Karate/Aikido?

Question

I would like to practice karate and aikido. Which one should I start with and which one is better.

Answer 1

Neither is better. They are two separate arts that compliment each other very well.
Karate is a very linear (straight) art. All the moves come from your own body moving in a very straight motion to the opponent.
Aikido is a very circular art. It uses your opponents movement, weight and power against them. The energy comes not from you but from them.
I would take Karate first and learn basic body movements, find your center, learn how to lower your body to strengthen your center of gravity. Tha will help with Aikido alot.
It will be harder to go from a circular non aggresive movement (Aikido)to a linear very aggresive movement (Karate).
These two arts together are a very good match!

Answer 2

Karate is a general term, there are different styles of karate. I do have equal experience in kempo and Aikido. I mostly teach kempo and i add in some Aikido movements. Most excellent martial artists cross train in various styles to become more well rounded. I'd recommend starting in a karate type style. Aikido is more defensive based and is more difficult to learn. Many traditional Aikido striking and movements i think are very impractical, especially for beginners. Learning the basics of striking and utilizing your entire body as a weapon.

Answer 3

Karate is ok if you want to participate in tournaments and stuff like that. But if I had to choose one over the other, I would choose Aikido. I am not an expert about Aikido but I am a beginner in Japanese Jujitsu which is where Aikido came from (the founder of Aikido studied Aiki jujitsu and broke off and created his own system. It's rumored that his Korean contemporary who also studied Aiki Jujitsu, broke off and created his own system of Hapkido). Anyway, because there are some similar techniques to the Japanese Jujitsu that I study, I think Aikido would be quite effective. Not only that but I think it is a beautiful and gentle art. I like to watch it. My opinion is to start off in Aikido and go into Karate later on down the road. Good luck!

Answer 4

Depending on the dojos, their focuses, and indeed,
their Sensei's, it could go either way.

Comparisons of apples to oranges. Both are fruits, but
both have their own wonderful flavors.
Only you can ultimately decide what suits you best.

Be real honest with yourself, your abilities, and your own focuses..
What do you want to get out of it? Where do you want it to take you?
Meet the Senseis of the dojos and get a feel for their practices,
and their methods, because you should look at this as a possible lifetime commitment.
Choose wisely grasshopper and best of luck.

I've been exposed to both, stayed in a form of Karate that was VERY much like Aikido, because of the focuses, and the wonderful Senseis I had. But I do wish that there was a good Aikido class near me, as I would have done both together.

Just take a look at two well known practitioners who made it to Hollywood, and watch a movie by each:

Steven Seagal- Watch his movie, "Above The Law"
and
Jeff Speakman- Watch his movie, "The Perfect Weapon"
Then read up on their bios in real life.
Both represent their arts well, and both arts are wonderful.

Best to you and good luck.
-R-

Answer 5

I study Nihon Goshin Aikido which translates as (Japanese Self-Defense Aikido) and it is Aikido that incorporates Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, and Karate. There are no katas just like in other aikido's, but our strikes are just like the ones you will find at karate dojo's. It is considered a hard form of aikido, but it is proven effective for self-defense on the street. Our fifty techniques and variations of them have been used by police officers for years. As always it is best to have a solid background where you are ready to handle anything thrown your way.

Answer 6

It all depends what your goals are in learning a martial art. Aikido is very spiritual and teaches to neutralize an attacker instead of destroying him. It is extremely effective but takes a few years for it to become practical. Karate is much easier to learn, and depending on the school can be spiritual like aikido. But it is much rougher and violent. It all boils down to what you are looking for.

Answer 7

its not a crime to learn both, but at the same time? i wont encourage u. Normally, it takes a longer time to understand Aikido. To say which one is better is not correct, both have their many pros and some cons, so its up to you to decide. Go to the dojos and see it for yourself.
Usually ppl start with karate first, and its recommended to build up your strenght, not to say that aikido is gentle. Im a student of Yoshinkan Aikido n train with some karate students in the dojo and they r usually good when it comes to the 'chopping'. Aikido may look gentle to most people, but its as deadly as Tyson's left punch, but also can be boring for beginners who r impatient.

Answer 8

aikido is a art that is to be learned after you learned how to move and kick and punch correctly..
its a spiritual art that can be learned anytime, but is best for the experienced people...

I wouldnt rely on aikido alone in a street fight... or karate for that matter.. but Karate is more complete..
SHOTOKAN IS best
Aikido will aggrevate you if you want anything but throwing..
I learned how to slam a guy with 3 fingers touching his head..but actually using it.. would be VERY hard.. if I didnt know how to get in and out without getting hit

Answer 9

Aikido is awesome. It was the first martial arts lesson that I ever took and ended up being the last. Its better than everything else as far as I'm concerned. The only problem with it is that every couple of months, meathead f***faces join so that they can become some Ultimate Fight Doucheclown, but they always quit after a couple of weeks. What a bunch of stupid fat-f***ers.

-J.

Answer 10

Learn Aikdo First, because it has a majority of the basics that you need for karate and jujitsu, such as Katas, ukemi, taisabaki and so forth. I like the fact that you can learn free randori in aikido (**** is fun). I loved using irimi nage, kotegaeshi, and tenchi nage on the ukes. I wish I stayed in (was green belt).Loved the spirituality of it too, you get that shinto feel when you start the class. (Its a real good feeling.) Am in jujitsu right now trying to get black belt to open dojo, planning to add aiki techniques to it.