What's the difference between Taekwondo and Karate?

[mhg]

Our son is 5 and we were considering his taking one of these.

 

So, what's the difference between Taekwondo and Karate?

[Snickerdoodle]

I think of Taekwondo as more kicking than hitting and Karate is the reverse. They have many common elements. Judo is more of a grappling style. I am no expert.

[Parrothead]

TKD is a Korean martial art. Karate is of Japanese origin. TKD has an emphasis on kicking techniques. Karate uses punches, kicks and elbow strikes.

 

If I had a choice I'd go with the one that is more disciplined. Dd went to TKD for 1.5 years and learned quite a bit. The classes were structured and discipline along with the Korean culture were very important. Then we moved. She took Karate here for 1.5 years and dropped it. The classes were haphazard and there was very little teaching.

 

We have sense moved on to Tai Chi and are practicing Pushing Hands at home.

Edited August 8, 2011 by Parrothead

[4ofus]

TKD is defined as "the art of the hand and foot". My kids take it (& we LOVE it). I incorrectly call it "karate" sometimes. No-one cares. I'm no expert in the differences, but I know the kids previously were at a "karate" studio & it was more of a mixed martial arts thing. Not at all what I was looking for. TKD has been a better experience for us. Go to the various studios, meet the leadership, watch a class or two before you sign up. They are all very different , & all will not meet your expectations. Even within the narrow specific fields. There are good & bad instructors. (ala Karate Kid :)) When you find a good one, it is GREAT!

[dirty ethel rackham]

I think what may be more important than the style of martial art is the quality of the studio. How well is it run? Is it babysitting or instruction? Is it age appropriate rigor or too harsh or too lenient? Is it a belt factory or does it require serious study? Are the costs reasonable for what you are getting or is the studio nickle-and-diming to line the pockets of the owners?

 

Around here, many Tae Kwon Do studios churn out lots of really young black belts (like 8 to 12 years old,) which makes me wonder at the quality. My boys take Karate. Our studio isn't perfect, but I know that their black belt means something - it takes 6 - 8 years for a serious student to earn one. Later this month, my boys will be testing for black belt after 8 years of study. Ds15 will be testing for his junior black belt and ds17 will be testing for his senior black (he earned his junior black 2 years ago.)

[kiana]

Don't worry so much about which specific martial art, but consider the teacher.

 

Things to look for:

 

Teacher works well with the kids; kids should be on-task for the majority of the class, but not intimidated and/or belittled.

 

Testing is done when the child is ready; no 'pay $$$ for faster/guaranteed promotion.' If you ask about belts, the answer SHOULD be 'it depends on the aptitude and work ethic', not a flat time.

 

Contracts without a "back-out" are in general a bad idea, especially if for a period longer than a year. Most schools should offer observation and a trial class. At one of my aikido groups, students aren't permitted to sign up until they watch one class and attend one.

 

Instructor should be open about his training and lineage. Claiming 10th dan in a self-constructed martial art is generally a sign of a fraud. LOOK UP the school online and look for reviews before signing anything.

 

Teaching too many martial arts is generally not a good sign, unless possibly there's a karate teacher, a judo teacher, an aikido teacher, etc., all housed under the same roof. If the same guy is teaching more than 2 or MAYBE 3 arts, he's either fantastically talented or a charlatan.

 

Go with your gut. If you get a bad vibe, trust it.

 

HTH.

[Robyn]

I think what may be more important than the style of martial art is the quality of the studio. How well is it run? Is it babysitting or instruction? Is it age appropriate rigor or too harsh or too lenient? Is it a belt factory or does it require serious study? Are the costs reasonable for what you are getting or is the studio nickle-and-diming to line the pockets of the owners?

 

Around here, many Tae Kwon Do studios churn out lots of really young black belts (like 8 to 12 years old,) which makes me wonder at the quality. My boys take Karate. Our studio isn't perfect, but I know that their black belt means something - it takes 6 - 8 years for a serious student to earn one. Later this month, my boys will be testing for black belt after 8 years of study. Ds15 will be testing for his junior black belt and ds17 will be testing for his senior black (he earned his junior black 2 years ago.)

