Judo vs. Karate — What are the Differences?

Judo and Karate are two popular martial arts well spread all across the world. Yet, the only thing these two systems have in common is a place of origin, Japan. But what are the main differences between Judo and Karate?

Judo is a grappling-based martial art where the focus is on throws, trips, pins, and joint locks. Judokas use their hands and legs to throw the attacker down to the ground, and there is no striking. Karate, on the other side, is a striking martial art where the main goal is to mix kicks and punches together.

Keep reading this article to learn more about Judo vs Karate. We will explore how these two arts differ, and which one is better in various aspects such as MMA and self-defense.

Judo vs Karate — What are the Main Differences? 

Judo is a grappling-based martial art while all karate styles emphasize striking with hands and legs. Here is a list of all the key differences:

History

Karate emerged in the Okinawan Islands in the Ryukyu Kingdom in the 17th century. However, its rise in popularity came when Japan annexed the islands in 1879.

This led to the migration of people from Okinawa to the main islands of Japan. Some of these people were skilled karatekas who started opening schools across the country to teach karate. And, it didn’t take long for karate to become a part of the educational system and a national sport in Japan.

The martial art legend Kano Jigoro created Judo in 1882. He used the more brutal art of Jujutsu as a base to develop a safer variation where the emphasis would be on throws and called it “judo”. Competition has always been the key aspect of Judo and like karate, it quickly became recognized as a legitimate combat sport in Japan. It first appeared in the Olympic Games as a demonstration sport in 1932. And it officially became a part of the games more than three decades later in 1964.

Strategies and emphasis

The emphasis of karate differs between different styles and forms.  Some are full contact, like Kyokushin, while others are semi-contact, like Shotokan. In general, most styles focus on mixing direct hand strikes with versatile kicking techniques. There are also traditional styles which include elbow and knee strikes, as well as the basics of grappling. The key is to defeat the opponent with technique, speed, movement, and accuracy rather than using sheer force.

Judo is a grappling martial art where the emphasis is on using your hands and feet to take the opponent down with powerful throws, trips, and sweeps. The key is to manipulate the opponents’ weight, re-direct the energy, and create the force using your hips to slam them down. Once on the ground, the objective is to subdue the opponent with pins or joint locks.

Styles

Karate has many styles and forms. Each style includes different methods of teaching, techniques, rules, and many other elements. However, the following four are seen as the original karate styles:

• Shotokan
• Goju-Ryu
• Wado-Ryu
• Shit-Ryu

The original Judo style is “Kodokan Judo” developed by Kano Jigoro. Other variations such as Olympic Judo and Kosen do not differ too much from the original one. All styles include the same techniques and the only difference is in teaching methods.

Uniforms and rankings

All practitioners and contestants must wear the famous “karate Gi” uniform that originates from judo. It consists of a jacket, long pants, and a rank belt around the waist all made out of cotton. However, karate gi is made out of different materials and is much lighter and looser fitting than a judogi.

When it comes to rankings, most karate styles have adopted the color belt ranking concept from judo. Each style has its own variation in terms of belt colors and specific ranks.

Following is a general karate ranking system used in most schools.

Color belt	Kyu Rank
White belt	8th kyu
Yellow belt	7th kyu
Orange belt	6th kyu
Green belt	6th kyu
Blue belt	5th kyu
Purple belt	4th kyu
Red belt	3rd kyu
Brown belt	2nd kyu
Black belt	1st kyu

Judokas wear a uniform called keikogi or judogi, made out of thick cotton that consists of long pants and a jacket (top), and a colored rank belt around the waist. The initial ranking system included only two colors: white and black. But the modern Judo belt ranking system has more color belts and ranks:

Rank	Japanese Name	Color Belt (junior)	Color belt (Senior)
6th kyu	Rokkyu	Light blue	Light blue
5th kyu	Gokyu	White	White
4th kyu	Yonkyu	White	White
3rd kyu	Sankyu	Brown	Brown
2nd kyu	Nokyu	Brown	Brown
1st kyu	Ikkyu	Brown	Purple

Judo vs. Karate — Which one is Better for Self-Defense?

