Karate is one of the best ways people use to learn self-defense. In fact, most martial arts are suitable for that goal. Karate exists for one primary reason, to teach people how to fight fiercely.
The people of Okinawa, an island in Japan, wanted to know how to use self-defense. Thus, they constructed a new way of fighting; today, we know it as karate.
Now we know what the main purpose of it is—to teach others how to fight appropriately. Therefore, it’ll necessarily include moves and techniques which will be highly effective for such a purpose. After all, that’s the reason it exists in the first place.
Nevertheless, some karate moves won’t be as effective as you may think they are, because they’ve been changed to fit today’s world. If your goal is to learn how to fight, you should avoid these moves.
Instead, karate teaches many effective techniques to help you win fights and finish them unharmed. Frankly, that’s the whole purpose of it.
This article will demonstrate and explain the 9 most effective karate techniques you can learn for self-defense. Without further ado, let’s dive into them.
#9- Front leg sweep
The first move we’ll examine is the front leg sweep. If you’re familiar with leg sweeps, you know how effective they can be in a real fight. In fact, a single execution of them will immediately grant you the advantage.
The front leg sweep is when you’re in a proper position to sweep your foot across the opponent’s leg. As a result, you’ll cause momentum, which you’ll use to knock your opponent off-balance. Therefore, he’ll fall on his back if you executed the movement correctly.
The following video showcases how to perform the front leg sweep properly.
#8- Palm strike
Palm strikes are a leading technique many karate branches use. For example, Uechi-Ryu, the most effective karate style for self-defense, uses this style of punch often.
The palm strike is like any other strike, but it’s executed with your palm. It can cause massive damage if aimed to the face area and less at the abdominal. Still, it’s a punch you can throw extremely quickly. As a result, you can remain as unpredictable as possible by executing it.
The following video showcases the visual explanation of the palm strike.
A quick tip: the palm strike is best used when the opponent is closer than usual. It’s best for that scenario because it requires less momentum to cause plenty of damage.
#7- Yokogeri (Side-kick)
The 7th move we’ll discuss is the side-kick, or in its Japanese name: Yokogeri. Causing massive damage to the opponent in a dangerous situation-has to be done quickly. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself waiting for the opponent to attack, a bad sign in a fighting scenario.
That said, you want to be the one who attacks first. That way, you’ll find yourself capable of finishing the fight swiftly. However, some people will say it’ll be best if you wait for your opponent to make a mistake. But, why rely on your opponent?
The side-kick is especially suitable for self-defense because it can cause massive damage in an instant. As a result, if you use it in a self-defense situation, you’ll be solid to finish your opponent with this single kick.
The first step to execute a powerful Yokogeri is to bring your knee up-high. Then, you open up your non-kicking leg. Lastly, you throw the side-kick in a straight line. It’s crucial you do so-as that may be the difference between powerful and a non-powerful kick.
The Yokogeri is one of the most beautiful kicks in martial arts-personally, I’m a big fan of it. That said, not only is it beautiful, but it’s also extremely fierce and can cause an opponent to stop fighting in an instant.
#6- Footwork
The person who controls the distance, controls the fight.
Footwork is the most important aspect in all martial arts. If your footwork is off, you won’t perform nearly as well. On the other hand, if it’s solid, you’ll have an easier time setting counter-attacks and both landing and evading hits.
Karate footwork goes as follows: you don’t move by moving both legs at the same time. Instead, the foot closest to your target should always move first—by using a slide movement. As a result, your movement won’t cause any sounds.
Again, footwork will help you both evade and set up punches. Consequently, if you get into an actual street fight, the most influential thing you can do is leave it unharmed. Well, offensive means won’t suffice, and you’ll most likely finish the fight bruised.
However, if you evade punches and use proper footwork, you’re more likely to finish the fight unharmed.
That said, proper karate footwork isn’t solely a defensive move. Rather, it’s a fantastic offensive means. In fact, by using it correctly, your fighting techniques will come out to be much more powerful, as you’ll be using the hips and legs to generate more force.
Many types of footwork exist. Because of that, it’ll be best if you stick with what you learn in your dojo. That said, if you study at home, I encourage you to watch the following video. Moreover, I’ll encourage you to read a piece I wrote about self-learning karate.
#5- Uraken (Back fist)
The Uraken is a fairly complicated punch to learn. Other strikes, such as the hook and the jab-are easier to execute and train. However, the back fist is a fairly complex move to learn and execute.
Essentially, the Uraken comes from the elbow. You fold your elbow to your chest and then fold it back on the opponent. The amount of force you can generate with this type of punch is extraordinary. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see knock-outs with the back fist.
However, one major disadvantage it presents is the fact that it’s easy to lose balance while executing it. Eventually, you move forward to your opponent and thus don’t allow him to dodge the attack. Because of that, it’s more difficult to keep your balance.
This is where more and more training comes into action. The more you train, the better execution you’ll have. For example, when you first start to train the Uraken, you’ll find yourself not remaining 100% balanced often. However, the more you perform the Uraken with both your hands, the more balanced you’ll become.
The following video demonstrates how to perform the Uraken.
#4- Front Snap Kick
The front snap kick is my 4th choice for the most effective karate movement for one reason: it’s simple to learn. Additionally, although it’s uncomplicated to learn, it can cause massive damage and easily grant you the victory.
You perform the front snap kick by first extending your kicking knee to your body. Then, with a straight and explosive motion, you extend your leg in a straight line toward your opponent.
