Karate

Karate, which is the Japanese term for empty hand, was probably the most common of all martial arts at some point in time. I’m not saying Karate was more popular than kung fu; from my perspective growing up as a kid it was more understandable and more commonly used. Just like kung fu, there are many different styles of karate typically handed down from ancient family lineages. Some of the first families to organize karate were in Okinawa before it made its way to Japan. Styles like Shotokan and Kyokushin, are just a few of the many styles that are still being taught today. In Shotokan, there is a wide stance backed with long range punches and kicks. These punches and kicks all backed with incredible speed and power. Kyokushin, is more aggressive with full contact practices and sparring. More of an emphasis on teaching one how to destroy with technique. The wide stance from Shotokon with the high kicks mixed with punches were fun and easy to execute. Karate has a ranking system that uses colored belts to track progression starting off with white for a beginner and ending with black for a master. Depending on the style, there are many extra black belt degrees within each style. Back then being a black belt in any karate style actually meant something. Nowadays, it’s just another tool under the MMA belt. Now that mixed martial arts has taken a giant leap, there really is no common dominating martial art. Some of the best strikers in the MMA world come from a karate background. karate has always been well-known throughout the world and will forever be highly respected in the MMA community.