Both judo and karate are practical in real life, and the skills students learn may help them get out of trouble in a street fight. Which one could help you more in a fight is based on many factors such as the place, range, physical size of the opponent, and many others.

Judo works well in most self-defense scenarios you may face on the streets. This is because most street fights are chaotic brawls and include a lot of grabbing, pulling, and wrestling at close range. This is where Judo shines as it teaches you how to secure a strong grip, manipulate the weight, and utilize leverage and technique to take the attacker down in a blink of an eye.

On top of that, most people do not know how to grapple, and this gives judokas a big advantage in a fight. No matter how physically bigger or stronger the attacker is, they won’t overwhelm you in the grappling department. The other advantage judo have is using the attackers’ cloth against them. Manipulating the opponents’ Gi uniform, which simulates the jacket, plays a big role in the execution of judo techniques.

Karate teaches solid principles of mixing kicks with punches. It is very effective in open spaces like a parking lot, where you can apply fast footwork, and overwhelm the attacker with fast and precise striking. Although rooted in self-defense, most modern schools focus too much on competition and famous “point fighting” rules. Students learn how to obey point fighting rules, not how to fight in real life, which clearly limits the effectiveness of the system in real life.

Among all styles, Kyokushin is often seen as the best karate style for self-defense. It is very realistic as it is a full-contact style where students exchange full-blown shots without wearing any gear. They also compete and spar in a continuous action without any pauses or breaks, which adds to the realism and effectiveness of the system. They don’t even wear gloves, shin pads, or other gear during sparring or matches which is on one side brutal, but on the other, a very good method of conditioning your mind and body for real combat.

Judo vs. Karate — Which One is Better for MMA?

Both Judo and Karate are more than present in modern MMA fighting. Which one is better is hard to tell as these two arts cover different segments of the game. Judo covers the grappling segment, while karate works well in the standup.

Watching the UFC events, for instance, you can often see top fighters with a strong base in one of these two arts.

For example, the clinch is a big aspect of MMA, and this standup grappling position is where judo throws, trips, and sweeps are highly effective. Skilled judokas know how to get into a dominant position in the clinch, and use their explosiveness and skill to take the opponent down. Even if the opponent is a skilled grappler, it is really hard to stop judokas from doing what they know best. Their strength and skill level are really hard to handle.

Some of the best judo fighters in MMA are:

• Ronda Rousey
• Valentina Shevchenko
• Karo Parisyan

Karate, on the other side, plays a big role in standup. Certain elements such as fast kicks, direct punches, and movement are very practical. Fighters like Stephen Thompson are masters in keeping their range, and moving in to land a strike and angle their way out without being hit back. They are unpredictable and a tough matchup for anyone.

The best karate fighters in MMA are:

• Robert Whittaker
• Stephen Thompson
• George St. Pierre

However, you can’t rely just on judo or karate techniques in MMA as being one-dimensional does not work anymore. You have to adopt other skills such as wrestling, BJJ, and Muay Thai to develop all-around skills and cover all the aspects of the game, and the same stands for judokas as well.

Judo or Karate – Which One is Safer?

Judo is safer mainly because it doesn’t include striking. The rate of injuries stands at 4.85 injuries per 1000 exposures for men and 13.7 injuries per 1000 exposures for women judokas. Though there is no striking, Judo is hard on your body. There is a lot of intense pulling on the joints, hard falls, and putting your body in awkward positions.

The most common injuries in judo are:

• Knee injuries (17.4%)
• Shoulder injuries (15.7%)
• Elbow injuries (14.2%)

The most common type of injuries are sprains (42.2%), followed by contusions (23.1%)

The rate of injuries in karate varies between styles. According to studies, each karateka suffers 1 injury per 11 exposures or 25 minutes of competition. This is because karatekas frequently absorb repeated strikes to the head, neck, and upper body above the waist. Though most styles are semi-contact, the force of the impact is still enough to cause damage.

