Boxing vs Karate
Boxing and Karate side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Boxing | Karate | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | England | Ryukyu Kingdom |
| Type | combat sport and Olympic sport | martial arts and Olympic sport |
| Competition at the Olympics | Yes – 60 Olympic events recorded | Yes – 10 Olympic events recorded |
| Notable practitioners here | 7968 | 878 |
| Top countries of practitioners | United States, United Kingdom and Mexico | Japan, United States and France |
| Equipment and weapons | boxing glove and boxing ring | — |
| Weight classes | Yes | — |
| Energy use (MET) | 12.3 MET (Boxing, in ring, general) | — |
Boxing
Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two opponents throwing punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time. It is usually done wearing protective equipment, such as protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards.
From the Wikipedia article Boxing (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): Q32112, 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.