Difference between Kung Fu (Say, Wah-Lum or choy Lay Fut) And Karate? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

KirStang · 09-19-2004, 12:11 AM

Trying to help my brother out here. People @ my university won't let us become a sports club unless we can prove ourselves different from Karate.

We are already a well established club, with ~20 people showing up on a regular basis, but administration won't let us become a true 'sports' club until we can prove that we're different (already had to compete, meet a bunch of requirements, and fill out a lot of paper work).

I don't know much about karate, and thus i'm asking for your help. If i remember correctly, it originates from Japan, and is a 'stiffer' than the Kung Fu that i know... Other than that, i don't know too much.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

WeAllDie1Day · 09-19-2004, 12:34 AM

First...their are 500000+ styles of karate and kungfu. which style of karate are you taking?
second, the difference between kung fu and karate are massive. karate has a belt system, kata, use of a Gi, different ranking system, and has dominance of striking.
kung fu can be almost anything, so it's hard to describe it

WeAllDie1Day · 09-19-2004, 12:36 AM

Seriously, it's hard to explain karate and kungfu to the average person. The general public just thinks its all board breaking and flying roundhouse kicks.

KirStang · 09-19-2004, 02:17 PM

I was just hoping that anyone who took Karate would come in here and explain their basic concepts and fighting styles.

Paradise Lost · 09-20-2004, 09:43 AM

As far as my minimal knowledge is concerned, Kung Fu would be considered the top of the
tree in martial arts, it's the one started by the Shaolin Monks from China. Most other
martial arts are sub-categories of Kung-Fu. Karate is one of those sub-categories, and
branching off of Karate are yet other sub-categories. What they are, I have no idea.

Seaver · 09-20-2004, 08:30 PM

Karate looks really cool, but is not for self defense. I've known and witnessed many many blackbelts in karate get completely owned by regular joes in streetfights. Roundhouse kicks are not practical (take too long), and all you need to do is catch one of their legs and they are practially at your mercy to what you want to do to them.

Kung-Fu and it's derivatives (Korean/Marine Corps styles are which I prefer) are for more practical defenses. My legs are fairly unflexible, and I'm tall which doesnt help in the stability region. So I like my legs firmly planted, only using them for deflecting kicks, tripping, knee'ing, and kicking out a persons knees. I dont care about looking cool, it's about self-defense for me, so usually stay with the box protection (arms paralell to each other protecting the face/side of head).

archpaladin · 09-22-2004, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Kung Fu would be considered the top of the
tree in martial arts, it's the one started by the Shaolin Monks from China

Slight misnomer. The actual definition of "Kung Fu" (Gongfu) is something that takes a lot of time and effort to learn. Thus, people in college can be practicing a style of gongfu....namely their studies. The term "Kung Fu" is usually loosely adopted to mean a style of Chinese martial arts, which really cheats a lot of martial arts of their history. The martial arts practiced by Shaolin monks is one of the first documented widely known styles of martial arts, but probably not the first.

As KirStang may know, martial arts can be broadly split into the "hard" and "soft" categories. Soft style martial arts like taiji or bagua are meant to relax the body and develop internal power for strength and health. Hard style martial arts - like the Japanese Karate - are meant to develop external strength and flexibility. I practice Tae Kwon Do myself....but what I know of karate is that it is a hard style art that focuses mainly on hand techniques and the development of arm muscles and power for defense.

Whichever style of martial arts or gongfu that you're practicing, if you need to convince someone that your style is different from some other style, focus on the differences in the goals of training and the muscle groups developed during practice.

Quote:

Karate looks really cool, but is not for self defense. I've known and witnessed many many blackbelts in karate get completely owned by regular joes in streetfights. Roundhouse kicks are not practical (take too long), and all you need to do is catch one of their legs and they are practially at your mercy to what you want to do to them.

