Karate as a Sport

[Berserk001]

Here is a video world tournament final

Give your opinion.

[pstevens]

The best karate tournament I've ever seen was those Shotokan ones which aired on ESPN a few years back. Also, the 1st World Karate Tournament in 1969 (I believe) was okay, except there were no head punches which would have made things much more different.

This one looks more like a bad TKD fight. Karate guys jumping around and overreaching to score the hit. It's no wonder karate has lost all following.

[KDH]

A bad TKD fight..... lose following...

This sounds like someone who is really arrogant and too full of themselves. But PStevens knows best... he is after all a legendary fighter. HIYAH! lol

[blitz]

Some things never change...

[gabbah]

heh, will it looks like a game of tag to me. I mean it seems the guys that touches the other first wins? And they don't even go on fighting after that, there's a break whenever one punch or kick is landed... I dunno man, for me it's just too far away from the real thing. Just too far.
But hey, each to his own I guess...

[KDH]

Is it full contact?

[Toudiyama[NL]]

WKF is not full contact and is Sport and sport alone, the association does little else than organising championships

I did this when they weren't hopping up and down as much ( at that time they would move motly the front foot to the front and back and diagonaly)

As for the overreaching, your arm should not be extended when you hit ( well in my time that was the rule)

Problem with WKF karate is referees not knowing the rules or interpreting them in their own way
Just try a perfect elbow to the head and stop it half an inch in front of your opponents face, you wiill get a warning even though nowhere in the rules the elbow is stated as an illegal technique and strikes and kicks to the head are allowed ( touch-skin)

Sports karate is and always will be tabletennis without a bat ( comparison my dad made)

Is it the real deal...no of course it isn't, it is a sport, a game, something you do for fun ( karate shiai, that is)
You don't ask if cart racing is the real deal ( as in can you then drive in a normal car on the public roads) do you? then why do we do that for Martial Sports

[KDH]

would you consider TKD the real deal?

[Maxx]

would you consider TKD the real deal?

No. Taekwondo just like karate or wrestling or various systems of kung fu/wushu or just about any martial art for that matter offers an element of combat. It does not offer the full package.

Each system has an emphasis which makes it strong in certain ways, weak in others. Taekwondo's emphasis is kicking and there are a lot of powerful kickers out there. Unfortunately, a forte in one area almost always leads to a weakness in others.

[Berserk001]

wtfwtfwtfwtfwtf

[Berserk001]

No. Taekwondo just like karate or wrestling or various systems of kung fu/wushu or just about any martial art for that matter offers an element of combat. It does not offer the full package.

Each system has an emphasis which makes it strong in certain ways, weak in others. Taekwondo's emphasis is kicking and there are a lot of powerful kickers out there. Unfortunately, a forte in one area almost always leads to a weakness in others.

Maybe basic karate doesnt offers you the full package but when you reach 3 dan you learn much more .