Is Karate an actual style of Martial Arts?

Question

Lol sorry guys I may have been a little confusingwith what I mean.

Along the lines of Kung Fu is Karate and actual method of Martial Arts or is it just another generic term?

I hear all the time, peope recommending Kung Fu and Karate, and what's the difference etc.

Answer 1

DUH!

Answer 2

Yes sir it is.(:

Answer 3

Technically speaking neither Kung Fu nor Karate are martial arts if you want to get really down to the nitty gritty of it. Karate literally translated means empty hand and Kung Fu literally translated means learned skill and neither really applies strictly speaking to a style of martial art. Kung Fu definitely less so than karate. They have been slapped on as general purpose labels by westerners in my opinion.

Isshin Ryu, Kyo Koshin, Wing Chun, Jiu Jitsu and Judo are styles of martial arts in my book, where as I see karate and kung fu as more of general purpose labels.

If you want to get even more technical about it Katana is right in that martial implies military development or use which would be applicable pretty much only to jiu jitsu developed by the samurai for use on the battlefield and krav maga developed by the Israeli military for use in hand to hand situation.

I point this out to people asking what they should study all the time, just to differentiate it for them. Not trying to take anything away from either and have spent a fair bit of time in both, but at the end of the day you are practicing Isshin Ryu or wahtever your particular style is under the generic heading of Karate, kung fu or just martial art. I know that we don't really use the terms this way any more the same as I am sure that Katana does, and for that matter if Karate means empty hands which was supposed to have originally been used to imply that the person wasn't going to use a weapon, then why do karate schools teach weapons.

Just food for thought, when you really break it down neither term is truly refering to a particular art, but rather a whole set of arts.

Answer 4

Karate is the Okinawan and Japanese word for "empty hand" fighting. The Okinawans and Japanese people already had their own martial arts systems prior to the introduction of various Chinese boxing systems to Okinawa and Japan. Shori Ryu Kenpo is an example of a Japanese karate system that is a combination of both Chinese boxing and Japanese Jujitsu.  

Answer 5

Well, since there are several different types of karate that are fairly distinct from one another, I would say karate is a category of marital arts, with several styles in that category.  

Answer 6

yes

Answer 7

If you wanted to get extremly techniqual and go by the literal translation of the "martial" in martial arts then the answer would be no. Martial Arts refers to an art that was designed to be used by a military force, in combat. These would include as far as Japanese styles go any of the weapons styles of the samurai and Ju Jitsu, which was there version of unarmed combat.

Karate was designed as a method of defending your self and was not designed or developed to be used on the battlefield per say. Even if you go by the modern definition of martial arts that most of us use, it is still not a martial art. Karate is a catagory in the martial arts, however there are many styles of karate.

The line is thin I know but it's just my opinion.

Answer 8

You scared me Aaron J I thought someone was going to try and contest that fact that Karate is a martial art of a second man.  ppphhheww ........ and yes Karate is a very solid art with very dangerous techniques in the right hands.

An exerp from the link below:

"True Karate-do is this: that in daily life, one's mind and body be trained and developed in a spirit of humility; and that in critical times, one be devoted utterly to the cause of justice."

Answer 9

Of course

Answer 10

Hi there

Both Scott and Katana's answers are spot on! Katana is right that only military arts are technically martial arts and kara te just means empty hand so it could really be anything? With japanese arts its the ryu that determines they style or family way or method. Didnt shoto kan get its name from funokoshis house or training hall?

But lets not stop there what about sports fighting? MMA for example could consist of anything. There just book covers to gain the attention of the masses. But its up to the individal to read them. ;-)

So the line is indeed very thin but then again so is my hair! ;-)

Best wishes

idai

Answer 11

How is it not......

Its a form of self defence, so that being said yes its a Style of Martial Arts :)

Answer 12

It's one of the most well known style in the world.