What is the MAJOR differences between Karate and Kung Fu?

I don%26#039;t mean which do you prefer. I just want to learn the difference in the two martial arts.|||Country of Origin- Karate is an art from Japan that dates very far back.


There are various stories as to what country Kung Fu comes from, but the most widely accepted is that it comes from China.





Style Difference-


Karate means %26quot;The way of the open-hand.%26quot; It is a straightforward style that mostly involves strikes and it can sometimes come with some entry-level grappling.





Kung Fu means %26quot;Martial Art%26quot; or %26quot;Skill.%26quot; It is used to describe the art of Chinese boxing. It encorporates a wide array of attacks, and it also has grappling as well.





I would say that Kung Fu is more %26quot;Loose%26quot; than Karate.


That isn%26#039;t the say that Karate isn%26#039;t loose, but of the 400-600 styles of it, only a select few (Freestyle and Kyokushin[Spelling? :P] Karate are good examples) deviate from the basic principles and teaching style of it.





Kung Fu has a large number styles, but the diversity of the varying styles is much more branched out than Karate.


Kung Fu/Wushu- The well known style of Chinese Boxing.


Mantis Style Kung Fu- Another style that is very different from Shaolin. There%26#039;s distinctive styles of Mantis Kung Fu as well.


Drunken Kung Fu- A style that is very different from both of the above styles. :p


Then you have the animal styles:


Crane, Wolf, Dog, Snake, Dragon, Cat, Eagle, Tiger, and there%26#039;s more! Plus many of the animal styles deviate because of the type of animal action:


Sleeping Crane, Eating Crane... :p


Ba Gua, Pi Gua, Choy Lee Fut, San Shou (The more freestyle form of Kung Fu) and the list goes on and on.





(Hypothetical Situation)


A master in Goju Ryu Karate goes to an Isshin Ryu school and is asked to do some punches, and a few basic kicks. There will be some differences, but those differences are more diverse due to different schools and not the different styles.





(Hypothetical Situation #2)


A master in Choy Lee Fut goes to a school that teahces Drunken Kung Fu. He may have to learn an entire new way of applying his techniques because the styles are much different.





In Karate, you use offense and defense to counter your opponent.


In Kung Fu, it%26#039;s more about how you adapt to your opponent than using offense or defense. You have techniques, but depending on the style, your goals are very different. In one style of Kung Fu you might be trying to knock your opponent of balance, but in another you might just be attempting to keep them away.





Both styles of Martial Arts are great in my opinion. Kung Fu may be more diverse, but it%26#039;s impossible to say that a Kung Fu Master will always beat a Karate Master.|||the most noticeable difference in kung fu and karate is that forms of karate are hard %26amp; linear while styles of kung fu tend to be circular %26amp; both hard and soft. for example someone using karate-do kyohan would be very direct in his attacks while a person using shaolin kung fu would be indirect. karate would tend to focus on hard hits + brute force and solid bodies and kung fu would focus on lighting speed and crisp techniques and fluidity of movement. both styles in a way mimic each other but have different goals in mind.|||They didnt make an aftershave called Kung Fu|||One difference is Karate is a striking art mainly focused on hand and foot techniques. Kung fu is more focused on weaponry skills. Although there are aspects of weapons and hand to hand in both the emphasis is different in both.|||The major differences as others have said, is that Karate is Japanese, and Kung-Fu is Chinese. Karate was developed by farmers to fight armoured samurai, and the weapons and fighting techniques reflect that (breaking boards, fighting with staves, nunchuku, tonfa). Kung-Fu was modelled after animals, and the weapons have no restrictions (swords, spears, monk spade).|||let%26#039;s see.....both have origins in different countries. Japan gave birth to Karate while China gave birth to kung fu (via shaolin).





The way they originated is also different. Karate (at least okinawan) was developed people who were not samurai as a way to defend themselves. This was mostly done by the peasant class (i think). It may have started out like capoeira, people sparring, but then just blossomed into an organized fighting style





SHaolin originated from 30 basic exercises invented by the monk Boddhidharma. He made them to improve the quality of health for the buddhist monks in china. The monks became so physically fit that the army picked up these exercises and used them. From here, Shaolin was built from the contributions of future monks and martial artists. One contribution to shaolin kung fu was from general Kwan. Before this, the bo staff was used and developed as a weapon art; however, Kwan took a staff and had a blade fixed on one end, creating the Kwan Dao (kwan%26#039;s knife). He was able to use it similarly to a Bo staff, but the different ceneter of gravity and cutting edge allowed for different kattas and attacks to be made.





