The Difference Between Karate and Tae Kwon Do

The two most common martial arts practiced in North America are karate and tae kwon do.  Many wonder what the difference between these two martial arts is.  This is especially the case for those who are just starting to look around for a martial arts studio.  After all, most practitioners in both karate and tae kwon do seem to wear the same type of white gi uniforms with various colored belts. 

Modern traditional karate was developed in the islands of Okinawa in Japan after some influences from Chinese martial arts.  There are actually different styles of karate but they are all commonly considered as Japanese martial arts today.  The colored belt system was developed to show the various ranks of karate practitioners with white depicting novices and black belts (with various degrees) representing instructor levels and higher.  There is a whole range of other different colors in between.  Modern tae kwon do was developed in Korea after much influence from Japanese karate during the occupation by Japan.  Indeed, tae kwon do is sometimes referred to as Korean karate.  The Koreans adopted similar white uniforms along with a colored belt ranking system for tae kwon do.  Today, there are two main styles of tae kwon do, one under the International Tae Kwon Do Federation and the other under the World Tae Kwon Do Federation.  Many tae kwon do schools have added a black lining to their white uniforms for black belt levels.  A V-neck top is often seen in schools affiliated with the World Tae Kwon Do Federation.  There are also older Korean styles including tang soo do and moo duk kwan.  Some of the more Americanized karate and tae kwon do schools also use uniforms with other colors such as red, black and blue in addition to the traditional white.

It can be generalized that in karate, one would use their arms or hands for 60% of the time for strikes or blocks while the use of legs for kicking will be about 40%.  This breakdown is seen in the many forms or katas of karate which are set routines which simulate fighting against imaginary opponents using martial arts techniques.  The forms from tae kwon do would have the opposite percentage breakdown with 40% hands and 60% legs.   In tae kwon do, there is also more emphasis on higher kicks to the head level than in karate.  Tae kwon do practitioners also utilize more jumping or flying kicks where one is airborne while executing kicking techniques.  The tae kwon do forms or patterns are generally a bit shorter and less complex than the karate forms.  Some tae kwon do schools have been known to use the odd karate form in its curriculum as well.

In North America as well as other parts of the world, there are separate traditional competitions for karate and tae kwon do.  However, the open martial arts tournaments in North America often have competitors from both karate and tae kwon do competing together.  Some of the larger open martial arts competition events will have separate forms divisions for Japanese karate and Korean tae kwon do competitors but the fighting or sparring divisions will usually be combined.  Many black belts in tae kwon do end up studying karate as well and the opposite has been true too.  Tae kwon do has received more publicity in recent years since its introduction as an Olympic sport.  The style and rules used for the Olympic version of tae kwon do fighting comes from the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF).   Both karate and tae kwon do are considered as hard style martial arts in North America today (as opposed to soft styles such as the many versions of Chinese kung fu).

The Three Horsemen

Self doubt, indecision, & fear the three horsemen that destroy your chances for success. If you have one of these feelings the other two are nearby. If you have doubt in your abilities as a fighter or are incisive on how you are going to fight your opponent, fear will automatically kick in & take over. Your chances of being victorious before even entering the ring will be knocked out. These emotions will effect your performance due to the mind / body connection. You will hesitate on fully committing to your techniques & combinations while fighting. You will telegraph your movements due to indecision and your speed of your techniques will slow down due to being stiff & rigid.

Like animals, which sense fear, humans are no different. The vibrations of fear pass from one mind to another just as quickly & surely as a human voice. Your opponent across the ring will sense your fear & use it to his advantage. The three horsemen need to be mastered before claiming your title in or outside of the ring.

Here are some tips

1. Think from your opponents mind, what would he do?
2. Watch & analyze your opponents fights to get a sense of his game plan
3. Focus & remind yourself of your strengths as a fighter.
4. At night before going to sleep rehearse your fight plan in your mind & what you will do to counter attacks
5. Have a flexible fight plan ready in your mind & stick to it


“IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE VICTORY YOU MUST PLACE YOURSELF IN YOUR OPPONENT’S SKIN.IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND YOURSELF, YOU WILL LOSE 100% OF THE TIME.IF YOU UNDERSTAND YOURSELF YOU WILL WIN 50% OF THE TIME.
IF YOU UNDERSTAND YOURSELF & YOUR OPPONENT YOU WILL WIN 100% OF THE TIME.”

Tsutomu Oshima

10 Powerful Self Defense Tips For Women

In the USA, every two minutes a woman is being raped.

A 1993 survey revealed that 50% of Canadian women have experienced an incident of sexual assault or physical violence.

In Australia, 19% of women aged 18 to 24 experienced an act of violence in the last year.

Statistics show that one in very four women in America will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime.

These are SHOCKING statistics!

For more than 30 years I have been running specialized self defence courses and seminars. Over that time I have shown thousands of people how to protect and look after themselves.

Increasing personal safety ALWAYS commences with awareness.

Since most women fear attacks of a sexual nature more than anything else most of my quick tips are geared towards that.

If you are a woman, here is a list of ten simple things that you can do immediately that will increase your safety:

1 - Do not wear revealing clothing in public places. Doing so will ensure that you attract plenty of attention, including attention from those people with evil intent. Be discrete and leave provocative wear to those times when you can enjoy the intimacy of your partner.

2 - Trust your instincts. Women are very intuitive. If you think a situation might be dangerous then it probably is. That little guardian angel should be trusted rather than ignored.

3 - Rape and other sexual assault is always increasing. In the event of the worst outcome use your fingernails to gouge your attacker's cheek. It marks him for identification and you will have DNA under your nails.

4 - Drive your motor vehicle in a courteous manner. Nobody appreciates rude hand signs. Remember - eventually you have to stop, even if it is to refuel. Psycho cases might follow you for many miles "just to teach you a lesson" - all because you made yourself a target to their twisted minds.

5 - Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, taking mind altering drugs and leaving ANY food or drink unattended where it may be tampered with is a recipe for disaster. Give your self an even chance.

6 - NEVER pick up hitch-hikers and ABSOLUTELY NEVER hitch-hike yourself.

7 - If you live alone make sure that all your mail is addressed by just your first initial followed by your surname. Never allow mail to be addressed to you with salutations like Miss, Mrs, Ms or with your christian or given name. Those letters and parcels pass many eyes before they get to you. Change them. Make them nondescript as to your sex and marital status. Why allow anybody even one extra shred of information about you?

8 - NEVER walk alone at night or at any time in isolated areas. Predators love these locations. Avoid them.

9 - Many sexual acts are committed by people who the victims knew - or, at least, thought they knew! Be friendly and polite by all means but be vigilant for tell-tale signs of "strange" behavior. Do NOT flirt. Be firm about any unwanted attention, particularly in the work place.

10 - Sexual attack is usually preceded by some visual sign, which is usually preceded by some verbal approach before the physical action. Recognize the sequence: the look - the talk - the attack.

Please feel free to distribute this safety list to every woman you care for. The only condition is that the resource box remains intact and that this article is not altered in any way.

There are so many predators out there. Let's help our women to PROTECT themselves! Don't let somebody YOU know become the next victim.