Practicing martial arts can offer physical and mental health benefits.
In addition to learning self-defense, you’ll also get a full-body workout, build muscle, and improve balance. For those who find it difficult to stick to a workout plan, the idea of learning and developing a new skill might be good incentive to keep you coming back.
Karate and taekwondo are two common and widely practiced forms of martial arts. They’re so popular, in fact, that both are now Olympic Sports. Karate will be at the 2020 games in Tokyo, and taekwondo was added in 2000.
There is no doubt that there are some similarities in the two disciplines, but there are also some major differences.
KARATE
Karate is best known for its shuto uchi, or karate chop. This fighting style emphasizes hand techniques and uses kicks as a backup.
TAEKWONDO
Taekwondo involves way more kicking than karate. It puts a heavier emphasis on kicks and uses hands as a backup. You will learn a variety of kick moves, including spinning and jumping kicks.
Because karate uses many more hand attacks, legs often stay on the ground. Taekwondo, on the other hand, uses a different leg stance because the body needs to be ready to perform fast kicks.
