Karate: Effectiver? How does it rank against other arts?

[Ronin4hire]

I can make a snappy front kick. But my experience is that you have to get the distance and timing spot on for it to work so I rarely do damage with it.

I use the front kick like a jab occasionally. Keeps my opponent away and hopefully set up something more powerful behind it if he starts reacting predictably to it.

[chiuchimu]

^ I can't get any snap in my front kick. I have a wicked round kick but my front kicks turn into a teep.

I think the secret is to try not to raise the knee to high. Like trying to smash the ball of the foot directly from the ground in a straight line to the target. Try to make it feel like your throwing a cross, but with your feet.

A damaging front kick would be a great addition to a Muay Thai arsenal.

[godwine]

Originally Posted by chiuchimu

^ I can't get any snap in my front kick. I have a wicked round kick but my front kicks turn into a teep.

I think the secret is to try not to raise the knee to high. Like trying to smash the ball of the foot directly from the ground in a straight line to the target. Try to make it feel like your throwing a cross, but with your feet.

A damaging front kick would be a great addition to a Muay Thai arsenal.

Though do keep in mind, karate front kick and tkd front kick are differet, though they are executed in similar ways, TKD uses the ball of the feet, karate likes to aim high for the chin, and we use the heel to kick. Honestly, while I find tkd has a lot of useless kick, the ones that i would use compliments karate very very well, simply because style of Karate I am in really dont use too much kicks, so there is the added element of suprise, and most people i spar with does not expect a kick like that at all ..

oh and another kick i like from TKD, is the twist kick... works very very well if you lead with with a fake round house

[Ronin4hire]

In what situations would you use a twist kick?

What part of the body would you aim for?

I can't imagine it doing much damage to an opponent unless you were lucky/extremely skillful and scored a solar plexus shot or hit the right part of the nose.

[godwine]

Originally Posted by Ronin4hire

In what situations would you use a twist kick?

What part of the body would you aim for?

I can't imagine it doing much damage to an opponent unless you were lucky/extremely skillful and scored a solar plexus shot or hit the right part of the nose.

I usually aim for the rib cage or the head... if its the rib cage, i use the ball of the foot to kick, if its the head, i will use the instep... if practice right, the twist kick can actually cause as much damage as a hook kick if not more... the montion below the knee is exactly the same as as a roundhouse, its just a different direction and different hip movement.. you have to be really flexible to do it though

[Tenchu]

Originally Posted by chiuchimu

1) Has karate lost effectiveness over time or is it better today?

Depends on the school/sensei/practitioner.

A lot of the old techniques are still known by some today, but they have been removed by the majority of Karate schools because they're time consuming.

Traditional Karate would require at least a few hours every day to master. Especially the body conditioning. Most people don't have time to train more than a few hours a week, so of course modern versions are vastly lacking, but that's not to say training equal to that of the before time is not still available if you look hard for it.

The aspect of body conditioning is almost entirely absent from modern Karate schools, yet this was the most important part, I think. Just few want to spend an hour a day just getting hit with sticks anymore.

Originally Posted by chiuchimu

2) How does it compare to original Chinese boxing forms?

Kung Fu has a higher problem with realism than Karate does. Not to say all Kung Fu is bad, but the odds are against them in comparison to Karate. The quality of Kung Fu is vastly different in full time academies, however. I'm speaking only of part time here, such as what is offered in the West.

[Tenchu]

Originally Posted by chiuchimu

But the lack of face contact and clinch work I think seriously limits the art, at least that's how it seems to me.

Clinching is an optional method. You don't need it. Karate not having it does not matter - if someone tries to clinch with them, they can just push them back.

[Tenchu]

Originally Posted by godwine

As far as the spear hand is concern, it wasn't meant to penetrate the body, not as far as I know anyways, its meant to be a technique that is suppose to generate a concentrated central point of contact, i don't know of anyone who mastered it enough to be able to drive it into someon'es body, but i know of one person who uses it along the center line (groin, celiac plexus, etc)...

You can't pierce the skin with the fingers. LOL Myths

Drive it into the throat, that's what it was meant for.

[Tenchu]

Originally Posted by chiuchimu

^ My couch told me that long time ago, Muay Thai allowed groin kicks and headbutts too. The groin kick wasn't that effective in the ring because Thai boxers at that time( I don't know if they still do) used steel groin cups. These cups had ridged reinforcements. Full power kick to a cup like that would be painful for the kicker. you can still buy the steel cups but I doubt professionals use them. Why would anyone want one of those steel ones when there are the new high tech plastic ones that can disperse the shock.

Groin kicking in Muay Thai competition has been banned for about 100 years.

Head butts are a no no, also. Not like they're effective, anyway - they're only good for drawing blood, but do little damage past the surface, hence they're considered a nuisance in sport - they have to stop the fight for health reasons rather than because someone is more skilled.

[Tenchu]

Originally Posted by chiuchimu

2) Spinning roundhouse: I don't get this one at all, spin, then do a round house. Why? Spinning takes time and exposes ones back. then all you do is throw a roundhouse? A Muay Thai Roundhouse can break a Femur or Shin bone without a spin.

It does not expose the back for long enough to be exploited.

Round kicks are easy to see coming, easy to block, counter, catch and then throw the opponent.

Back kicks of all kinds are almost impossible to counter. The chance of landing a good one is low, perhaps, but there's little risk involve.

Moreover, few people are ready for any back kicks - if the opening was there when you started the kick, it'll likely be there when you turn around and land your foot on the target. People just arn't ready for them.