Kenpo, or Kyokushinkai - Defence wise... which is a better style of Karate to learn?

Question

Found two clubs nearby.... just curious which is better for defence? For a more realistic situation out on the street.

They're the only 2 classes near to me.

Kenpo Karate

Kyokushinkai Karate

Answer 1

i think its kyokushin cause it strengthens your body in extra its a good self defence

Answer 2

Kyokushin

Answer 3

Both styles are good for self-defense if taught correctly. Since I can't tell you if that is being done, I can compare them in simple terms for you. The Kenpo will use more complicated technique combinations. The Kyokushinkai while using simpler techniques will be extremely rough on you. Kyokushinkai is known as one of the roughest styles of karate to practice.   It is a very hard contact fighting style that often may not use any protective gear.

While it is effective it it less likely that if you practice the martial arts into old age you will most likely not be able to do Kyokushinkai into advanced age simply because it is hard on the body.

As I said both are good styles. Personally I'd lean towards kenpo simply because it works and you can still do it well as you get old like me (Mid 50's)

EDIT: draygin  You keep jumping in questions pushing your style. While you are enthusiastic about your style you don't even know if the kenpo style that is available to the person asking the question.  I had planned on contacting you but you have your email blocked. Why is that exactly...???  I was going to share some information with you that you don't have based on your answers.

Answer 4

American Kenpo Karate is by far the best STREET self defense in the US today. It incorporates Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, Kickboxing, wrestling and Chinese Kenpo. Ed Parker found that traditional training was unrealistic in it's defense aspects. While everyone else is talking about cross training, they are still 50 years behind Kenpo.

If you can find a school that has Frank Trejo in from time to time that's even better. He does something they are calling Kenpo Fusion, taking Kenpo leaps and bounds again over other arts. It also is the best in it's mutiple attacker training. I know from experience. 18 years worth.

In the end Kenpo is an American Hybrid art and just plain the best all around art.

Answer 5

kyokushin is hard training , hard sparring its just the best style of all karate styles.

Answer 6

kendo is the classic form

Answer 7

You could go around and around with a question like this.

What you should do is study with the Sensei that you respect more and master that style. And then learn another style. Judo, Kung Fu and even Boxing all have something to teach you. No one way is best though.

Answer 8

Depends where you live  and what you are doing it for !. Kenpo is a far superior STREET self-defence system, Kyokushinkai is a superior COMPETITION  self-defence system.

Answer 9

I think it depends on the teacher, the program and you.  Try classes at both places, see which one suits your needs and go with it from there.

I teach Krav Maga and I tell students that self defense is up to them. As an instructor I can provide students with the tools, try to put them under the pressure of dire situations, but it is what they do outside of the safety of the school that really means something.

Test drive both school, see which one seems to fit you, choose the one that fits you best.

Answer 10

NONE! SHOTOKAN IS THE BEST YAHH!!!!!

Answer 11

Kyokushin has a much better reputation naturally. With it's practitioner having international reputation. Well known K-1 fighters like Andy Hug, Glaube Feitosa and Fransisco Filho are all Kyokushin practitioner.

Kyo requires hard discipline and lots of physical training with focus on full body contact sparring that will prepare the practitioner for real fight.

I don't know about watered down kyokushin, but Kyokushin karate at their black belt level advise it's practitioner to go through either 50 men kumite or 100 men kumite.

Kenpo nowadays are just a general name used in martial art school.

I know some kung-fu based school that call itself White Tiger Kenpo.

The best way is always go to both school and ask the kind of training they provide.

Always look for school that do real sparring.

Kyokushin as I mentioned as the basis do a real sparring and is very hardcore in it's approach to martial art.

I find Kyokushin to be a very good basis and a person will really benefit from it eventhough they decide to go on and practice some other arts later on.

Check out this page from K-1 special kyokushin events where Kyokushin practitioners really own even some very big name in Sport Martial Art

Answer 12

kyokoshin kai has been watered down far too much and many of he original movements and techniques are no longer used. i am not aware of kenpo so i would suggest trying both and see which one you find more enjoyable and ditch the other one

Answer 13

i take jus regular karate and im a black belt... er im sry but i dont evn know what these 2 forms are...

Answer 14

why don't you attend both, then you will be able to get the best of them both. You do have to be careful though as my son has found out. If you use self defence on the person, who is attacking or mugging you, you maybe liable to have to pay out compensation to that person. It's a mad, mad world we live in today.