Karate and jiu-jitsu are two incredibly popular martial arts and countless kids and adults today practice them.
If you're not familiar with either of the two but are eager to start something new or sign up your child for a class, you're probably wondering:
"What is the difference between karate and kids' jiu-jitsu?"
Today, we'll go over everything you need to know about the two arts.
What is Karate?
Karate is best known as the art of empty-handed self-defense. The word karate means open hand in Japanese and signifies the power of the body. Specifically, karate is about the potential of using the body as a weapon.
From the many martial arts, karate is among the most dynamic ones. Everything happens at a swift pace, and practitioners need to take full advantage of their minds and bodies to defeat an opponent.
Karate requires wit, mindfulness, quick reflexes, and power. This art's premise is to defend yourself and deliver sharp blows with the legs, feet, arms, and hands.
One of the most prominent figures in karate history is Bruce Lee, and he's played a significant role in popularizing the art to the masses.
What is Kids' Jiu-Jitsu?
Jiu-jitsu is an ancient practice and translates to 'gentle arts,' from Japanese. It mostly revolves around overcoming opponents through wit, technique, and leverages.
Unlike many martial arts out there, jiu-jitsu training emphasizes the use of leverages, balance, and superior skill to defeat opponents. Thanks to this, even smaller opponents can defeat larger and stronger people.
Kids' jiu-jitsu teaches many of the techniques and moves and heavily emphasizes body movement and control. Because of that, many kids' jiu-jitsu classes focus on balance, body movement, and teaching kids how to activate different muscles in the body effectively.
These practices help kids learn how to better escape and apply chokeholds.
Kids' jiu-jitsu also teaches the students how to escape from underneath an opponent
and what to do if someone grabs them by the wrists. The primary goal of jiu-jitsu is self-defense and disabling an opponent without causing them harm.
What Is The Difference Between Karate and Jiu-Jitsu for Kids
Similar to karate, jiu-jitsu also comes from Japan. But, unlike karate, jiu-jitsu is more subdued and less dynamic.
Where karate primarily focuses on defeating opponents by striking them and defending yourself from their attacks, jiu-jitsu is about technique and the use of leverages to disable your opponent.
In karate, points get awarded for successful strikes with legs, feet, arms, and hands. In jiu-jitsu, points are awarded for taking down opponents, controlling them on the ground, and applying submission holds.
At first glance, both arts might appear similar. Still, jiu-jitsu is more streamlined, and well-trained students can overcome significantly larger and stronger opponents through superior techniques and the use of leverages.
Karate is also a fantastic martial art, but there is a lot more striking involved, and some parents feel reluctant to sign their children up for these classes.
In any case, both arts are incredibly beneficial, and both offer unique benefits revolving around different training styles. Luckily, Dream Martial Arts and Fitness has beginner to advanced mixed martial arts classes for children and adults ages 2+.
Text or Call 661-300-3300 to learn more.
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