 

:iagree: My ds12 has his black belt in TKD. He earned it in a belt factory school. Once he reached that point, they wanted us to sign another contract to be part of the school's "Black Belt Club". Only the kids weren't progressing any further. We went to a different school and come to find out, his belt is not Kukkiwon certified. :/

 

We moved out of state and there is no local TKD school here. He has started Uechiryu Karate(not sure if I spelled that right) and he is also taking Asian Stick fighting. This is a smaller school. The owner does this in addition to his job, it's not his sole source of income. No contract, more reasonable price, and these guys mean business. Ds is being challenged and he loves it. They don't test on a schedule (every three months as a group) and they don't make claims that you will earn a black belt in three years.

 

Really, it depends on what you are looking for. I don't actually regret the years ds spent at the previous school because it was an overall positive experience. He made friends, built confidence, and got in great shape. And for many kids, that is enough.

 

He is pretty serious about moving forward because it is something that he loves and I am glad we have now found a school that is more compatible with his goals.

[Dolphin]

My son just turned 9 and will be taking his black belt test in November for Tae Kwon Do. I agree that you have to look at the school. He will be registered in Korean and he will only receive a junior black belt. He can progress on and work toward his 2nd degree. If he is still in Tae Kwon Do when he turns 14 he will get his black belt at whatever degree he has worked for. You need to earn your 4th degree black belt to be a Master. Our Master has his 5th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and 6th degree in Hapkido. Look into it, I am not sure how Karate works, but you want to check credentials.

 

Also, find out who teaches the classes. Our friends transferred to our school as their Master did not teach many classes, his black belts do. You want leadership possibilities, but the Master teaching the class. Our Master has the junior black belts help with the younger classes, and run warm up. But he is there teaching.

[NittanyJen]

Don't worry so much about which specific martial art, but consider the teacher.

 

Things to look for:

 

Teacher works well with the kids; kids should be on-task for the majority of the class, but not intimidated and/or belittled.

 

Testing is done when the child is ready; no 'pay $$$ for faster/guaranteed promotion.' If you ask about belts, the answer SHOULD be 'it depends on the aptitude and work ethic', not a flat time.

 

Contracts without a "back-out" are in general a bad idea, especially if for a period longer than a year. Most schools should offer observation and a trial class. At one of my aikido groups, students aren't permitted to sign up until they watch one class and attend one.

 

Instructor should be open about his training and lineage. Claiming 10th dan in a self-constructed martial art is generally a sign of a fraud. LOOK UP the school online and look for reviews before signing anything.

 

Teaching too many martial arts is generally not a good sign, unless possibly there's a karate teacher, a judo teacher, an aikido teacher, etc., all housed under the same roof. If the same guy is teaching more than 2 or MAYBE 3 arts, he's either fantastically talented or a charlatan.

 

Go with your gut. If you get a bad vibe, trust it.

 

HTH.

:iagree:

 

 

TKD has much more emphasis on kicking and footwork; most karate styles are fairly balanced between kicking and punching. Karate styles are quite diverse-- GojuRyu and Isshinryu, for example, are quite different from Tang Soo Do.

 

With a GOOD instructor, either/or should emphasize self-control, discipline, listening skills, physical fitness, flexibility, confidence, and respect.

 

In my experience (this is not applicable to each individual school) there is a tendency for TKD oufits to be more likely to be money mills or McDojos. There are brands, or big schools that are very professional and make a great first impression, but once you are hooked, they have you. Kids are pressured directly by instructors to talk their parents into "Tiny Tiger Time" (supervised time to work out while parents get a night out, but it's costly) "black belt clubs" that come with special uniform insignia, workouts, and other perks, etc. Even parents can be completely buffaloed by these tricks, thinking they are getting a "great deal" even as they are being fleeced.

 

Watch out for ridiculous testing fees. Ask about this up front before signing up. Some schools will ask as much as $500 to test for black belt, and there is no reason for it. Some cost is reasonable-- if teachers are imported from out of town, certificates are obtained and certified from the home country, special belts ordered of very high quality, etc.

