Why isnt there more Karate in UFC?

[Kwic]

Because if you perfect a crane kick then no can defend.
It's illegal.

 

[Hotora86]

Karate in its current form, by it's self, is simply not effective. Now there are some good techniques to pull from it, and it conditions your flexibility and legs. But like judo, you have to take some things and scrap the rest.

Karate in its current form? Which one?
Shotokan?
Kyokushin?
Goju?
Shidokan?
Ashihara?
Kenpo?
Kudo?
They're all different. And we've had UFC champs and title challengers with belts in most of those.

 

[Hotora86]

Because karate is NOT a very effective martial art. That became obvious in UFC 1.

A Karate guy got to the finals of UFC 1 so that immediately disproves your point.

 

[Yrat]

Most styles in Karate are not there for competition if i am not mistaken, like Shokotan?

 

[BrockLesnarsTurtleBack]

Karate has some lethal techniques. If they were allowed in UFC, the whole sport would get banned quickly.

 

[Isaiah095]

It’s a very simple answer. How many bad ass guys do you know who do Karate?

 

[SakurabasEar]

Karate in its current form? Which one?
Shotokan?
Kyokushin?
Goju?
Shidokan?
Ashihara?
Kenpo?
Kudo?
They're all different. And we've had UFC champs and title challengers with belts in most of those.

Any 'style'. And yes, but they're not using strictly kempo, or strictly shidokan. There's only so much of this you can actually use against an opponent that understands range and strikes well

 

[Hotora86]

It’s a very simple answer. How many bad ass guys do you know who do Karate?

Two off the top of my head. And Machida. And 160 more in my sig.

 

[Hotora86]

Any 'style'. And yes, but they're not using strictly kempo, or strictly shidokan. There's only so much of this you can actually use against an opponent that understands range and strikes well

Any "style" and any "martial art" then.

 

[rstringer]

Watch some GSP interviews, he give his Karate Background alot of credit for developing his striking accuracy, timing and his footwork.

ffs man he always walked out like this

Gsp did kyokushin and its that one karate style which relies on brute strength and toughness and not striking precision.

 

[rstringer]

Too many mcdojos, the true art which is way more comprehensive and brutal has been watered down.

 

[Robbocop]

Even though you claim it's extremely effective, the reality is that it has never been as effective in MMA as wrestling, boxing, kick-boxing, muay-thai, or bjj. I am not sure what the reason for that is exactly, but it seems like muay thai generally trumps Karate when it comes to striking, and bjj or wrestling (or judo) trump karate when it comes to grappling.

 

[genecop]

Because the UFC allows wrestling…

 

[fortheo]

Because it’s not very good overall. Very few fighters can make it work. Most fighters with a karate base don’t use it. You wouldn’t know GSP did karate by watching his fights

The way he chambers his kicks is very obviously from karate

 

[rearnakedchoke]

Fighters want to just win. Not kill people.

 

[fortheo]

The reason there isn't a lot is because there isn't a lot of legit karate dojos teaching full contact karate. A lot is bullshit-do style. They don't do full contact training/sparring so they will never get into any type of full combat sport. The ones that did do full contact training/competition usually find their way into mma.

A lot also don't train it because it's not one of the 4 basic mma mixtures that people are used to seeing. It's usually boxing/kickboxing, wrestling, bjj as the basic base that is taught for mma. Those are the styles you'll see at most mma gyms. So if people wanted to actually train/learn karate they would have to learn it separately and have to also find one that can teach it in a way to be effective for mma. Which is also difficult because most karate style fighters stay away from mma/kickboxing/muay thai because those striking styles can exploit their striking style if they don't cross train.

Just look at the skill level at Karate Combat and compare it to high level kickboxing/mma striking. There is a reason why Karate Combat doesn't allow thigh kicks. They don't want kickboxers/muay thai based fighters fighting karate style fighters.

Karate can be effective, but cross training is needed in order to know how to properly apply it. It isn't effective by itself because there are too many holes in it's striking game vs the modern striking combat martial arts who's whole martial arts is based on full contact competition.

I always found it funny have leg kicks beneath the knee are allowed in sports karate, throws are allowed, even brief ground and pound is allowed, but thigh kicks? No sirrrrrr

 

[textwarrior]

Seems people who used it well in MMA did it from child hood. Perhaps the new breed are not as focused on it. But, just my opinion, I think any martial art that you do from youth while growing is the main reason it gives that person an advantage. I seen that in allot of sports and even bikers. This one guy would fly on doubles and never look like he was out of position or about to crash during a double. He was like one with the bike and the flow he when landing or jumping was one of a kind. I never seen that before, but he been doing it since he was 3. Machida learned karate from a Dad who did it every day since a kid. But yeah, Nelson, too bad he went to the wrong weight class. My guess is the good ones are the few who do it from youth.

 

[mudrubble]

Karate is an extremely effective Martial Arts and it can be adapted well into mma.

Notable Karate strikers in UFCs history

Robert Whittaker, former champ
Lyoto Machida, former champ
GSP, some say goat, but definitely one of top 3 all time greats
Kyoji Horicuchi, Rizin champ, UFC contender
Gunnar Nelson, solid fighter in wrong weight class
Stephen Wonderbread Thompson, consistent top 5 welterweight
Conor Mcgregor in his prime used some karate elements in Boxing.
------

Karate is clearly very effective and I am surprised more fighters dont use it. So my question is where is all the karate talent at?

Mma just seems overrun with muay thai and Boxing style striking

Because karatekas are greedy and are keeping it all for themselves. Assholes.

 

[Karl_Hungus]

Honestly, the cage being so small has something to do with it. Also, they ban the deadly stuff.

 

[FIghtxIQ]

I always found it funny have leg kicks beneath the knee are allowed in sports karate, throws are allowed, even brief ground and pound is allowed, but thigh kicks? No sirrrrrr

It's from their competition history and having problems with kickboxers/muay thai fighters. They expose holes in their striking games and many karate style fighters can't adjust to those striking styles. Some do, but many don't and a lot prefer not to compete vs them. That's what limits karate based fighters the most, is them wanting to just compete with other karate style fighters instead of competing vs all high level strikers. This is why they don't fix the holes in their striking game overall because they want to compete with only fighters with a similar striking style as them.