Difference in sparing between Kung Fu and Karate??

These are BIG generalizations! We do a 3/4 at our school(karate). Everything will be different from school to school.

Okay, Well I thought that a lot of the Kung Fu styles were all really similar by means of roots or something. Same with Karate as well.

Since all of you know more about different MA's than me anywya..........how about just taking some of the more common/popular styles of Karate versus some of the more common/popular styles of Kung Fu.

LIke long fist styles vs. non-lonng fist style or something,

forgive my ignorance

It's really an impossible question. All schools are different even within styles,within those schools individuals have different fighting styles based on their own experiences.

I've sparred someone before who did Kung Fu. There are a lot of people in my program and year who study different martial arts so once a week during the school year we get together and spar. It's a good experience to spar people of other arts, you learn a lot from each other.

If theres one thing I noticed when sparring the person who trained in Kung Fu is how relaxed and focused he was. It was almost like someone could die accorss the hall and he wouldn't notice anything. I was very impressed. His movements were calculated, never attempted a strike unless he knew there was a good chance he could score with it. Anticipated every move I could make. But I was most impressed with how relaxed and focused he was. I learnt a lot sparring with him and I think I really bettered my sparing skills by sparring with different people from various arts (there were people there who trained in karate, bjj, kung fu, mai tai, krav maga, tkd, kickboxing and then another guy where I wasn't sure what he studied, the person who trained in mai tai was actually my flight mechanics and fluid dynamics professor who I think had been training for 20 years and had 4th dan black belt in another art which I can't recall at this time.

If you ever have a chance to spar with someone who is not of your art, I suggest it. You would be surprised how much you can learn and how much your sparring can improve.

Thanks for a good reply,

Everybody now how about answer how she did and just share your experiances with sparring with other style fighters or students,

if you would please.

I have sparred with a few kung fu guys, wing chun and northern styalists in my time.

Back then I was a typical karate 'points' fighter, and I have to say the kung fu guys seemed extremly relaxed, extremly hard hitting and extremly in control of the 'sparring'.

i learnt alot about relaxing during sparring, and in generall ! Also the kung fu guys just didnt get 'points' sparring so they would attack and hit with combinations which I simply couldnt deal with.

I had similair expierience at a very good 'freestyle' karate club, pure sport karate, they trianed for continuous tournaments and were superb for the time.

However i did recently train with a local kung fu club and i was the dominent one, this is because I dont spar anymore - I fight, so grabs, trips, shoves all come into play along with combinations, destructive defense etc etc - this isnt about being macho and hitting hard, just sparring based in reality.

I guess I don't hear a difference in styles as much as a willingness to accept and give contact and maybe a bit more aggressive personal style on your part. I see the same thing in the grappling arts such as Hapkido, Aikido and Ju-jutsu. Often a person who has trained in, say, a more "mellow" version of Aikido will be surprised at how "authoritative" our techniques are. Yet I can see where a person who might have trained in an art with even more physical contact such as BJJ might find even our approach not physical enough for his tastes. I don't see the difference in the arts as much as in the practitioners. FWIW.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

This may be overbroad but I have heard it described by Chinese and Japanese instructors this way. The primary difference is at moment of impact, karate impact is intended to be like a single bullet fired to a single target in a single direction with the intent to focus all your energy in one place and time. Chinese martial arts are more like a grenade with the intent of releasing energy to multiple targets in many different angles with the intent of doing less damage with each technique but dispersing the energy over a larger target and time. Karate would try to tactically manuver to unbalance the opponent and ddeliver a few devastating blows, Chinese martial arts would use multiple attacks to force your opponent into a position where thye can no longer resist.
This is just what I have heard and may not be completely correct but I think it may be a good starting point.

Have you seen the "Kyokushin vs. Drunken Kung-fu" video?

I'm sure there are Drunken stylists that can better represent their art but the video was entertaining.

There really are no differences just different tactics because a punch is just a punch. I had a student tell me that he had a Gung-fu guy eat his lunch, he said the guy would do something with his hands then feet and then hands cames from all over. I told him don't pay attention his hands or feet unless they are attempting to strike. Attack the illusion or the fient, next time they sparred he did much better.

Chinese arts teach deception, speed, ground and air fighting, they can make them unpredictable and thats what can hurt you. I admire the full bodiness of Kung-fu exponents once they realize what they are doing. If you go for their fients and fake your'e grass.

Karate's advantage is its shorter moves and if you can strike while evading and be able to change up your movements, alot of Te movement seems basic to them but the speed & power that it can be delievered can surprise them.
A lot of the soft movement we do also, I personally think a lot of the 360 spining flying kicks they do are wasted energy if u duck under them or move out of range.

What surprising is their unorthdox techniques like their grion level kneeling charging punching attack at your grion. They are taught to move fairly fast kneeling punching at that 1 target, Silat practictioner use this technique also, one miss block or hesitation in foot work, its bent over city. Of course down low side kick stops all that, learned after being bent over.

Kung-fu/or real Karate never was a point system they devised a point system to use in point tourneys but they are geared for continous attacks. My Sensei method of sparring was continous, and point sparring was taught as a game of tag.

<rant> You essentially can't really generalize Kung Fu because this term covers so many styles, each of which are unique and quite different from the others. There are style that use Circular motions, while others are more direct (similar to karate in that respect). There are internal (Tai Chi) and External (more physically demanding) styles. And under even the things mentioned the styles tend to vary greatly from their counterparts. The term "kung fu" is essentially used in chinese (Mandarin, "Gung Fu" in Cantonese) to sum up all combatitive arts under one term. Similar to how we use "martial arts" in english.

