The transcript below is from the video “Karate vs Kung Fu | Don’t Mess With Shaolin KungFu Masters” by BRUTAL TV.
Tysmithvoice from BRUTAL TV:
“Karate vs Kung Fu.”
“Karate and kung fu are often grouped together and to the untrained eye may seem very similar. Karate even has kung fu to thank for influencing its origins, but don’t be fooled. The two are different and each has their history in different countries, as well as different periods of time. So, which of these is more effective and which would win in a fight? We’re going to detail the origins of both of these massively popular martial arts. Detail their main features, then pit them against each other in a fight to see which would win.”
Tysmithvoice from BRUTAL TV:
“The term ‘kung fu’ literally means ‘achievement through great effort’. It can be broken down into ‘kung’, which means something like ‘achievement’ or ‘merit’. And ‘fu’ can be translated into ‘man’. Kung fu is easily recognizable for Westerners as an umbrella phrase used to describe the various fighting systems to come out of China, especially those that derive from the Shaolin and other temples. As a martial art, kung fu can be traced to the Sho Dynasty and even earlier. As an exercise, it was practiced by the Taoists in the 5th century B.C.E.”
Tysmithvoice from BRUTAL TV:
“Many of the Shaolin styles are based on animal movements, such as tiger, snake, monkey, praying mantis, crane and many others. Even mythical creatures such as the dragon. Over the centuries, different systems developed from various parts of the country that have resulted in an array of styles that suited the needs of the people in a particular time and place. Different philosophies, weapons and movements are utilized, but all come under the bracket of kung fu. Be it based on the styles or the literal interpretation of the words, as all of these different styles demand constant practice over a lifetime for success.”
Tysmithvoice from BRUTAL TV:
“Karate evolved in East Asia over a period of centuries. According to legend, the evolution of karate began in the 5th century when an Indian Buddhist monk named, Bodhidharma, arrived in a small forest temple. The art became refined and systematized in Okinawa, Japan, in the 17th century. And is thought to have been developed as an alternative way of defense for the people of the island, as they were forbidden to carry weapons at the time. Several schools and systems developed, each favoring somewhat different techniques and training methods. The meaning of the word ‘karate’ is ‘empty hands’. It refers to the fact that karate originated as a system of self-defence, which relied on the effective use of the unarmed body of the practitioner, because as we’ve already mentioned, the Okinawan people relied on it in the absence of weapons.”
Tysmithvoice from BRUTAL TV:
“So, what about the difference in styles? Karate was more influenced by the Zen philosophy, which is very popular in Japan. Part of Zen is to minimize everything, which has also been applied to the movements in martial arts. Only the movements strictly required for a technique are included. All else is stripped out, giving it a more simplistic look and feel. This also fits in with the linear concept of less emphasis on grappling and versatility, but focusing more on multiple opponents instead. Again, this is likely to have originated from the Okinawan need to be as efficient as possible with multiple threats, including those with weapons. Karate is primarily an aggressive striking art. The movements are crisp and linear.”
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“Kung fu, however, being based on animal stances is more fluid and circular. Similar to karate, it’s primarily a striking style of martial arts that utilizes kicks blocks, but uses both open and closed hand strikes to defend against attackers. Styles differ and kung fu practitioners might also possess knowledge of throws and joint locks, depending on which one they’re practicing. The art utilizes both techniques of meeting force with force and soft by using an aggressor’s strength against them techniques. The basic goals of kung fu are to protect against aggressors and to disable them quickly with strikes. There is also a philosophical element to the art, as it is strongly tied to its Buddhist and Taoist principles of its origins. There are many different sub-styles of kung fu. The main northern styles are Shaolin, long fist, eagle claw and monkey style. In the southern parts of China, wing chun, hung ga and choy li fut, are popular.”
Tysmithvoice from BRUTAL TV:
“So, which is better? Karate or kung fu? This all depends on what you’re using it for. Kung fu is no doubt one of the most, if not the most flowing and beautiful of martial arts. From a technical perspective, it’s very hard to look past kung fu. To watch kung fu probably has all other martial arts beat. This would explain why kung fu movies have always been popular. Kung fu also has more emphasis on grappling than karate, so would be superior in disabling an opponent to the ground. The wide range of styles and techniques used in kung fu, would also be more useful in dealing with a wider range of situations. But the downside for this is that this is far more complicated to learn. So if it’s simplicity and accessibility you’re after, then karate is a better option. Because of its efficient use of its simple but aggressive toolkit, karate is the better martial art to inflict damage on someone. Kung fu is better at disabling them.”
Tysmithvoice from BRUTAL TV:
“So, which would win on a street fight? Well, I think for the simple reason we’ve already explored, it would be karate, for the fact that it’s a more aggressive art form. Aggression counts for a lot on the streets, whereas the style of kung fu would be lost in an all-out brawl. That being said, this could all depend on who gets the first hit in. Both martial arts have techniques that can take an opponent down with a single hit. So, if one fighter was off their guard for even half a second, it could be curtains. One thing’s for sure is that it would either be over almost straight away or it would be an epic battle. There’s not too much to separate these two very effective martial arts and both have influenced the other down the centuries. So, you wouldn’t be surprised if two masters of their arts clashed, it would be the one who simply had the will to continue that would win out in the end.”
“So that’s it for our look at karate versus kung fu. Which do you think would win? Do you practice one of these and want to let us know? Please let us know.”
