Thanks to movies like The Karate Kid, the term “karate” in popular usage has come to mean any martial art. However, karate is actually its own distinct style, and it’s waning in popularity thanks to many other martial arts that have greater practical application in modern life.
If you’re thinking of karate classes for yourself or your child, why not try Gracie Jiu-Jitsu instead? The techniques we teach at New Mexico Jiu-Jitsu Academy are effective for self-defense and can be put to use in your real life regardless of your size, gender or strength.
What is Karate?
Developed in Japan in the early 20th Century, karate traces its roots to China and the techniques of Shaolin boxing. It gained popularity worldwide after World War II and became especially well-known thanks to the martial arts movies in the 1960s and 70s. This helped karate become part of pop culture, but this popularity was based largely on inflated Hollywood images of the practice – not the real martial art.
What’s the Difference Between Karate and Jiu-Jitsu?
In practice, karate classes can be a great way to gain physical fitness and self-discipline, and there are still many who practice it competitively. However, as a practical martial art, karate is not the most effective hand-to-hand combat technique for self-defense.
This is because, like Tae Kwon Do and other striking-based martial arts, your success as a fighter will depend largely on factors outside of your control, such as your height, length of your legs and arms, and overall physical strength. When facing a larger or more powerful opponent, the average person will be at a great disadvantage.
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, meanwhile, was developed specifically to close the ability gap between opponents of unequal size and strength. Instead of focusing on punching and kicking, Jiu-Jitsu uses throws, joint locks, restraint and other techniques to bring the fight to the ground and level the playing field.
Enroll in Our Jiu-Jitsu Classes Today!
Our focus is on martial arts for self-defense, including a bully-prevention program for children. If you are interested in gaining a life skill that will bring you confidence and the ability to protect yourself against attackers, contact us today to learn about our program!
