Despite both being Asian martial arts, judo and karate are very different. Karate emphasizes strikes and blocks. Judo is a grappling art. Karatekas wear light, loose uniforms. Judokas wear quilted jackets that can withstand the rigors of ground fighting. Karate is a "hard" art that meets force with force in many techniques. Judo is "soft." Practitioners blend with an opponent's force to control him. However, these two fighting arts do share some concepts.
History
Martial arts come from all over the world. Tae kwon do from Korea, escrima from the Philippines, pankration from Greece and savate from France are examples. Judo and karate both come from Japan, and both evolved from battlefield techniques used by samurai and bushi during their feudal period. Modern judo and karate were both organized, including the belt rank system, during the early 20th century.
Sporting Competition
Training in judo and karate includes sparring competition in which two practitioners stage a mock battle to determine who is most skilled. The rules of the sporting events are quite different, with nearly no techniques allowed in one, but permitted in the other. However, the concept of sparring in nonlethal combat to test skills is common to both styles.
Self-Defense
Judo and karate evolved out of self-defense techniques, and both are still taught with self-defense in mind. Although the specific moves a judoka might use to disable a mugger will differ from those used by a karateka, the basic concepts are common. Both teach to use the simplest effective technique, to remain as relaxed and dispassionate as possible and to disengage as soon as a threat has been neutralized.
Personal Development
Asian martial arts, including judo and karate, include an ethical or spiritual aspect to the training. Both require adhering to an ethical code based on "bushido" -- a Japanese code of conduct roughly analogous to Western chivalry. Students are taught about these codes and given lessons in meditation and personal discipline that help them live up to the code. However, it's worth noting that not all Western dojos continue this tradition.
References
- "Living the Martial Way"; Forrest Morgan; 1992
- "US Judo Association Basic Judo Manual"; Philip Porter; 1994
- "Zen in the Martial Arts"; Joe Hyams; 1982
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