It’s not uncommon to see a knock-out with this kick, especially to the abs or the ribs of the opponent. It’ll cause massive damage and thus cause many abdominal symptoms, which will lead to a decrease in your opponent’s performance.
The front snap kick is suitable for tall guys because it’s direct and easy to hit. Usually, tall people find it difficult to execute various kicks. However, it’s not the case with this one.
Again, the front snap kick is direct and easy to hit on target. As a result, you can cause massive damage if you generate enough force through the extension of your knee.
The following video showcases how you can perform the front snap kick in a straightforward way.
#3- Kagi Tsuki (Hook punch)
The hook punch is most known from the art of boxing. In fact, boxing has adopted many striking techniques karate uses, and thus they became popular through it. That said, karate uses many punches in many variations, such as the hook and the straight-punch.
The Hook punch is when you start to throw a straight-punch and turn it into a hook, a side-strike. As a result, it both confused the opponent and doesn’t allow him to defend, and allows you to generate more force. As a result, the hook punch can often finish a fight.
For self-defense, the hook punch is fantastic, whether it is to the face or the abdominal area. Either way, you’ll cause massive damage and large amounts of pain.
Moreover, you can follow up with a jab or any other punch to cause more damage and finish the fight. It all comes down to your footwork. If you have proper footwork, you’ll be able to block your opponent’s throws while throwing a forceful Kagi Tsuki.
If you follow with a straight-punch, you’ll find most opponents will get confused, as you’re unpredictable. As a result, you’re more likely to cause more damage.
Some Kagi Tsuki variations come after a block. For example, your opponent throws a punch at you, and you evade it. Then, you immediately return with a hook of your own to the abdominal area.
The following video showcases how to perform the hook punch.
#2- Maegeri (Front kick)
The front kick, or as it’s known in Japanese, Maegeri, is one of the most effective kicks in martial arts. Karate masters can execute it in less than a second and thus have it surprise their opponent.
It’s uncomplicated to generate enough force to cause massive damage to your opponent. However, learning it-may get somewhat complicated fast.
To execute the front kick (Maegeri), you start by being in your fighting stance. Then, you raise your knee upwards. Finally, you extend your foot in a straight line toward your opponent. As a result, by folding the knee upward and extending your leg in a single motion, you’ll generate plenty of force.
A quick tip: aim to hit your front kick to the opponent’s weak spots, such as the groin, chin, and even jaw. That said, if you can’t hit these spots, don’t try too hard. Instead, aim for anywhere you can while executing it properly. You’ll find that you still are able to implement plenty of damage anywhere you hit.
Here’s how you execute it.
#1- Ageuke (Block)
Ageuke is one of the most basic blocks karate trainees learn. I decided to list a block as the most effective move you can learn because it’s not all about offense. Perhaps they are most shiny. However, defensive moves are the bread and butter of fighting.
To perform the Ageuke, you lift your hand up with your palm outwards, and you make a fist. Keep your elbow tucked while performing it to ensure you can absorb a forceful punch. Often, it’ll work best if you block a hook punch, which are common in street fights.
Here’s how you perform the Ageuke with a visual explanation.
This block is incredibly effective-although silly looking. It’s especially effective because it blocks most punches thugs and attackers often throw in street fights. Therefore, it’s highly suitable for self-defense and will keep your face unharmed.
A quick tip: try to hide from the punches by raising your shoulder and lowering your face. Then, move forward – regardless of how unintuitive it may feel. As a result, you’ll become capable of evading most punches, mainly hooks and jabs.
I want to emphasize how essential defensive moves are. Don’t leave it up to luck to decide whether your opponent will land or not land the throw. Instead, focus on learning proper footwork and blocks to ensure you’ll finish the fight as unharmed as possible.
What is the best fighting style in karate?
If you’re interested in learning karate, there are many routes you can choose. For example, you can learn Goju-Ryu or Uechi-Ryu. Both are entirely valid styles. However, one may be more suitable than the other. So, which is the best fighting style in karate?
Uechi-Ryu is the best fighting style in karate because it teaches extremely practical fighting techniques, primarily punching and kicking in many variations. It’s the best style because it’s raw and uses movements that have the potential to cause massive damage swiftly.
However, Uechi-Ryu can be more suitable for those wanting to study self-defense and self-defense only. Other karate styles will be more practical for people who want to experience a style which focuses on self-improvement with fighting.
For example, Goju-Ryu is a fantastic platform to improve yourself physically and mentally. Additionally, you’ll learn to fight fiercely if you allow yourself to experience it fully.
Is karate suitable for self-defense?
All martial arts have a purpose. All exist for a reason. Most of them-were constructed to teach people to fight. Few were designed for self-improvement and for culture.
Karate is one of the martial arts which were specifically designed to teach people self-defense. Therefore, of course it’ll teach its trainees self-defense, since it’s the reason it exists for.
Karate is suitable for self-defense because it’s why it was created in the first place. As a result, the techniques it’ll teach will be aimed toward teaching people how to fight appropriately.
Final words
To end this article, I want to emphasize my appreciation for karate. Truly, training in it can positively impact your personal and overall well-being.
Karate will naturally attract many benefits to your life, including confidence, self-esteem, and better physical health. If you’re interested in knowing the full list, I encourage you to read an article I wrote about the benefits of karate.
In this article, I demonstrated 9 effective karate techniques everyone should know. If learning to fight is one of your primary goals, it’ll be best if you consider learning these nine movements.