Overall what is best fighting style karate or judo?

Answer 1

Even though Judo and Karate are both Japanese Martial Arts they focus on completely different fighting styles.

Karate means empty hand, Karate focuses primarily on striking techniques such as delivering punches and kicks, karate practitioners are trained to maximize the force behind their punches/kicks.

Judo means the gentle way, the sport of Judo was formed from traditional Japanese combat art of Ju-Jutsu. Modifications were made which eliminated striking techniques, in Judo instead of going strength against strength the practitioner uses their opponents leverage to throw them. Judo unlike Karate also involves grappling and the use of joint locks, wind and blood chokes. It is impossible to with 100% accuracy state which art is better, from stand-up karate has the advantage of using strikes and the judo practitioner who does not use strikes has throws and leg sweeps at their disposal.

Karate practitioners who are not trained to fight on the ground are at a major disadvantage to the Judo practitioner who is trained in grappling, joint locks, and wind/blood chokes. Both styles have their advantages and disadvantages and neither style is better than the other, it all depends on the practitioner.

In my opinion the best fighting style would not be a single style but a mixture of styles; such as a mixture of muay thai, judo, karate, and Brazilian jujitsu.