Karate and Judo: What is a Better Martial Art?

Karate and Judo: What is a Better Martial Art?

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The collated system of combat practice is rooted in traditions and cultural values. Martial arts practices help in several ways. Includes self-defense, competition, mental and physical exercise, law enforcement training, and entertainment. Additionally, there are numerous benefits of martial arts that leave a positive impact on both children and adults. 

What are Martial Arts?

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Martial arts include several combat sports that are still an art form. It has several forms of fighting that are structured around a set of rules for practice. There are martial arts that come from certain countries. Like Kung Fu from China, Tae Kwon Do from South Korea, Karate, and Judo from Japan.

Several studies have concluded that martial arts practice can help an individual to control their mind and emotions. It can also help you to develop emotional stability and assertiveness while reducing aggressiveness. Similar to how exercise strengthens the body, martial arts challenges and strengthens the brain.

The most popular form of martial arts is Judo and Karate; let us explore their benefits in a little more detail.

How Does Karate Improve Mental Health?

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Karate involves greater self-control, which links to mindfulness. During a session, an individual needs to be present-minded and think clearly before attacking. It involves cognitive thinking and planning every move.

Combining this with breathing and meditation exercises an individual feels more in control. These exercises all play an important role in alleviating stress and anxiety – a major contributor to outbursts of anger. Karate is not only beneficial for self-defense and physical health but overall emotional and mental health.

Is There a Positive Impact of Judo?

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Judo translates to “the gentle way” mainly because the focus of every movement and technique is defensive. Unlike other martial arts like Karate, Judo is all about maximizing efficiency with minimum effort. The impact of practicing Judo on both emotional and mental health is a positive one. It helps to focus on self-discipline and respect for the opponents in addition to a full-body workout.

Which is better: Karate or Judo?

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Although both Karate and Judo come of Japanese origin, both have different techniques. While Karate is aggressive, Judo is a soft martial art that includes body maneuvers against the opponent. Karate focuses on attacking the opponent. Also focuses on winning purely through physically hurting. On the other hand, Judo focuses on grappling, pinning, and throwing the opponent to tire him or her.

Each of the two martial arts is good for overall health and fitness. Additionally, they are great for practicing discipline, self-control, and most importantly, self-defense.

Which Martial Art is Right for Me?

Both Judo and Karate teach valuable techniques that can help improve mental and emotional health. However, the choice is yours. If you are brave enough to bear a few punches and walk around with a black eye, opt for Karate.

Alternatively, if you wish to start with a softer form of martial arts, go for Judo, as it does not involve aggressive fighting. You can also start with Judo, learn all the important techniques. Then, go for Karate to learn how to attack your opponent artfully.

References:

1. ‘The effects of martial arts participation on mental and psychosocial health outcomes. A randomized controlled trial of a secondary school-based mental health promotion program’. BMC Psychology. Brian Moore, Dean Dudley, Stuart Woodcock. September 11, 2019. URL: https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-019-0329-5 
2. ‘How Judo Can Help Manage Stress’. Thrive Global. James Vince. December 11, 2020. URL: https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-judo-can-help-manage-stress/
3. ‘The Benefits of Judo’. Fit People Publishing. September 14, 2018. URL: https://fitpeople.com/sports/the-benefits-of-judo/