Karate vs Mixed martial arts
Karate and Mixed martial arts side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Karate | Mixed martial arts | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Ryukyu Kingdom | — |
| Type | martial arts and Olympic sport | combat sport |
| Competition at the Olympics | Yes – 10 Olympic events recorded | — |
| Notable practitioners here | 878 | 2071 |
| Top countries of practitioners | Japan, United States and France | United States, Brazil and Japan |
| Equipment and weapons | — | glove, mouthguard, breeches and helmet |
| Weight classes | — | Yes |
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).
Mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport based on striking and grappling, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.
From the Wikipedia article Mixed martial arts (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Facts from Wikidata (CC0): Q11419, Q114466. 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.