) and BJJ right now. Theire completely compatible, and theres no striking in BJJ and no ground work in Karate. The farthest to the ground I ever go in Shotokan sparring is taking the opponent down and punching him while he's down, that gives 3 points. I usually have BJJ for two hours, and then an hour and a half of karate right after. The BJJ is my warm up, and theire both completely doable independently.
 
#11 ·
Both have their place, karate will give you a good solid foundation and understanding of striking & balance. Kickboxing is just a solid art to learn in general. Somewhere along the line you will need a grappling/wrestling style art such as BJJ/Judo to help you undertand the MMA style and compete if that is what your ultimate goal is. Good luck with whatever you decide to choose. :thumbsup:
 
#13 ·
gduff2 said:
why do I seldom here about karate as a style among ufc fighters or even pride fighters?
Because there are soo many types of karate. Plus n the early UFC's the karate dudes got their asses handed to them so everyone thinks it won't work. I'm sure fighters have done some form of karate for balance and discipline purposes.
 
#20 ·
Karate deserves no place in MMA? You realize that North American kickboxing is based on karate right? K1 was started by a Kyokushin karate master. GSP, Bas Rutten, Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida... and plenty of others that don't advertise it but clearly use it. Karate contains more striking techniques than Muay Thai and Taekwondo combined. Punches, kicks, knees, elbows, stances, transitions, combinations... no art has better footwork, period. Machida and GSP use their footwork to dominate standup and use their stances to defend takedowns. Many UFC fighters aren't directly karateka however they almost all use some karate... I've trained with Kenny Florian personally and his standup is supposedly Muay Thai... but first hand I can say a lot of it is actually from Karate. Karate teaches more than just strikes; but blocks, stances, footwork, timing, distancing, accuracy, power, speed, proper bio-mechanics and leverage... it is very well rounded, very technical, and very brutal... and anyone who thinks it is some chump art has not trained at a decent school or just has never trained in it at all. I have a black belt in Goju-Ryu and now I train kickboxing... I was put into the advanced program immediately because my power, accuracy, speed, footwork and everything else were all superb. Kickboxing is better for endurance and stamina... but Karate is better if you want a true technical mastery of striking which is well rounded. Karate will also teach counter-striking better than any other martial art... which is important because it is very difficult to move in on a skilled counter striker.
 
#16 ·
snook_crook said:
Im sorry but karate deserves no place in the world of mixed martial arts ask any fighter they'll tell you.
In that case, make sure you don't ask George St. Pierre or Bas Rutten. They seem to be completely deluded about how Karate is of actual use in MMA.

Excuse the sarcasm...
 
#17 ·
I'm having the same problem bro i can't find anywhere to train that offers a wide range of arts to train in. I find myself better than a lot of the trianers in my gym, and i can afford to move out of state to further extend my teaching.

But as for you i'd go with kickboxing it's better than nothing. If you can find a gym that does mma classes that could be good as well
 
#19 ·
Judokas said:
GSP
Bas Rutten
Chuck Liddell

all have used Karate as a main part of their MMA before.

It also depends on what style of karate(alot of crappy but some are good) and how you use it.
You forgot Lyoto Machida he's gone udefeated with Shotokan Karate!!!!!
 
#25 ·
So much of this comes down to the instructors. If those are your two options and you are looking to use them to get your foot in the door for MMA you need to have a heart-to-heart with the instructors to find out their goals for their students and see if they align with your own.

From my experiences I would personally lean towards kickboxing unless the Karate instructor really impresses you. I recommend skipping any style that disallows punches to the face in competition as some things are very hard to unlearn.

Another quick check is to look at the physical condition of the other students; it often speaks volumes as to how recreational the setting is compared to your interests in MMA.
 
#27 ·
Had to register to respond to this.

First of, from what I've seen, American Kenpo Karate seems like complete crap. Sure, that may vary a great deal but beware the Mc Dojos...

Then, there are very many different schools of Karate. I faced a similar decision like you and googled to find the strongest Karate. Internet told me that it was Kyokushin.

So I started doing Kyokushin Karate. My impressions are:

- Very good exercise for your body
- No clinching
- Little realistic practice of fighting with strikes to the head.
- Strong kicks, like in Muay Thai.
- Use of elbows and knees, like in Muay Thai.
- A lot of time is dedicated to learning techniques not for realistic use but for style and as part of learning the martial art.
- So far, being a beginner, not that much actual sparring.

I'm happy with it and will continue (been 6 months now). But if you want to get down and dirty from the get go then I suggest you pick something else. Kyokushin produces great fighters (given the rule-set) but the sparring is pretty different than in actual MMA because since no strikes to the head is allowed you stand really close to your opponent. Going from that to MMA would certainly require adaption. Also, since there is no real clinching you will have to learn that somewhere else...

But like I said, Kyokushin is really good.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top