Just as a quick response to that....any martial arts can be for self defense if you know how to use it right. The blackbelts in karate that you saw were probably from crap schools. And your roundhouse kicks might be too slow.....but that shouldn't keep you from dismissing the technique entirely. My roundhouse kicks aren't slow....

Willravel · 09-22-2004, 08:36 AM

Just tell us what style of karate and gongfu are you talking about. We'll give you the differences. Specify.

ChrisJericho · 09-23-2004, 01:17 AM

First of all, the people in the administration at your university are morons. I think we can all agree on that. If there's 20 people having a good time doing anything sports/excercise related they should be ENCOURAGING you to make a club. Obviously kung fu is very different from karate. I personally took Shudokan Karate for 3 years, right now I do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Here is some issues you could bring up:

1)Kung Fu and Karate have different katas/forms. Forms are usually a core component for many traditional martial arts, and kung fu and karate have very distinct and contrasting styles when it comes to forms.

2)Different approaches to self defense. Karate is a very linear and hard art. Punches and kicks are for the most part supposed to be very straight and powerful. From what I have seen from Kung Fu, and I will admit that isn't much, there is a lot more emphasis on rapid strikes and continuous flowing attacks.

3)Origins and principles. If you really want to be simple about it, Karate originated from Okinawa and Kung Fu came from China. They should be able to understand that. In reality, like others have said, pretty much all martial arts came from China/India thousands of years ago, but the administrative office doesn't need a history lesson. Also you could describe how kung fu usually involves some aspect of chi developement which is absent in most karate.

Those are some general pointers, good luck.

chickentribs · 09-26-2004, 07:07 PM

As a point of interest to anyone that would be reading through this topic, my coach (4 years Wu Shu longfist) told me that karate was developed from Wu Shu. The story goes that the military sent some people to train with the monks because they had heard of this new fighting style. They only gave it a few months and then went back and developed karate off of what they had learned - which had only been the stretching exercises! Thus the reason that karate is a more military style training and fighting technique, and lacks more of the spiritual side.

Now I understand that everybody has a story about the origins of their particular style, and I mean no disrespect. This is just the story that is told to all the children in China the first day of training. Coach was on the Chinese National Team with Jet Li - quite a lot of fun to watch him in action.

09-19-2004, 12:11 AM	#1 (permalink)
KirStang Future Bureaucrat	Difference between Kung Fu (Say, Wah-Lum or choy Lay Fut) And Karate? Trying to help my brother out here. People @ my university won't let us become a sports club unless we can prove ourselves different from Karate. We are already a well established club, with ~20 people showing up on a regular basis, but administration won't let us become a true 'sports' club until we can prove that we're different (already had to compete, meet a bunch of requirements, and fill out a lot of paper work). I don't know much about karate, and thus i'm asking for your help. If i remember correctly, it originates from Japan, and is a 'stiffer' than the Kung Fu that i know... Other than that, i don't know too much. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

09-19-2004, 12:34 AM	#2 (permalink)
WeAllDie1Day Upright	First...their are 500000+ styles of karate and kungfu. which style of karate are you taking? second, the difference between kung fu and karate are massive. karate has a belt system, kata, use of a Gi, different ranking system, and has dominance of striking. kung fu can be almost anything, so it's hard to describe it __________________ "My power is discombobulatingly devastating I could feel is muscle tissues collapse under my force. It's ludicrous these mortals even attempt to enter my realm." "Lennox Lewis, I'm coming for you man. My style is impetuous. My defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart. I want to eat his children. Praise be to Allah!" -Priceless quotes by Mike Tyson

09-19-2004, 12:36 AM	#3 (permalink)
WeAllDie1Day Upright	Seriously, it's hard to explain karate and kungfu to the average person. The general public just thinks its all board breaking and flying roundhouse kicks. __________________ "My power is discombobulatingly devastating I could feel is muscle tissues collapse under my force. It's ludicrous these mortals even attempt to enter my realm." "Lennox Lewis, I'm coming for you man. My style is impetuous. My defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart. I want to eat his children. Praise be to Allah!" -Priceless quotes by Mike Tyson