The most common injuries in karate are:

• Contusions (50.3%)
• Epistaxis (16.2%)
• Laceration (13.7%)
• Sprain or strain (3.5%)

Judo vs Karate — Who Would Win in a Street Fight?

Athletes from both of these martial arts have all the tools and skills to beat each other in a one-on-one unarmed fight. However, judokas might have a small edge as grappling is proven to be superior to striking in most style vs. style matchups as we have all seen in MMA for example.

Next, judokas are superior when it comes to sheer physical strength and athleticism. They are also more aggressive and explosive in their approach and rely more on power and intense grappling exchanges. And lastly, it is much easier for a judoka to defend against karate moves and impose their will than the other way around. Blocking a strike or moving your head away is a natural reaction and may help judoka to close the distance and do what they know best.

Judokas have the advantage if the fight is in a closed space like a bar, room, or hall, where you don’t have much space to move around. This enables them to time their way in, and once they secure a strong grip, it would be a matter of seconds before karatekas would hit the ground. While judoka can block or dodge a punch, karateka would stand no chance in the grappling segment.

However, street fighting consists of an infinite number of variables and possible scenarios. There are situations in which karatekas have the upper hand and could win the fight. It truly all comes down to the place of the fight and range.

Karatekas have the advantage if the fight takes place in an open area like a park, street, or parking lot. Any place where they can move around in all directions, use angles, and attack in a blitz. Judokas would have a hard time cutting karatekas movement, or closing the distance to secure a grip and take them down. Karatekas are just too superior when it comes to movement and angles. Just look at how skilled karatekas are hard to get hit in the UFC for example.

Overall, both fighters have equal chances of winning. Street fighting includes infinite variables and this was just a brief explanation of what each style brings to the table.

Which One is Harder to Learn?

Reaching a high level of skill in any martial art is very hard and a lifelong journey for most people, and the same stands for both karate and Judo. Which one is harder is really hard to tell. It all comes down to your personal talent for sports, physical attributes, dedication, and many other factors.

Here is a list of a couple of factors you should take into consideration:

More techniques — Karate

On paper, karate has more techniques, but this on its own does not make it harder. Students learn dozens of different kicks, punches, and in traditional styles, knee and elbow strikes as well as basics of grappling. Judo does not fall behind too much though.

Physically more demanding — Judo

Karate is semi-contact and all about hitting the opponent without being hit back. It mostly focuses on direct punches and kicks that do not require a high level of athleticism to execute the right way. Judo is intense hand-to-hand combat where there is a lot of hard pulling on the joints, grappling, falling, and fighting on the ground. Grappling is more physically demanding than striking and requires more strength, conditioning, and better body mechanics.

Higher rate of injuries — Karate

Though karate is not as physically demanding, it still has a higher rate of injuries. Karatekas trade punches and kicks on a daily basis which increases the risk of injuries. Despite wearing the protecting gear and not landing with full power, you can easily get hurt. Judo, on the other side, does not include striking which significantly lowers the risk of injuries. But injuries are also quite common due to the constant intense pulling, falling down to the ground, and hyperextending the joints beyond the normal range of motion.

Takes more time to reach a black belt — Judo

The progress in judo is slow and the promotional criteria are very strict. On average, students need around 10 years of hard and consistent training to reach a black belt rank. This is far more than in Karate where, on average, you need between 3–5 years to reach the same level. Of course, the exact number of years varies between the styles and your individual approach to training.

Judo or Karate — Which One is Better for You?

Judo and Karate are two separate combat systems that differ in just about every aspect of martial arts. Thus, determining which one suits you better should not be a hard task.

Judo should be your choice if you are interested in learning how to grapple and fight on the ground. It might be a better choice if you want to learn self-defense and improve upper and lower body strength, balance, and discipline.

Karate should be your choice if you want to develop all-around striking skills. You will learn how to mix kicks with punches in a very effective way and utilize elbow and knee strikes in traditional training. It shares similar fitness and health benefits with judo, and encourages personal growth.

Both of these arts embrace hard methods of teaching and strict discipline, and you won’t earn anything without hard effort and dedication.