Karate or Mixed Martial Arts?

Based on your goals, MMA is the choice.

They will train you in elements from various systems, with an emphasis on athletic conditioning. That's the real key. Virtually any "style" will work if the stylist is strong, limber, has stamina, and has a focused mind.

Take karate first. I say this not because one is better than the other. I say this because you haven't done martial arts before. MMA in my opinion cannot be learned without a previous style or styles to mix in the first place. How can you do MMA when nobody showed you how to kick or punch? There's another reason for this too. You don't even know if you'll like martial arts. If you start going to class and you find that karate isn't for you, usually no harm done (don't sign a contract!). If you go to MMA class and you don't like getting hit, well then...

I would be very wary of any MMA instructor saying he'll "teach how to fight", because in the end MMA is as much a sport as sport Karate is. You have preconceived notions that you heard from somewhere else that are confusing you. Karate is not just attack. MMA is not focused on self-defense, but winning a match (notice I didn't say fight). It's also a sport- not a style, and at first it may benefit you to separately study 1 or 2 of those mixed in arts before thinking of MMA.

Keyboard warrior is correct except for one thing, Just because arts don't necessarily "excel" at one area doesn't mean they lack the ability. Karate has Grappling and Judo has striking. Sure, a karateka probably won't out grapple a jujitsu black belt, and a jujitsu black belt won't out strike a karate black belt, but they will easily out do any untrained or minimally trained opponent. I personally think that the division of arts is both the strength and the weakness of MMA. Because they spend time in more areas, they are better prepared for fights in different areas, but at the same time this cuts into the practical abilities of the overall fighting. In simpler terms, someone who does MMA will progress slower than someone who focuses on one art. It is best to focus on one art, and then pick up another one when you have a good grounding in the first art. This is what most top UFC fighters are like. Self defense wise, neither is per say better, but MMA is very sport oriented which can lead to problems. I've actually heard claims that going to the ground in the street is a good idea, which it is not. In fact ground fighting in the street is right about the worst possible move. While some people, like Bas Rutten can do it, we ordinary folks don't have years of Bouncer experience and probably can't. My advice is learn a standing centered art first, grappling or striking, and learn a ground based one later for just in case.

1. karate is not just attacking, it can be defensive if you choose to fight that way.

2. if u want to do MMA find a style, and train that for a while before trying to learn things of other styles. all of the best MMA fighters have studied a single style for a while before they learned a second. this mixing and matching of styles that most people try to do doesn't work because they normally focus on the bare minimum of how to get a move done, and don't have much focus on technique.

if karate is the one art you would study for a while then do karate, if it's muy thai then do that, if it's judo then do that, but a single style as a good base is always better than trying to learn a bunch of things all at once with out any technique focus.

I would suggest that you learn traditional karate first. Form a good foundation, particularly if you've never done MA or wrestling before. Once you have your base, you can start adding to it. But that's just my opinion.

Whether its MMA or karate, beware of anyone who promises you quick results. I say this because people have asked me what I have against the MMA. It's the false gimmick that practitioners here spout about you learning something better faster if you go in with MMA as opposed to traditional karate. It's false. It's wrong to say. Those MMA champs spent years in training often starting in high school with the wrestling team. These guys didn't learn it quick. No one did.

Learn Karate. MMA is not a style obviously. Machida does Shotokan karate. There are plenty of places to find a shotokan karate. Karate will actualy teach you killing blow and other things. MMA style fighting is for sport only. You will get much more from karate.

MMA is the sport for you then. Karate is very good to learn the basics of a stand up game. MMA takes it to the next level. So why not both?

Karate is a good form to learn but doesnt cover on the ground fighting. MMA covers all kinds of fighting styles. MMA will help with self defence and so will karate. MMA and Karate will both help with self defense but MMA will help take somebody down

Go with MMA

MMA is NOT a style. MMA is catch-all term for combination of styles. The martial art I've studied most has been Muay Thai. But I've also studied judo, jujitsu, krav maga, silat, escrima, boxing, wrestling, wing chun, and boxing.

Find a style you're comfortable with and then add to it.

MMA means all material arts put in it so go with that

i personaly take karate and until i got my yellow belt we did basics so it took 3 months ( 3 months in MMA could get oyu a beginner fighter ) oonce again its about your strenght trust me none of those get you stronger

strenght is just given

there are brown belts in my dojo i cud mess round with and win

so its really up to u in the end of the day but take MMA becus it HAS karate in it