Jiu-Jitsu vs Karate

 

Martial arts of all kinds have continued to grow at a rate of over 18% in America since 2012.  This increase in popularity has brought more conversation, and perhaps more argument to the family gatherings.  So today, we will be looking at and comparing two of the most popular martial arts, Jiu-Jitsu vs Karate.

There is a fair amount to go over but we will answer some of your most pressing questions.  What are the differences, which should you try, who would win in a fight, and which is a “better” martial art overall?

If I missed anything, send me a message in the contact form below!

 

 

Jiu-Jitsu vs. Karate: What are the Differences?

Now, if you don’t know anything about either of these (other than the “Karate Kid” movie series), then it can be easy to get them mixed up.  So let’s start with the basics.

Jiu-Jitsu is a non striking, submission wrestling martial art.  It requires you to grapple (wrestle) with your opponent to control and submit them.

Karate is a stand-up, striking martial art.  It requires you to punch and kick your opponent while on the feet.

Now that we’ve got a high level understanding, lets get into a little more detail.

 

Jiu-Jitsu

• Requires you to grab and hold your opponent to take them down and control them
• Uses both wrestling and Judo to take down opponents (Jiu-Jitsu vs Judo here if you’d like to learn more about Judo also!)
• Uses submissions to choke or lock a joint and make the person “tap”
• Takes place mostly on the ground

Karate

• Is a striking sport that requires you to use punches and kicks to knock out your opponent
• Requires you to be light on your feet to dart in and out on your opponent to land fast strikes to score points
• Does have some foot sweeps and minimal ground strikes, but the fight is on the feet for the majority of the fight
• Some kinds of Karate will involve practice with weapons

So all in all, Jiu-Jitsu and Karate are quite different.  Despite the differences though, they are both effectively used in MMA in no small capacity.  In my book, that usage has proven these to both be effective martial arts.

Which brings us to the next section….

 

Jiu-Jitsu vs. Karate: Which Would Win in a Fight?

I can hear the arguments between friends and family members now.  It’s a classic case of “my dad can beat up your dad”, and yet it continues to take place among adults to this day.

As we identified earlier, these martial arts focus on completely different areas.  Jiu-jitsu does have throws and trips, but it requires grips to get a hold of your opponent to take them down.  Karate has almost no grappling and involves fast striking from the feet.

So we ultimately come to one point of argument.  Where does the fight take place?  If the fight remains standing, the Karate practitioner will likely win.  If the fight goes to the ground, the Jiu-Jitsu practitioner will likely win.

If we want to take it a step further, MMA is typically the best place to look.  And after looking at Karate and Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in MMA, we will find wins, losses, and champions in both.

So who ultimately wins?  Unfortunately, there are too many factors to give a decisive answer here. So keep your family gathering arguments going and base your bet on the better fighter overall.

 

Jiu-Jitsu vs Karate: Which is Better?

Outside of who would win in a fight (which is not a terrible way to determine the effectiveness and potential usefulness of a martial art), let’s look at a few other factors.

 

Which is a Better Workout?

Time for another recap.  Jiu-Jitsu requires you to wrestle and grapple.  A lot.  So you are constantly gripping and moving your body and someone else’s to try and gain position. Turns out that is pretty dang tiring.

And Karate?  Lots of punches and kicks.  Not light ones.  Fast and strong ones.  And when landing those kicks and punches, you are bouncing almost the entire time.  Those Karate guys may as well be rabbits.  Turns out that’s tiring too.

So which is a better workout?  It turns out that both can be pretty dang tough, but for completely different reasons.  Karate is more of a running and movement based workout while Jiu-Jitsu is more of a strength and tension workout.  So the jury is out on this one.

 

Which is Better for Self Defense?

I’ll start by stating that Jiu-Jitsu is touted by many as the best martial art for self defense.  The reason?  It gives you the ability to get someone to the ground and ultimately control them in any position.  It is incredibly useful and only by rolling (doing Jiu-Jitsu) with someone else can you realize how effective it really is.

A personal story of mine?  Myself, an athletic, 190lb, late twenty something year old guy, does Jiu-Jitsu with a 50+ year old, 100lb, black belt lady.  It didn’t take her twenty seconds to trap my arm and wrap her legs around my body and face and make me tap.  It’s no joke.

What about Karate?  Well, it turns out it teaches a lot.  Distance control, quick counter striking, quick feet, and foot sweeps.  So if you are in a standing position or need to potentially act quickly to get away?  Those all seem like incredibly useful tools in that situation.

So where does that leave us?  I think more people may tout Jiu-Jitsu and I may have to lean ever so slightly that way also.  That being said, I don’t think it’s a large margin at all.

 

Which is Better to Try?

Well, there are a lot of good reasons to try both.  And as we looked at above, they are both great martial arts in their own rights.  This will ultimately come down to what you or your child is looking for.

Do you want to learn grappling with trips, throws and submissions?  Or do you want to get in a workout that requires more movement and striking based techniques?

While the data isn’t definitive, Karate seems to be the more practiced and more popular in the US at this point.  As we’ve covered above though, it doesn’t seem like you can go wrong with either.

 

To Sum It Up

Both Karate and Jiu-Jitsu have a long standing heritage, are useful both in MMA and self-defense, and are incredibly popular and only continue to grow in the U.S.  While very different, they both have their own benefits and will give you some great skills along the way.

Unfortunately, you will likely have to go to two different schools to try these two martial arts.  They are specialized and I personally have not seen overlap of both of them.  Both would be worth pursuing and I would recommend trying both to decide which may be best for you.

If there’s anything I missed, let me know in the contact form below!