Even Karate is difficult to generalize (not to the extent of kung fu mind you) for many styles have different ways of approaching certain concepts. As well the techniques used can vary from different styles.

And as mentioned the practitioners themselves are all unique, everyone has their own personal way of handling certain situations and techniques. Also should one have previous knowledge of another art that will help change their way of fighting too.

Essentially its very difficult to generalize martial arts because there are always too many variables to account for. </rant>

Of course in a total view you are right. I was just giving my view from behind my guards in the small fish bowl that I have swam.

I was generalizing and only doing that I hope what I stated can be taken at face value from one man prespective and only as just that.

You are right its the Man not the System that makes the Fight, especially now days.

Okay, most of you have make some really great distinguishes between the japanese and chinese arts. I would also like to add that in perspective to chinese martial arts, many of them combine principles of japanese arts, Pak Mei, for example, a very solid Kung-fu style, very rare and in my opinion, very effective. The style like most chinese arts which focuses on multiple combinations actually focuses they're training on obtaining as much power as possible in every single attack, its a no no-nonsense style, alot of principles are similar to wing chung or JKD, using the concepts of one inch punch for maximum power. Its just like any style of chinese or japanese, all really point out to using the body mechanics as efficiently as possible. Karate is more simpler, and simpler is often better, why complicate things instead of getting right to the point. This is why I feel, only in my opinion, alot of kung-fu guys out there are trying to make things very complicated, due to Kung-fu's fancy nature, which often does'nt work unless a real master to make it work. This is because a lack of understanding, training, and over-confidence. They force things to work when they're not really up to date and naturally adapted to it. Its kind of like riding a superbike when you only ridden a moped, same type of idea, right?

There is no difference in sparing. I've been doing gung fu for 14 years now. I have fought against pro boxers trained at the same gym Floyd Mayweather Jr did for 3 years(this I did when I was at college and could not find a MA school that wanted any contact). Plus the boxers rented our space for their training so I would do that on my off nights of MA. The "delivery system" is what matters. Take a boxers jab the same principles are used in snake style as well the only difference is the position of the hand.

Good MA is good MA whether it is gung fu or karate. Gung fu has blows that are meant to kill in one shot just like any other style or you use a few shots to land the big one.

Kevin

IMHO, i think karate uses simpler movements, in order to defend many attacks and attack many points on the body with similar types of blocks/punches/kicks
ie. chop, front kick, punch to head, stomach, legs, etc.

In many forms of kungfu, the basics use simple movements, much like karate, but advanced manouvers include blocks that 'pull' the opponent, ground scissor kicks, etc.
ie. chop neck, pull opponent's arm then immediately punch back, etc.

Yes! I found an article about this:
http://www.chinamaze.com/article282.html

When I have sparred Karate guys in the past I have generally noticed a big difference in the level of skill depending on what style of Karate they practiced, same for Kung fu guys I've gone up against for that matter. Styles that focussed more on straight up linear movements generally don't do so flash, I have a friend whose Karate style was pretty effective, less linear, great use of space and footwork. The main difference I've usually played on to date have always come down to conditioning. A lot of the Karate guys could fight all day without blowing a candle, one kick to the legs and down they go.
Regardless the MA, if you're more mentally and physically prepared for sparring or fighting, if you're well trained in what you practice without getting fancy you'll do alright.

When I was into sparring a lot what I'd like to do is take the gloves off sorta speak = have limited rules, let the system and fighter express themselves. This was interesting and should only be done by advanced practictioners. What I found was that when unhand cuff the system the fighting is more real and expressive. You don't actually strike vitals but you do fient at them and touch or check knees and hit the liver, kidney and target of the back. Gung-fu seems to have better attacks from the ground techniques some can stay on their back and fight comfortablly. Karate type are taught to defend from the ground but get up quickly. Both system use alot of knees and elbows, pushing and standing grappling.

In fighting some free style gung-fu people boxer type, its easier because they don't practice alot of ground or have alot diversity training. I also find that Wing chun fighter don't do so well in gloves they do better bare fisted as does most Martial arts. I found in general that sometimes its so precise that if they miss timing you can do heavy damage, but you have to give some to get some, it is fast striking system.

I made it a point to learn something about most systems that I came across from gg/journeyman level Boxers, College Wrestlers, Karate, Savate, TKD, JKD, Gung-fu, Silat, Judo, JJ and Kali fighters. Never got to spar a Capoier fighter though a fearsome little Silat fighter say they are awesome, he was KO'd by one trying to deliever a elbow.

As been expressed I don't think its the style or system its the individual fighter and how hard are they willing to push themself. Not weather its Gung-fu or Karate.

Training conditioning in all out fighting is key; Wrestlers, Boxers, BJJ, and Judo guys seem to have a slight advantage here imo. Train at that level and its all even, except for range and rules of contact.

martial arts are a great thing, be it Chinese, Phillipino, Japanese etc. It is impossible to say how one will match up with another, many of you have already said it's the fighter not the art. I often hear people assume that if a fighter defeats another fighter they would also defeat all of the opponents the other guy had beat. It isn't true. I may beat you very bad, completely one sided. Then I fight someone who you totally manhandled without breaking a sweat. But because of the way fighters match up that guy might handle me easily, even though I had no problem with you. I think you individual martial arts should only be used for training and a way to understand fighting in general, however, if you are serious about competing against fighters of many different backgrounds you must learn how to be a complete fighter. Even someone like Bruce Lee when he mainly just had Wing Chun training knew that as good as he had severe limitations using only wing chun.