Karate Vs. Wushu

Wushu and karate are both Asian martial arts. Both have roots in ancient Chinese martial arts. Both employ kicks and punches, and both train using choreographed fighting forms. That, however, is where the similarity stops. Nobody watching the two styles would mistake the linear effectiveness of karate for the graceful beauty of wushu. They are, despite their shared roots, very different arts.

The History of Karate

Karate was developed on the island of Okinawa in the late 18th or early 19th century. Originally, it was called "Tode," meaning "China hand," because the earliest techniques were brought from China. In the early days, it was practiced mainly by adults of the upper classes. In 1901, however, karate became part of the physical training program in Okinawan elementary schools. Ankoh Itosu, a public school teacher, removed some of the more dangerous techniques but kept the physical fitness aspects. He maintained that nothing could prepare students to better serve their country, both in the military and out, than karate. In the early 20th century, Gichin Funakoshi brought the art to the Japanese mainland. To make the name more acceptable to the Japanese, her renamed the art "karate," or "empty hand."

The History of Wushu

Wushu is a Chinese art. The martial arts of China date back to time immemorial. However, wushu, though it has roots in ancient Chinese tradition, is a modern art. When Mao Tse-tung became head of the Communist Party in China, he declared that comrades shouldn't fight each other. Yet martial arts' place in Chinese society, as well as their health benefits, could not be denied, so state-sponsored martial artists developed wushu. Wushu is part martial art, part gymnastics and part Chinese opera. Wushu forms were standardized to make competition possible.

The Movements of Karate

The movements of karate can be compared to a battering ram. The punches are straight and powerful, originating from the legs. Ankoh Itosu described them this way: "Make sure your back is straight. Drop your shoulders. Take your strength and put it in your legs. . . . Now block you enemy's punch and strike!" In karate, even blocks are strikes. Kicks are linear and powerful. Every strike is designed to produce maximum force.

The Movements of Wushu

Wushu, on the other hand, is designed to be beautiful. Li Jun Keng, former coach of the Beijing wushu team, says, " Wushu is primarily for health, not to hurt others as before. . . . The hand and footwork have been changed to an artistic interpretation of the old kung fu systems." Wushu's movements are flowing and athletic. The kicks include high, spinning movement with jumps and cartwheels. The hand strikes flash rapidly but do not pack much power. In short, wushu demands more gymnastic ability than karate, but it was not designed to be a devastating martial art like karate.

The Weapons of Karate

The traditional weapons of karate are the bo, kama, nunchaku, sai and tonfa. The bo is a staff, usually about 6 feet long, and it looks much like a walking staff. The kama is a sickle, and it looks much like the small hand sickles still in use in Japan today. The nunchaku is a flail, two sticks tied together with string. The sai is a short-handled trident. The tonfa is a stick with a handle, much like the modern police baton. All are extensions of empty-handed technique, providing hard blocking and striking surfaces for techniques that are essentially the same as empty-hand.

The Weapons of Wushu

The weapons of wushu are sometimes called the "Eighteen Arms of Wushu." They include sabers, staffs, axes, hammers and cudgels. Wushu has more long weapons that karate. Also, more of the wushu weapons are bladed. They tend to be more flexible and springy. And when they are used, the movement is more circular than karate's movement. Karate's weapons tend to be an extension of the battering ram of the fists. Wushu's weapons, though potentially deadly, are usually seen as accessories for the dance, beautiful and flashy.