Not all contributions are easily found or acredited to a single person because they were often made by groups of dedicated researchers.|||Karate is more of a linear art, while kung fu tends to be more circular. Most kung fu styles have some, if not mostly %26quot;soft styled%26quot; techniques. Karate is almost totally %26quot;hard styled%26quot;.|||the major difference is that karate is from japan and kung fu from china|||Historically, people on the island of Okinawa (south of Japan) got exposed to Chinese kung fu martial arts.


In kung fu forms, movements involve the use of more circular techniques, particularly with the hands.


Traditionally, practitioners of karate wear a white uniform called a gi which features the overlapping kimono-like top. Less traditional schools like those in North America will allow colored uniforms.


Overall, there鈥檚 more variety of techniques, styles, weapons and uniforms found in the Chinese kung fu systems compared to karate. However, that is not to say that one system or style of martial art is superior to another. They are just different and to the observer, it could come down to personal preference. Some prefer kung fu and some prefer karate. Some ambitious martial artists who desire a full well rounded education practice both kung fu and karate.|||Kung fu tends to be more circular and scientific. There are some harder styles of kung fu like Hung Gar. By hard I mean strength based.


Karate is a descendant of kung fu. It%26#039;s been posted that Karate means %26#039;empty hand%26#039;, but originally karate meant %26#039;China hand%26#039;. Most styles of karate use linear footwork and a block hard, hit hard approach. I personally don%26#039;t care for that approach since I%26#039;m of smaller stature. I prefer the fluidity and sneakiness of kung fu.|||really the main things is that karate is a hard style. Meaning you use more foot and close sticks. Kung Fu Is a soft style were you use open hands and more of defense way. We use you against you and force as a last means. Karate us more offensive. They will attack in a fight. That is the best way I can tell you the deference.|||the answer to your question lies in the history of okinawan martial atrs from pioneers who lived in the villages of shuri and naha where most of the history begins.|||The simplest and most politically incorrect answer is this.





Karate is a sport.





Kung Fu is for combat.





Karate is Japan%26#039;s version of Wu Shu end of story.





Kenpo is for combat, this is what fathered Karate and it comes from a hard form of Shaolin Kung Fu, there is even a statue paying homage to the founder in Okinawa (sorry not a great speller of foreign words).





Karate contrary to popular belief, is linear, I have never seen a Karate practioner throw a round fist or use a circular deflection.|||they are very similar.karate is a modified kung-fu which the people in ryu-kyu in Japan used to practice when the Japanese government lifted a ban for all types of weaponry. the locals needed self defense so they have to come up with a series of exercises that wouldn%26#039;t make it obvious that it is a combative art.|||The difference is, Karate is an American martial art, (originated from Japan)Kung Fu, is from China. Karate, you put most of your weight on your front foot, and it is a circular martial art. Kung Fu, your weight is balanced between both feet, and your body for that fact. Plus, in Kung Fu you have to be able to use fast hand movements to defend yourself, unlike Karate, you use alot of kicks and punches.|||TE (also called Di, or Ti)...





This is the only difference in traditional Karate and Kung Fu. The %26quot;Kara%26quot; in Karate means Chinese, which is reference to the Kung Fu from which it%26#039;s descended. (Fuzhou White Crane, Monk Fist Chuan Fa, Whooping Crane, 5 Ancestors Style) Even the kata of karate are done, or were done by various family Kung Fu styles across the ocean in Fukien Province, China. (i.e. Sanchin is called Sanjan Kata in China, but Naihanchi is no longer done in China though Master Motobu Choki said it was being done as late as the early 20th century)





Many Chinese styles of Kung Fu die out (even today) because of the moral and ethical desire of Kung Fu sifu to only teach people they are 100% certain have the moral fiber to use Kung Fu responsibly.





Okinawa was under the rule of China until the mid 19th century when Satsuma Samurai removed the Chinese officials. For a time, Karate masters called their style Karatejitsu (adding the japanese jitsu to placate the Samurai)... Eventually karate masters changed the %26quot;Kara%26quot; in karate from Kara (Chinese) to %26quot;Kara,%26quot; which means empty/sky. These two words are spoken aloud the same, but actually spelled differently in kanji, so you can tell how old some of the early karate masters were by which way they wrote the word karate.





%26quot;Te%26quot; refers to the indiginous punching style of the island of Okinawa, from which Karate was born. Karate was Later exported to Tokyo by Funakoshi, to Korea by Funakoshi%26#039;s students, and to the US by Marines and Airforce men stationed in Okinawa.|||different techniques from different cultures.. similar though