09-20-2004, 09:43 AM	#5 (permalink)
Paradise Lost "Afternoon everybody." "NORM!" Location: Poland, Ohio // Clarion University of PA.	As far as my minimal knowledge is concerned, Kung Fu would be considered the top of the tree in martial arts, it's the one started by the Shaolin Monks from China. Most other martial arts are sub-categories of Kung-Fu. Karate is one of those sub-categories, and branching off of Karate are yet other sub-categories. What they are, I have no idea. __________________ "Marino could do it."

09-23-2004, 01:17 AM	#9 (permalink)
ChrisJericho eat more fruit Location: Seattle	First of all, the people in the administration at your university are morons. I think we can all agree on that. If there's 20 people having a good time doing anything sports/excercise related they should be ENCOURAGING you to make a club. Obviously kung fu is very different from karate. I personally took Shudokan Karate for 3 years, right now I do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Here is some issues you could bring up: 1)Kung Fu and Karate have different katas/forms. Forms are usually a core component for many traditional martial arts, and kung fu and karate have very distinct and contrasting styles when it comes to forms. 2)Different approaches to self defense. Karate is a very linear and hard art. Punches and kicks are for the most part supposed to be very straight and powerful. From what I have seen from Kung Fu, and I will admit that isn't much, there is a lot more emphasis on rapid strikes and continuous flowing attacks. 3)Origins and principles. If you really want to be simple about it, Karate originated from Okinawa and Kung Fu came from China. They should be able to understand that. In reality, like others have said, pretty much all martial arts came from China/India thousands of years ago, but the administrative office doesn't need a history lesson. Also you could describe how kung fu usually involves some aspect of chi developement which is absent in most karate. Those are some general pointers, good luck. __________________ "A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows us that faith proves nothing." - Friedrich Nietzsche

09-19-2004, 02:17 PM	#4 (permalink)
KirStang Future Bureaucrat	I was just hoping that anyone who took Karate would come in here and explain their basic concepts and fighting styles.

09-20-2004, 08:30 PM	#6 (permalink)
Seaver Junkie Location: Fort Worth, TX	Karate looks really cool, but is not for self defense. I've known and witnessed many many blackbelts in karate get completely owned by regular joes in streetfights. Roundhouse kicks are not practical (take too long), and all you need to do is catch one of their legs and they are practially at your mercy to what you want to do to them. Kung-Fu and it's derivatives (Korean/Marine Corps styles are which I prefer) are for more practical defenses. My legs are fairly unflexible, and I'm tall which doesnt help in the stability region. So I like my legs firmly planted, only using them for deflecting kicks, tripping, knee'ing, and kicking out a persons knees. I dont care about looking cool, it's about self-defense for me, so usually stay with the box protection (arms paralell to each other protecting the face/side of head).

09-22-2004, 08:36 AM	#8 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	Just tell us what style of karate and gongfu are you talking about. We'll give you the differences. Specify.

09-26-2004, 07:07 PM	#10 (permalink)
chickentribs Addict Location: Mansion by day/Secret Lair by night	As a point of interest to anyone that would be reading through this topic, my coach (4 years Wu Shu longfist) told me that karate was developed from Wu Shu. The story goes that the military sent some people to train with the monks because they had heard of this new fighting style. They only gave it a few months and then went back and developed karate off of what they had learned - which had only been the stretching exercises! Thus the reason that karate is a more military style training and fighting technique, and lacks more of the spiritual side. Now I understand that everybody has a story about the origins of their particular style, and I mean no disrespect. This is just the story that is told to all the children in China the first day of training. Coach was on the Chinese National Team with Jet Li - quite a lot of fun to watch him in action. __________________ Oft expectation fails... and most oft there Where most it promises - Shakespeare, W.