Is karate the exact same thing as tae kwon do?

Answer 1

Taekwondo tactics place more emphasis on kicking and long range strikes, although hand strikes and other close quarter fighting techniques are utilized. Kempo uses more of the upper body with focus on hand strikes, knees and elbows. Taekwondo will often use wider range techniques with a fuller motion for maximum power, and the torque of the internal body muscles is different than Kempo and other Karate systems. Taekwondo's fighting tactics will involve moving around in a defensive stance similar to Kempo, but the guarding hands in Kempo often resemble boxing whereas Taekwondo keeps are further distance of the guards if used at all.

Taekwondo fighters rely more on distance, and evasions, and only blocking when necessary. After initially stunning an opponent with a quick strike, a Taekwondo fighter will finish the oppent quickly with the maximum power generated from the torso, and supported by a firmly rooted stance, and properly locked joint positions. Kempo tends to remain fluid and mobile using the lunging of the upper body torso, and turning of the shoulders into the punch to gain the power needed rather than using a deep fixed stance.

Answer 2

Tae kkeyon (aka: Tae kyon) was an ancient Korean form of kicking as a method of self defense, and training for soldiers throughout Korea's long history. There is not much known about exactly what kicks were utilized in early times, but it is likely to have been much more basic and less structured than modern Taekwondo. The Tae kkyeon that survived the Japanese occupation is almost entirely a kicking sport that used mostly low kicks, and shoving techniques to off balance the opponent. Even more modern Tae kkeyon has evolved with some fancier kicks.

Taekwondo borrowed the concept of their native Martial Art in placing the use of the legs to the forefront of tactical strategy in unarmed combat. However, Taekwondo also combined the hand strikes (formerly of Korea's subak, and the Chinese influenced Tang Soo do). Another area where Taekwondo expanded its curriculum was in grappling by including yudo (based on influences from Japanese judo and the former subak), and Hapkido (which also became a stand-alone art based on Japanese Aikijutsu, and similar to Aikido). In the early development of this newly combined art of Taekwondo, the Kicking became more and more advanced, and complex technical skills were pushed to the limit with high kicks, jumping, spinning, and flying kicks. These are mostly for show, and to challenge the maximum skill potential of the fighter, but most self defense applications of Taekwondo are based around low to mid kicks in combination with hand strikes, and whatever throws and grappling is necessary.

Answer 3

If by "harder" you mean more difficult to learn, or more challenging in practice, then the answer is neither one in theory, but in reality it depends greatly on who the instructor is, and how they run their classes.

Also, a student might experience a perceived difference in difficulty if they have learned one before the other. This could work adversely either way. In some cases, having already been introduced to a Martial Art system might make learning a second or third one easier since there are similarities. On the other hand, if the student is close minded, stubborn, or set in their ways and not pliable or open to new things, they might constantly be resisting training in the second art of their choice (whichever that one might be). There is an ancient Asian philosophy (often associated with Bruce Lee because he repeated it publicly) which says that a new student should first "empty your cup." This basically means that if your mind is full of pre-conceived notions, and your own cup of knowledge, you will not have room for new information. It is then best to put what you know in the back of your mind for later use (empty your cup), and be willing to accept something new.

So to answer the question, either one might "seem" more difficult to learn, or to have harder training, but they are both just as easy, and just as difficult depending on the instructor and the student.

Answer 4

No, they are very similar, but they are not the same. They are both Martial Arts and considered hard arts. Karate is from Okinawa and taekwondo is from Korea. Many of the forms taught in taekwondo were taken from the forms or kata of shorinryu karate, but many schools have now changed to different forms.

The differences are in the focus, with taekwondo putting more emphasis on high kicks. Karate tends to do less competition work.

Martial Arts is a general category that refers to any skills used in combat.

Karate is an Okinawan Martial Art that was created there based on local skills combined with White Crane kung fu.

Answer 5

• Karate concentrates on hand blows, whereas Taekwondo emphasizes kicking skills.
• In Korea, taekwondo first appeared. The birthplace of karate is Okinawa, Japan.
• In Taekwondo, prearranged sequences of techniques are known as poomsae, while in Karate, they are known as kata.
• A sport at the Olympics in taekwondo.
• Between Taekwondo and Karate, there are considerable differences in the particular stances, postures, and actions.

Answer 6

Basically, the biggest difference between Tae Kwon Do and Karate is that Tae Kwon Do is more focused on foot techniques (about 60%-70%) and Karate is focused more on hand techniques.