I'm asking this question to anyone who knows anything about Karate and Tae Kwon Do. . .?

Question

I'm pretty sure, but I want to be positive: Is it or is it not correct to call Tae Kwon Do Karate? I don't think it is, because Karate is from Okinawa and Tae Kwon Do is from Korea. Am I right, or am I right?

Thanks in advance,
Yours truly =D

I'm pretty sure, but I want to be positive: Is it or is it not correct to call Tae Kwon Do Karate? I don't think it is, because Karate is from Okinawa and Tae Kwon Do is from Korea. Am I right, or am I right?

Oh, and please add anything that you know about the origin of Karate if you have time.

Thanks in advance,
Yours truly =D

Yes, I know that I put my question in twice. Try to ignore that ;D

Answer 1

Karate comes from Okinawa, not Japan. Karate did not make an apperance in japan untill 1922, when Funokoshi was invited to teach karate in Japan by the Emperor. Karate developed in Okinawa by combining the indigenous fighting art, called te, with teachings in combat from China. It was originally called Uchinade Te, which means "Okinawan hands". It was also called Tode, which means "China Hand". Tode is also pronounced Karate. In the 1920's, a decission was made to change the spelling from "China hand" to "emprt hand" to make the Japanese people happy.

The karate that was taught to the japanese was not Okinawan karate. Okinawan karate did not have deep stances and high kicks. The Japanese military mentality desired these, and the Okinawans that were in Japan gave it to them. This is the Origin of Shotokan. This is when Karate went to Japan.

In the 1930's, Japan occupied Korea. Many people from Korea went to Japan, and among them was Grand Master Hwang Kee of Tang Soo Do fame. He brought karate from Japan to Korea, calling it Tang Soo Do. It can be seen that the forms in Tang Soo Do are very similar to Japanese karate and Okinawan karate.

In the 1950's the Korean government wanted something uniquely Korean, so they mixed up the forms and called it Tae Kwon Do. This is the origin of the "Old forms". Later, in the 70's or 80's, the new forms were created.

The origin of these styles is easy to trace. It is known that Soken Matsumura, chief bodyguard to the last 3 Okinawan kings, created Pinnan 1 and 2 (Or, as some people claim, Channan Sho and Dai), Naihanchi 1 and 2, Passai Sho and Dai, and Gojushiho. Seisan is perhaps the Oldest Okinawan kata. Chinto cane from a sailor that was shipwrecked on Okinawa and befriended Matsumura. Kusanku comes from the teachings of Kusanku, a military atache to the Okinawan government in the 1800's and grandfather of Matsumura's wife. These kata are found, under different names, in Shotokan and Tang Soo Do, and they can be seen throughout the old Tae Kwon Do forms.

Now, I am not saying that Japan and Korea did not have fighting arts of their own. I am sure they did and that aspects of that were combined with the teachings of karate as it moved from place to place. But even practitioners of these systems must be honest about their origins.

Answer 2

Tae Kwon Do is a Korean phrase that means the way of hand and foot (Tae = hand, Kwon = foot, Do = way). Karate is a Japanese word that means empty hand (Kara = empty, te = hand). Therefore, Tae Kwon Do is not Karate but they are both Martial Arts originating from their own country.

Answer 3

Karate is Japanese (meaning empty hand), so, no it is not correct to call Tae Kwando karate. It is correct to call Tae Kwando a martial art.
Karate is from Okinawa- my teachings tell me it was made popular by Gichin Funakoshi. Before that, the teachings were secret as it was from the lower classes that were not allowed to have weapons- so they used their hands. The weapons were adapted from farm tools.

Answer 4

karate is not Tae Kwan Do.
karate translates to empty hand.
"Tae Kwon Do", translated literally means: Foot Hand Way.
they are two separate martial arts

Answer 5

NO! And if you want to insult a Korean master in TKD just say that or if you like say it to a Japanese/Okinawan master and see what their reaction is. They are different in many aspects and culturally there is a strong dislike from each for the other due to Japan's efforts to expand and take control of the mainland in the early 1900s and then again during WW II.

Answer 6

I think that it is today correct to call any martial art karate because it is the most easily understood. I mean its easier than explaining what Bushido is...(I used to take it) and it is the most reffered to. If you still have any doubts about this or you wish to know the history behind the names, why not check out the library? : )

Answer 7

tae kwan do means hand and foot art
karate means hand and foot art

so to say tae kwan do is a type of karate would be like saying hand and foot art hand and foot art stye

those meanings are not exact but thats the general gist of it

Answer 8

well i would consider it a martial art not realy karate. its not self defense either beacasue tae kwon do is more offensive than defensive. .

Answer 9

Taekwondo is Korean. And I am in taekwondo. So i know that its not the same thing as Karate.

Answer 10

the answer is within urself ask urself are u a girl or are u woman, the answer is neither