Aikido vs Karate
Aikido and Karate side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Aikido | Karate | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan | Ryukyu Kingdom |
| Founder | Morihei Ueshiba | — |
| Type | budō and martial arts | martial arts and Olympic sport |
| Competition at the Olympics | — | Yes – 10 Olympic events recorded |
| Notable practitioners here | 90 | 878 |
| Top countries of practitioners | Japan, United States and France | Japan, United States and France |
| Belt ranks | Yes | — |
Aikido
Aikido (Shinjitai: 合気道, Kyūjitai: 合氣道, aikidō, Japanese pronunciation: [aikiꜜdoː]) is a modern Japanese martial art which is split into many different styles including Aikikai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practiced in around 140 countries.
From the Wikipedia article Aikido (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Karate
Karate (空手) (; Japanese pronunciation: [kaɾate] ; Okinawan pronunciation: [kaɾati]), also karate-do (空手道, Karate-dō), is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called te (手), "hand"; tī in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts. While modern karate is primarily a striking art that uses punches and kicks, traditional karate training also employs throwing and joint locking techniques. A karate practitioner is called a karate-ka (空手家).
From the Wikipedia article Karate (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Facts from Wikidata (CC0): Q43114, Q11419. Practitioner counts are the people with a profile on this site. Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.