Karate is a Japanese word. It means Empty Hand which is a part of hybrid MMA. The empty-handed fight develops a well-balanced body and mind. A Karatist can employ kicking, striking and defensive blocking with arms and legs. Today we shall discuss the effectiveness of Karate in MMA.
Nature of Karate
Karate is a stand-up fight. It can be used in MMA because no martial art is banned in the UFC. However, it is more common for MMA to use techniques from boxing, wrestling, Jiu-jitsu, and Judo than Karate. This is because many fights end up on the ground by submission. But Karate has little to do with ground movements because Karate is one of the stand-up martial arts.
Karate is predominantly a striking art using punching, kicking, knee strikes, elbow strikes and open-hand techniques such as knife hands, spear hands and palm-heel strikes.
Modern Karate, also, comprises grappling, throws, joint locks, restraints and vital-point strikes. These techniques teach an MMA fighter how to disable his opponent as well as counter the techniques any opponent tries to apply.
Use of Karate in MMA
Karate as a single weapon is not as useful in MMA as some other martial arts styles do. But if karate’s techniques are mixed with some other martial arts like wrestling, BJJ, and boxing along with other martial arts, they work well together. As a result, Karate is a good base for MMA fighters. It helps a fighter to become a specialized MMA fighter.
Karate gets less used in MMA fights due to the choreographed and predictable movements. Also, Karate suffers from the lack of ground techniques, as MMA fights often need to make the opponent submit. And to make an opponent completely submit requires grappling-based martial arts like Wrestling, and Judo, which Karate seriously lacks.
Purpose of Karate
The purpose of Traditional Karate is to develop a well-balanced body and mind. The ultimate aim of Karate does not lie in victory or defeat. Rather the aim lies in the perfection of the character of its participants.
Karate teaches its students never to attack first. Karate is a disciplined martial art. It is a great way to teach kids how to be respectful and to focus on defense rather than an offensive attitude. Using defensive and counter-attacking body movements, young learners grow up with behavioral norms to honor their opponents and develop their positive character in general.
Karate contributes to Health
Karate is more about health benefits than extreme fighting like other combat sports. According to scientists, strenuous exercise like Karate furthers the release of additional hormones responsible for height. Karate with other physical activities potentially helps generate stronger bones, which may also help a growing child taller.
Karate teaches its practitioners psychologically to strengthen the mind, and develop composure, and clear thought processes. It also helps gain clear intuitions for more mental capabilities and deeper self-confidence. Physically, Karate strengthens the entire body, builds strength and stamina, and improves coordination and reflexes.
Karate has a space to become one of the deadliest martial arts in the world if the practitioners fully train and focus on it to achieve the goal.
Karate Not Good in MMA
Karate is a point-fighting martial art. These point-fighting rules limit artists’ fighting abilities and harm the overall effectiveness of Karate. On top of everything, there is no full-contact sparring in most styles of Karate. MMA is a total body workout, combining strength with cardio together. It improves various structural muscles, based on the movements of punching, kicking, grappling, and wrestling. More importantly, MMA is not a martial art. It is a combat sport. It requires Bjj, Boxing, Muay Thai, and Judo, where the room for Karate is very narrow.
Karate is not indispensable in MMA. But it is quite useful when it mingles with other techniques of traditional martial arts. In principle, Karate does not believe in inoffensiveness. It never attacks first. But it does not necessarily mean it is a weak kind of martial arartKarate can metamorphose into a deadly martial art if the fighters follow the advanced method of fifth. However, for now, Karate is less effective in MMA.