I was recently awarded best answer in Yahoo! Answers by replying to the following question:
hey guys im a teenage girl and i really want to do either taekwondo or karate. i just dont know which one! what one would be better, and be more to my advantage?
if that makes sence
and here was my answer:
I agree with most answers so far but I would like to add a couple of technicalities. TKD is based mostly on kicks above the belt: that means is very suitable for lean and flexible people. Anybody with heavy, inflexible legs will suffer and never really pick up on their techniques.
Karate has a much broader range of techniques that include kicks, punches, elbows and knees so it can suit a much wider range of people. Please bear in mind that there are many different styles of Karate: Shoto Kan, Wado Ryu, Goju Ryu, Kyu Shin Kai and Shorin Ryu just to mention the most popular ones. They all share common factors but they are physically different.
My suggestion would be to have a good look at a few classes, if you have clubs near by, and then think which ones will be suitable for you two.
BTW have you tried considering Kung fu, or Silat or Aikido?
At my Wausau karate or Taekwondo school I have taught Taekwondo in a less than sport manner or many years. We have encompassed all of what you mentioned in your Karate techniques in our Taekwondo classes for many years.
I have always thought Karate was more of a punching art. Taekwondo more of a kicking art. Combine the two and your a tough son of a gun.
@pat thanks for your comment, your students should feel lucky: it’s the first time I heard of somebody combining two arts like these.
I go with karate. I’d been specializing karate for a year now and it was a great choice for me. You know what? We can’t help you in your decision. You should decide on your own simply because you are the one who knows everything about yourself – when it comes to strength, like and dislike and even your weaknesses.
Stuԁy it, liked it, thabk you for it