Shotokan Karate Vs Judo
Judo is an excellent combatant martial art where the primary objective is to either throw or takedown an opponent to the ground, immobilise or otherwise subdue an opponent with a pin, or force an opponent to submit with a joint lock or a choke. Judoka are excellent grapplers and deadly on the floor. Where Judoka tend to lack discipline is in striking techniques. For this reason, fighters who train Judo tend to cross train with a striking martial art such as Karate, Kick Boxing or Taekwondo. The advanced classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights at Wirral Shotokan include many judo techniques including throwing, grappling and submissions. The idea of including these techniques is to ensure that we are as dangerous in order close quarters fighting as we are at our striking.
Shotokan Karate Vs Boxing
Boxing is a great physical sport which helps teach discipline and improve fitness. There is no doubt that boxers are the greatest strikers with their hands as their entire arsenal relies on firing those two weapons. Whilst boxing does have many advantages, it does also include many disadvantages. Boxers have to get in close with their hands in order to do what they are good at and toe to toe fighting is where they are comfortable. Our training repeated places us in various theatres and we are just as comfortable fighting on the ground as we are striking. Karate incorporates ranged attacks which allow us to fire off kicks at range before boxers can get in close to strike. We also practice sweeps which can be deployed to knock a boxer over who usually stand in a high stance which is very susceptible to sweeps. Finally, if a Karateka gets in close with a boxer, we will not try to trade hands as this probably would end well, we would attempt to throw or grapple the boxer to the floor where we would then look to attack from a mounted position or place them in a submission.
Shotokan Karate Vs Taekwondo
Taekwondo clubs produce some excellent kickers and it’s no doubt that one of the hardest kicks that can be products is that of a back kick from a practitioner of Taekwondo. These clubs focus on kicking and lots even use the kick as a jab or a tool to keep distance. The way to beat a Taekwondo practitioner is to get in close. Ensure that you are not stuck by of their kicks, take them to the ground and unleash strikes. A good Karateka will be versed in grappling and should use these tools to take the Taekwondo fighter off balance and into our comfort zone.
Shotokan Karate Vs Brazilian Ju-Jitsu (BJJ)
Helio Gracie was instrumental in what we know as BJJ today. He provided instruction based on his modified versions of the Jiu-Jitsu techniques. Helio focused on using leverage, rather than strength, to apply the techniques. The concept of BJJ techniques based on leverage, not strength, became the essential principle of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or BJJ. Whilst its extremely dangerous for anyone to try to fight someone versed in BJJ in their realm (the floor), our Karate training does cover many BJJ techniques and will provide a grounding on how to apply them. More importantly you will get a feel of what its like to be in that combat situation on the floor and you will realise how easy it is to become tired from the grappling. We focus on escaping many of these techniques, striking from various grounded positions and chokes / locks. We also incorporate what we would call ‘dirty fighting’. These include biting, eye gouging, hair pulling, fingers up the nose, groin strikes etc. Rather than trying to fight someone at what they are good at, much of our training involves street fighting techniques including doing whatever needs to be done to get out of that situation.