 

As the PP noted, watch out for contract clauses. I grew up in and still affiliate with a dojo at a university, with no contracts and minimal fees, and nobody who graduates from there charges anything but very minimal fees (basically, have to cover the rent for any facility use or equipment, but no personal salary; we're expected to have professional jobs outside of karate and not use karate to make money). If you must pay a hundred dollars or more for lessons, you certainly don't want to be roped into a yearlong contract and discover three months later that you dislike the way the instructor teaches!

 

If you can, find a way to attend a local tournament, and watch how the black belts from the school behave and interact with other black belts, and how their students perform at the tournament. You do NOT have to "train for competition" to perform well at a competition; if you train in high quality everyday karate, you should score well. The black belts demeanor should be humble, not arrogant, and they should be seen interacting well with others from other organizations, not holding themselves aloof or being shunned by others. And the black belts should do well in the BB competitions if their skills are good. Preferably, attend an interstyle tournament, as it is less likely to be politically arranged in favor of the school you are evaluating, unknown to you. The students should look well-prepared (again, they don't have to "train for competition," everyday karate training should teach one how to behave among one's superiors comfortably, rationally, confidently, and respectfully, even while competing). Is this how you wish your child to look and behave?

 

Observe more than once class. Are the kids enjoying themselves? Are they paying attention to the instructor at the first call for attention? Is there a wide variety of ability levels (ie, the students have not been cherry-picked or weeded out)? Are students at all levels receiving instruction one-on-one at some point in the class? Are they all being treated respectfully? Age appropriately? Do not be cowed by "this is from a different culture." Yes, some things are different, but the basics of humanity remain the same. Trust your gut; if something doesn't feel right, it isn't right. When kids are involved, I would never trust a school where I could not freely watch the class. I do not teach my own son, but his instructor has one entire wall covered in 1-way mirror, so we can see the entire room, unobstructed, without distracting the kids.

 

If the instructor claims higher rank than 3rd dan, ask how long he has been training. It had better be a VERY long time, or else he or she may have "self-promoted." Black belt ranks take a very, very long time to attain, in reputable organizations. Ask what the Dan-certifying organization was, and look it up and ask around in the MA community-- or back here-- as anybody can put up an impressive looking website for their "organization." Most of us know who the credible certifying agencies are for our arts, and also who the shaky rank-granters are in our arts.

 

Don't write off an entire art based on one bad dojo. I happen to think the art I practice is terrific, and I have very good reason to know that my instructor is at the top of his field. I know, sadly, that not all schools in my style hold up our tradition so well, and would hate for our style to be judged by their example. Keep an open mind-- just as I don't automatically write off a TKD practitioner (despite what I wrote earlier in this post); I look to see them in action before I judge. Some are quite good.

 

**Ask what safety certifications and equipment are in the dojo. How many instructors are CPR and AED certified, first aid trained, or have other athletic training skills? Many martial artists have certification in these areas, though not all. There should be at the minimum a first aid kit and at least one instructor (on site at any given time, not on-site sometimes) with First Aid certification, and a working telephone, land-line (what if someone is hurt during a power outage?). Best situation is all instructors are CPR/First Aid/Adult/Child/AED, First Aid kits with ice packs, AED on site, and someone with athletic training or EMT experience on the crew as well, but that is asking a lot :). Safety gear during sparring is not optional, and breaking with the head or face or on the neck is unacceptable, particularly for children. From a MA standpoint, it proves nothing other than lack of judgement and lack of knowledge of kinesiology principles. Mouthguards should be double-sided and boys should be wearing cups when sparring. Contact to the face, neck & throat, spine, kidneys, and groin are not allowed in most competitions and should not be allowed in the dojo, particularly with children, who lack control.

 

I prefer to see boys and girls, men and women working together during regular training rather than sequestered, with sensitivity during workshops held for the general public but that is my personal preference, not a requirement.

 

I probably forgot a few things, but that's a pretty good start :)