How Effective Is Karate In A Fight?

Question

For instance, defending oneself against a mugger.

Answer 1

Martial Arts can be very effective in a street situation. For one it matters how the defender process the fight such as a reaction toward the mugger. The martial artist is trained to be ready at anytime if he or she's life is in jeopardy. So basically it is the mind that determents how effective the martial art. If you freeze then the martial art will be useless verses that of a martial artist who know what to do with out thinking. Just remember "Hit Hard", "Hit Fast"

Sources: I myself take martial arts and train for situations such as this hope this was usefull to you

Answer 2

That depends on the skill of the fighter using it.  It can be very effective.

It is primarily a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands and ridge-hands. Grappling, locks, restraints, throws, and vital point strikes are taught in some styles

Answer 3

The first three answers are dead on, but AL has a little bit of confusion. Yes at it's begining levels blocks in karate are primarily taught as hard, especially in the Japanese versions, and most people will instinctivly want to put a lot of power into them.  As you get more advanced the blocking becomes even softer, and turns from blocking to deflecting. Even more advanced and your movement and stance is actually the block, and what used to be percieved as a block now becomes a strike.

So for somebody who only knows about karate from watching or from attending for only a little while, then the blocks look like they take strength. Also realize that there are many different styles of karate, and the original Okinawin styles tend to differ greatly from the Japanese styles that came form them. Most Okinawin karate is a blending of hard and soft motion while the Japanese styles tend to be more hard.

Many Okinawin styles never meet force to force unless there is no other alternative.

As for the question yes, karate taught and trained well is very effective for self defense.

Answer 4

if you have skill it is good but for this style you want strength as well.They have blocks that will almost never be effective against a true asailent with strength and practice but if you are good enough.

Answer 5

A punch from karate ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nJsti-Zz...

A kick from karate !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ctRyu9V7...

A high kick from karate !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnh9QDMtJ...

So yes it can be effective if you use your skills to your advantage. Speed and endurance is more important to have. Hitting someone 10 times faster then 1 single concentrated blow will give you more options in finishing off you opponent.

Answer 6

very effective in the hands of a skilled practitioner...

Answer 7

It really depends on how skilled you are in karate, speaking from expeience(im a 2nd degree black belt) you dont ;earn very much u can use in a real life fight until very later in a karate program, hence the reason it's called martial ARTS, here is some things you might want to look at:

http://www.trsdirect.com/link/day1.htm

http://www.trsdirect.com/link/day2.htm

http://www.trsdirect.com/link/day3.htm

http://www.trsdirect.com/link/day4.htm

http://www.trsdirect.com/link/day5.htm

http://www.trsdirect.com/