Judo and Karate: what are the differences between the two disciplines

One of the most common questions sports experts hear is whether judo or karate are the same sport or less. It seems like an idle question, but the similarities between these two martial arts are many, like the fact that they were both born in the same country, Japan. These two disciplines are not only very different, but they have philosophies and goals almost opposites. So let’s see how these two martial arts are similar, the history, the basic rules and some curiosities from this fascinating world.

The main differences

These Japanese martial arts have earned million followers all over the world, then causing some confusion in those who do not follow these disciplines regularly. Sure, the principles are quite similar but the differences are significant. For example, judo focuses on tookon throws and submissions, while karate is mainly based on punches, kicks and related techniques. To excel in judo you need to work on control and balance, while karate focuses much more on power, speed and agility. Also, judo is about techniques to the ground while karate is fought standing up.

This means that as martial arts they are suitable for different situations: judo is considered ideal for self defense while karate is more competition oriented. Needless to say, it takes years of constant practice to become really good and be able to get the most out of these martial arts.

How karate was born

The history of karate is linked to a specific place but its origins are lost in the mists of time. No one really knows who was the first to teach these techniques that allowed ordinary farmers to defend themselves effectively by the many brigands, but the practice of this popular martial art, fundamentally different from those that were taught to the samurai, began to spread in the fourteenth century. It took many centuries before these self-defense techniques were noticed outside of the island of Okinawarather isolated from the rest of Japan.

At the beginning of the 20th century, it was introduced to the rest of the country, differentiating itself into a number of different styles, from Shotokan to Goju-Ryu, from Kyokushinkai to Wado-Ryu. To bring them together the techniques that regulate the use of punches, kicks, using the knees or elbows and a variety of other techniques. Confusingly, some styles have incorporated judo-like techniques from throws to grappling, even though karate primarily focuses on striking.

How judo was born

If karate is quite ancient, the origin of judo is decidedly more modern, having been invented by a professor 141 years ago. Jihoro Kanoborn near the city of Kobe on October 28, 1860, after learning the techniques of jujitsu, another martial art developed in Japan in 1532, began to develop a particular style, a series of exercises to teach its students. The name he chose, judo, more or less means “the gentle way”, although, to tell the truth, he is not very kind. In the 1882 he began to teach it to nine students who gathered in a school hall, fighting and training on a tatami that would later become regulation.

Sport, seen as educational by Japanese institutions, became increasingly popular but it took several decades before the first national championship was organized in 1930. Two years later judo landed at the Los Angeles Olympics as a demonstration discipline but the experiment didn’t work. To make it enter the category of Olympic disciplines, we had to wait until the Olympics 1964 tokyo for men and those of Barcelona 1992 for women.

The rules of judo

Trying to summarize the many rules of this complex martial art in just a few lines is impossible, but we will try to give you a general smattering. First of all, the playing field is a 14m square with an area within 10×10 meters that is considered active. The uniform, called “gi”, must be resistant with sleeves and legs less than two inches from the hands and feet, with a belt that is knotted in the traditional way. There are three ways to score points in judo: the best is theippon, which guarantees an instant victory and can be achieved by making the opponent fly and pin them to the mat. You can also score by forcing your opponent to surrender or pinning him to the mat for at least 25 seconds. Il waza-ari worth half ofippon and can be obtained after blocking the opponent for less than 25 seconds. The yuko it is a lower score, granted for less effective short catches or throws but it is only useful in combination with other scores, since it is worth the least.

There is also a penalty system, calls shido in case they are minor or hansoku for serious errors, which are worth four shido. Avoiding the fight for too long is punished, while a severe penalty is worth the opponent’s victory and expulsion from the tournament. Punching or kicking, touching an opponent’s face, or causing bodily harm are all severe penalties. There are five minutes to accumulate as many points as possible. In the event of a draw, it goes to extra time, with the so-called Golden Score: whoever scores one point of each type wins. If a point is not scored, the referees will decide.

The rules of karate

Apart from the sayor the competitions where the athletes are evaluated for the precision with which they perform some standard figures, the competitions of kumitethat is to say combat, are quite similar to those of judo. Participants are divided into weight classes, they wear a traditional uniform without embroidery or stripes but, contrary to popular belief, they don’t wear colored belts according to the rank they have reached. One wears the blue belt, the other a red one, just to distinguish them, as well as another set of body protectors, feet and other sensitive parts. The points system is easier compared to judo: points are awarded for strikes to the head, face, neck, chest, abdomen, side and back. However, it is not enough to touch the opponent, the blow must be delivered adequatelyvigorous, with timing, at the right distance, in a sporting manner.

A shot may be worth three, two or one pointdepending on the conditions: a ippon is awarded if you hit the face with a kick or a blow to an opponent on the ground, a waza-ari from 2 points for kicks to the trunk while lo yuko from a single point it is awarded to punches to the torso or face. You win a match by scoring more points than your rival at the end of regulation time, but that’s not the only way. To be in lead by eight points it marks the end of the bout, as having rendered the opponent unable to continue. In case of a tie, the judges award the winner. Last difference with judo, the tatami size: in this case a square of 8 meters on each side with an extra meter, considered a safe area.

The key techniques

One of the elements common to the two martial arts are he took them, used to control the opponent and bring him down. Judo focuses on throws and blocks, while karate uses holds for open spaces for attacksmainly with kicks. Much of the training is focused on how to defend yourself at close range. Throwing is part of both disciplines but used differently. In judo the aim is pin the opponent, as occurs in Greco-Roman wrestling; in karate, on the other hand, it is used to get in advantageous position and then better control the situation. Timing is key and part of core training.

When it comes to shots instead, the philosophical differences are evident. Strikes in judo are just a distraction before attempting a pin while karate is more concerned with landing strikes to vital parts. The attacks in judo do not come never alone, but are inevitably followed by catches and throws, to destabilize the opponent. The attack in karate, on the other hand, is an end in itself: punches, kicks and blocks are essential for create distancecontrol the situation and ultimately defeat the opponent.

The uniforms? Not very similar

One of the things that most confuses the uninitiated is what the uniforms of the two sports actually look like very similar. In both sports the word used is the same, gi, but in reality it is a contraction of the original term. The term used by Jigoro Kano was another, keikogi, a word made up of the word for “workout” and the generic one used for “clothes”. To a Western eye, these workout clothes look the same: a loose-fitting jacket and comfortable pants, usually in a single color, with no flashy decoration or embroidery. Actually, when karate was practiced in Okinawa, it was done with the everyday clothes, without the need for belts or special rules. Another difference between the two uniforms is that the judo federation mandates theuse of helmetwhile that of karate does not provide it.

Apart from the very precise rules concerning the resistance of the uniform and the fact that it must be neither too long nor too short, the main differences concern the color and the traditional belt. Judo uniforms are always and in any case white or blue, without stripes, embroidery or any other decoration, while those of karate largely depend by style and the tournament rules. Another key difference is the belt color: if in karate a black belt or a blue and red belt is normally used if the uniforms are in the same color, the situation changes a lot in judo. In this case, the color of the belt is tied to the rank of fighteror how many formal exams he has passed to certify his ability in the sport.