a question on karate?

Question

i am a 13 year old orange belt
i was browsing through the questions on yahoo answers and a guy said karate is nothing more than the quickest way to learn to kick and punch strong is this true?
and i am learning shotokan karate
a guy also said this is useless compared to full contact karate is this true?
and i would also like to recieve suggestions on better martial arts

Answer 1

To your first question , no and yes , The basis of karate is fighting/self defense . However its much more then punching and kicking with power . (ask your sensei about that) As for your second question ,outside the ring/sparring mat karate is full contact . In a real fight you use all the same moves just without all the formal movements . (again ask your sensei to show you the difference , IE how you throw a punch , kicking from a non fighting stance etc...) For your third question , a martial art is only as good as its practitioner and/or its teacher. However not every style works with everyone . If you feel that your style does not work for you try something else . Here are some suggestions - CHA 3 kenpo , kajukenbo , wing chun , muay thai , wado ryu karate , jujutsu , and jeet kune do . These are some styles you may want to look into , but only if you find your style doesn't work for you .
yours in the arts , Instructor Hook

Answer 2

The concept (which really isn't all that new of a concept, just more people are only now realizing it) today is cross training in as many different disciplines as possible; but all you really need to do is learn a "standing game" discipline (which you're doing now) and also learn a "ground game" discipline (like Judo or Jujitsu) to supplement the weaknesses in both sides of a fight so that you can be a more well rounded Martial Artist.

There isn't ANY better Martial Art than another, there're only different ways of teaching them.

So your Shotokan training is really no different than another discipline in terms of the kicking or punching techniques, since all standing fight Martial Arts are basically the same.

strength and/or speed in kicking is only a product of learning to PERFECT the techniques and what you've learned; so the type of Martial Art (meaning what the name of the discipline or the country it comes from) again does not matter.

How you train, is how you will fight.

Full contact sparring or tournament style competition is only how you use your techniques to your advantage against your opponent, just the same as you would in a fight against someone anytime you're out side the school or not in a tournament (meaning an altercation against a stranger on the street).

Some techniques while effective in certain situations (such as axe kicks in Tae Kwon Do for example is a high kicking technique and therefore it's use should be kept to a minimum due to the ease of a counter in the favor of the opponent) are often not something you want to limit the use of during a match (except for the fact that the competition rules even allows the use of such techniques) or a fight on the street except to finish off the opponent.

So to say that it's useless in full contact fighting is untrue, it just depends on how and where you use the technique in the fight. Since full contact and tournament fighting just removes the formal side of the discipline.

How the individual person uses what they've learned depends on how well they learn to use and perfect it in their training. So just keep studying your Shotokan discipline man, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, and you're still in the lower ranks right now, the more you train and take it seriously enough to progress and perfect what you've learned, the better you'll become and will do just fine.

There's NO better Martial Art, only better Martial Artists.

Answer 3

#1 if anyone puts martial arts down thats their problem maybe they got their teeth kicked in by a spinning back kick lol i really dont think you have to worry about full contact just yet and besides if you do then you will have to be better than your master years down the road (full contact) is a FIGHT but full contact in a ring ? hell even the roll around on the ground babys in the UFC have thin padded gloves martial arts is not like the way it was hundreds of years ago your biggest fear should be... you'll have to figure that out but it is not certianly fighting martial arts is to protect sometimes you may not be able to avoid the fight.i would reccomend muay thai boxing they might teach you a thing about getting your bones stronger to do more damage.chinese boxing (kung fu) to increase your speed but what most say bad things about shotokan is bull its always basics first then it takes years for a responsible teacher to trust his/her student not to go on a killing spree with the knowlege that they will teach so just take your time and maybe go to a sporting goods store 5 pound weights to punch with the small ones are cool the fitness ones and the leg weights that wrap-strap to your feat work just fine to increase your speed the key is to have your,power,speed,and ability all dead even with eachother i've been in shotokan karate since i was 12 im now 23 you have a ways to go patience is the KEY and no showing off its bad for your confidence.

Answer 4

none of your statement has any truth in it.shotokan is ok as far as the more stricter styles of traditional karate go,but any one who stands in the stances they teach will quickly get a can of whoop **** opened on them by some that can actually fight.find a good freestyle karate,you cant go wrong if you can find one.a good one will teach you everything from streetfighting to ground fighting to stand up fighting and most importantly self defense,while still retaining tradition.if you want to become a real MA you'll do different ones anyway due to the fact that MA is a lifestyle if you want to be good at it,not just a visit to the dojo a couple of times a week and a grading here and there.your only 13 have a go at a few youv'e got plenty of time.GET an education first before you worry about this stuff.

Answer 5

Martial Arts are the earliest form of discipline, true martial arts has less to do with fighting and more to do with not fighting. It builds confidence, and shows reverence for not only ones self, but for others. As for style, it is pretty much a matter of preference, however there is no one style that is better. Hurting people no matter how it is done, is the easy part.

From Chinese gung-fu which stresses form and function, to Japanese Akido which show the use of weapons as well as hand to hand and Kung-fu used by palace guards in the Tinj and Ming Dynasties, stressing the mimic of animal styles in combat techniques. Korean Tiqwan and shotokan both form follows function and show the value of strength over swiftness. Dujokan and Judo rely on holds, control and weight. It is better to not tie yourself to one discipline, but rather learn all you can of each. All have merits and all can be lethal in the wrong hands. Usually because the ones using it don't understand the concept of defense only. Above all remember a belt means nothing but a color at your waist the true master is one who knows he knows nothing.

Answer 6

Yes and No. He was obviously trying to put your art down.... let him, what ever... But his answer does have merit in that to actually train, you need a live fully resisting opponent's. You can't ASSUME your technique is going to work. Some Shotokan schools are ok, some are crap, this goes with most martial arts. just focus on your skill and make the best of what you have to work with. Let him worry about sounding like a jack ***.

Answer 7

Whoever told you that probably goes to tiger schulman's... don't listen to a word people like that say. There is no such thing as "full contact karate, non-full contact karate" All karate styles are full contact. They all employ hand, foot, knee, elbow, and head-but techniques to a person's vital points to render them incapacitated, or worse. Karate isn't only about kicking and punching. It is a way of life, its a philosophy. It teaches you how to control your body, your breathing, and increases your agility, balance and coordination. So keep doing what you are doing buddy, I guarantee that you will see yourself a different person, and well aware of your defensive abilities.

Answer 8

do you know how many punks i have arm barred or picked up and banged to the ground that were karate dudes.
this one guy was telling me he could hurt me while i was pushing his face into the ground and all hi heyaw didnt help him. muay tai and jujitsu are for real fighting so drop out of your school and join one of those otherwise you just might come my way and open your mouth and get to eat some gum off the cement.
have you ever seen karate guys fight. when they are working out they look so structured if thats the word. but most of them i see lack power enough to knock a regular 160 pounds guy down.
even when they fight spar together they get really messy and no form. they start bouncing up and down and i jut shoot and take their feet from them. once i grab an arm or a leg i talk **** to them while i give them a taste of some real pain. i dislocated one guys shoulder because he tried to grab my nuts because he couldnt do anything else
so karate is for punks
come to my gym and get a free can of whoop ***

Answer 9

full contact is good for a bully