"Is Karate Effective On The Street"

This is a question you see posted on many different forums. This was my response to one such posting, feel free to comment if you agree or disagree.


The question isn't valid. If I chop you across the front of the throat, yes it works, if you hit me in the head with a bat, no it doesn't. Question should be "Can karate be an effective form of Self Defense?"


Even asked in this manner is not completely correct. Lets try: "Are punches in the face, kicks in the groin, stomps on the knees, strikes to the throat, pokes in the eyes, hammer fists to the nose, knees and elbows to the head and joint breaking techniques really effective on the street? What do you think?


I'm trying to make a point. If a grappler walks into a dojo and says "Hey lets spar a little" I'm probably going to end up on the ground in a very uncomfortable position.

If someone confronts me on the "street" I'm not going to "spar" with him, I will stomp the knees, poke the eyes, strike the throat, kick the groin and maybe if i react swiftly, with power and speed and control the situation before my opponent can get started, maybe my "karate" will be effective.


If a boxer lands a solid hook on a grapplers chin and knocks him out, is grappling an ineffective art?


If a football player runs head on into a boxer an flattens him out, is football now the most effective art on the street?


Maybe the question should be "Are you effective on the street?"


I believe trained properly anyone can be effective and I also believe everyone can be beat.

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Speed Training

Speed training is essential to effective self defense. "The ultimate goal of the warrior is to learn to end the fight with a single blow" this was stated by Miyamoto Musashi in his famous text "A Book of Five Rings. So how does the martial artist attain their own level of maximum speed for quick strikes and devastating kicks? Lets explore.
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1. repetition

2. proper technique

3. visualization

4. explosive conditioning

5. natural reaction


Repetition: No speed training method can be effective without repetition training, practicing your techniques over and over until they become ingrained in your consciousness.

Proper technique: Fast sloppy techniques are ineffective and will keep you from advancing. This is part of repetition training. Practicing your techniques over and over using smooth form and proper technique.

Visualization: See yourself as fast, may sound funny, but this works. I have visualized my backhand striking my opponents head and it does. It's amazing when it happens, because it just happens.

Explosive Conditioning: Slow progressive exercise is great for building strength, but explosive training like plyometrics, Olympic type weight lifting and sprinting are great for building explosive power and should be part of every martial artist speed training regimen.

Natural Reaction: The hardest to develop even thou you already possess it. Ever strike a match, have a piece fly off at your face and you jerk out of the way or have someone throw something at you unexpectedly and you deflect, dodge or catch it, no thought, just happens. One instructor I trained with was always throwing tennis balls, or would lash out with a kick or punch at his students unexpectedly. In the beginning you would just stand there and get hit in the head with the ball or take a quick kick or punch to the body, but the students would quickly learn to react. These were difficult people to sucker punch as they developed their natural reactions.

Every effective Martial artist follows an effective speed training program.

Deadliest Style Of Martial Arts

   What is the deadliest style of martial arts?

   Depends on what you mean by deadly? When I hear the term deadly used, I think in terms of a martial art that is more then a competitive sport or even a self defense based art.

Martial Arts means combat arts, used by warriors to kill and destroy their enemies, not what you learn in most strip mall dojos.

    If a boxer knocks you out, or a wrestler pins you to the ground, are their arts more deadly? What about an art like Arnis or Kendo that are weapon based, are these arts deadlier then the hand to hand Martial Arts?

    In my opinion the deadliest style of martial arts would be an art that emphasized strikes to the bodies vital areas, eyes, throat, groin, joints; taught how to use everyday items as deadly weapons; emphasized when to strike to gain advantage and is able to develop a killer instinct in the practitioner. With all things equal, the person trained in this type of martial art would be deadlier the the same person trained in what passes for Martial Arts today.

Martial art styles taught like this would be one of the deadliest style of martial arts, but a big right hand to the head seems to trump all.

ARE TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS DEADLY?

Traditional Martial Arts like Shotokan, Kenpo, Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, etc..., can and are deadly martial arts. I know many people who are solid traditional art practitioners who are very dangerous individuals.

    Many of the skills like focus, timing, awareness and controlled reactions can take years to develop, but worth the effort.

Traditional Martial Arts are generally complete arts that go beyond quick self defense training and can take years to develop, again, worth the effort.

    All martial arts to be effective require the same thing, An Instructor who understands the principals of the art. I've known many who had the training, had the belt, but didn't have the principals or could not convey them to their students.

    So what about arts like San Soo, Krav Maga, BJJ, Ju-Jitsu  etc...

    Are all the practitioners of these arts always the baddest dudes on the block, and deadlier then all the people training in Traditional Martial Arts,  probably not, but the skills taught in each of these styles can make any of these the deadliest style of martial arts, but like I said before,a big right hand to the head seems to trump all.

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