Karate vs Taekwondo: What's The Difference? A Beginner's Guide
Karate vs Taekwondo in 30 Seconds
Both are striking martial arts, but Karate generally emphasises balanced hand and foot techniques, while Taekwondo is famous for its dynamic kicking. Karate uses kata, Taekwondo uses poomsae. Both can be great for fitness and starting as an adult 8+, often the best choice is the club where you feel most welcome.
In this guide:
Karate vs Taekwondo: What's The Difference? A Beginner's Guide
If you've searched for a martial arts class, you've probably seen both Karate and Taekwondo.
Both involve kicking, punching, blocking, forms, sparring and belts. Both focus on more than just technique.
So what's actually different and which one is right for you?
In short: Karate and Taekwondo are both striking martial arts, but they developed differently and emphasise movement and technique in different ways.
Where Did They Come From?
Karate developed in the Ryūkyū Kingdom, now Okinawa, Japan, from indigenous fighting traditions influenced by Chinese martial arts (World Karate Federation, n.d.). Gichin Funakoshi introduced it to mainland Japan in 1922, from where it spread worldwide (British Karate Federation, n.d.).
Taekwondo is a modern Korean martial art developed after the Second World War. Korean martial artists established several schools, or kwans, and the name Taekwondo was established in the 1950s (World Taekwondo, n.d.).
Today World Taekwondo (WT) is the international governing body for Olympic Taekwondo, while other organisations like the ITF follow different approaches.
The Biggest Difference: Hands or Feet?
The simplest explanation:
Karate generally places a more balanced emphasis on hand and foot techniques. Taekwondo is particularly well known for its kicking.
Karate includes punches, strikes, blocks, stances and kicks (World Karate Federation, n.d.).
Taekwondo teaches a large vocabulary of kicks such as roundhouse, side, turning, jumping and spinning, together with the footwork and flexibility to perform them. The name reflects this: tae = foot, kwon = fist, do = way or path (World Taekwondo, n.d.).
What Does Training Look Like?
A typical Karate class is often organised around three elements: kihon (basics), kata (forms), and kumite (sparring). There is no single "Karate class", for example, a Shotokan school can look very different from Goju-ryu.
A typical Taekwondo class commonly includes warm-up and mobility, basic techniques and kicking, pad drills, poomsae (forms), and sparring. Flexibility is particularly important due to kicking demands.
For beginners in either art, you don't need to arrive able to do a head-height kick :)
Kata vs Poomsae: What's The Point of Forms?
If you've watched a grading, you've seen students moving through sequences without an opponent. These are kata in Karate and poomsae in WT Taekwondo.
They aren't dances. Forms are a structured way to practise combinations, balance, timing and concentration. Different terminology, similar idea: learn, practise, refine and remember.
What About Sparring?
Karate has kumite, Taekwondo has kyorugi. Competition rules shape what you see.
In World Taekwondo competition, punches score to the body and kicks to trunk and head, with fast footwork and electronic scoring. In World Karate Federation competition, kumite includes controlled punching and kicking to permitted targets.
Don't judge an entire martial art by one competition. Sport rules are one environment, not everything the art contains.
Is One Better For Fitness or Starting as an Adult?
Both can be demanding. Research on Taekwondo athletes has found evidence of potential improvements in flexibility and aerobic capacity, although evidence for some fitness aspects is not conclusive (Bridge et al., 2014).
A systematic review of hard martial arts in adults found evidence suggesting potential benefits for balance, cognitive function and psychological health, noting limitations in study quality (Rios et al., 2018). That review found potential benefits may be obtained regardless of the age at which someone begins (Rios et al., 2018).
One small study followed 24 healthy adults over 40 who did age-adapted Taekwondo and reported improvements in cognitive speed (Pons van Dijk et al., 2013). It calls for more research, but it challenges the idea you're "too old" to start.
At Artos Taekwondo Portsmouth, adults train alongside their children 8+ and progress well into adulthood.
So rather than "which burns more calories?", ask "which one will I enjoy enough to keep doing?"
Quick Comparison
Karate | Taekwondo | |
Main emphasis | Balanced hands and feet | Strong emphasis on kicking |
Forms | Kata | Poomsae |
Sparring | Kumite | Kyorugi |
Movement | Varies by style | Often fast, mobile and kick-focused |
Philosophy | Discipline, character, respect | Courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit |
Suitable for adults? | Yes | Yes |
Which Should You Choose?
You might prefer Karate if you like a broad mix of punching, blocking and kicking with traditional kata training.
You might prefer Taekwondo if you're attracted to dynamic kicking, movement and flexibility.
But more important than the name is the club: the instructor, atmosphere, how beginners are treated, and whether you look forward to going back.
Want to Try Taekwondo in Portsmouth?
You don't need perfect flexibility or fitness to start. Every experienced practitioner started as a beginner.
At Artos Taekwondo Portsmouth we welcome beginners, adults and families 8+. We train Wed & Fri 6:30pm at Portsmouth Grammar School, entrance via Museum Road, PO1 2LN. Free on-site parking - gate code sent with your booking confirmation. Book a free trial with us today!
References
Bridge, C. A., Ferreira da Silva Santos, J., Chaabène, H., Pieter, W., & Franchini, E. (2014). Physical and physiological profiles of taekwondo athletes. Sports Medicine, 44(6), 713–733. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0159-9
British Karate Federation. (n.d.). History of karate. https://www.britishkaratefederation.com/about_us/history_of_karate.html
Pons van Dijk, G., Huijts, M., & Lodder, J. (2013). Cognition improvement in Taekwondo novices over 40. Results from the SEKWONDO Study. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 5, 74. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2013.00074
Rios, S. O., Marks, J., Estevan, I., & Barnett, L. M. (2018). Health benefits of hard martial arts in adults: A systematic review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(14), 1614–1622. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2017.1406297
World Karate Federation. (n.d.). History and development. World Karate-do Federation. https://wkfkarate.net/history-and-development/
World Taekwondo. (n.d.). About World Taekwondo. https://worldtaekwondo.org/
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