Top Ten Karate Fighters in MMA

**franz_grinder** · Posted On: 5/10/2008 10:34pm

Originally Posted by Kyle Th3 D3adly

I think his low hands are reckless but work for him, I just wasn't sure if when like he "cocks" his arm if thats technically karate style. Oh and I don't think your striking skills are bad enough to leave teeth marks...

The technical chambered punches in karate that are tought from the hip are really only for form. That's one of the reasons why karate has become a joke to some. They believe that Karate-kai's just walk out and start throwing from the hips. I do believe that Chuck's striking style is because of his koie-kan and kempo karate background.

http://www.blackbeltmag.com/archives/255?print=1

check out this interview. He really does throw punches like that.

Now take a Kyokushin stance like Midori's.

YouTube - Midori Kenji 5th World Champion Kyokushin Karate

Raise his hands a little to accustom to head punching and it's very similar.

Sidenote: I want this type of montage music to play at my funeral. While Kyokushin-kai's throw multiple hopping high-kicks in circles around my grave.

**Draven** · Posted On: 5/10/2008 10:54pm

I think thats a ridiculous list. Most of these guys standup style doesnt even slightly resemble anything in Karate. Most people start off doing stuff like Shotokan Karate and TKD because its more popular, but then move on to better things.

Chuck Liddell is a Karate fighter because he "chambers" (lol) his punches and drops his hands? WTF, he drops his hands because he can get sloppy at times. And look how that turned out against Rampage. I guess he has his Karate training to "thank" for getting knocked the **** out then? Gomi strikes like a pure boxer. You have to be smoking something to think his style resembles Karate in any way. Bas is mainly a Muay Thai fighter. But you seem to have "forgotten" to put that in your article. I could go on...

**3moose1** · Posted On: 5/10/2008 11:02pm

Originally Posted by Kyle Th3 D3adly

Oh and I don't think your striking skills are bad enough to leave teeth marks...

oh god dude, i'm sorry...

Like, i know the little teeth thing, from inexperienced chicks...but teeth MARKS?

**franz_grinder** · Posted On: 5/11/2008 12:17am

Originally Posted by Draven

I think thats a ridiculous list. Most of these guys standup style doesnt even slightly resemble anything in Karate. Most people start off doing stuff like Shotokan Karate and TKD because its more popular, but then move on to better things.

Chuck Liddell is a Karate fighter because he "chambers" (lol) his punches and drops his hands? WTF, he drops his hands because he can get sloppy at times. And look how that turned out against Rampage. I guess he has his Karate training to "thank" for getting knocked the **** out then? Gomi strikes like a pure boxer. You have to be smoking something to think his style resembles Karate in any way. Bas is mainly a Muay Thai fighter. But you seem to have "forgotten" to put that in your article. I could go on...

I can't even begin. This post was to educate people and display the very few but useful karate techniques that these guys use as well as how effectively they use it - I'm sorry you even look at things this way man.

I'm not here to really label anyone as a "karate fighter".

Look, I`m sure you`re a bullshido roflcopter with sweet typing skills; I relate. My older account on sherdog had a larger post count than my current. The time I spent on the UG was never really recovered. You probably have a great brain that you use to discern fallacies all over the web. but you can`t keep having hissy fits on the net. And you have to grow up. I`m all for bullshido ribbing. But drinking haterade and spitting it all over a decent martial art is plain old retarded. In the literal sense. Your stunted and no matter how old your are or how much you`ve trained (I`m hoping you have) you could still use soem more time in the gym.

**Sakmongkol** · Posted On: 5/11/2008 4:11am

Originally Posted by franz_grinder

I can't even begin. This post was to educate people and display the very few but useful karate techniques that these guys use as well as how effectively they use it - I'm sorry you even look at things this way man.

I'm not here to really label anyone as a "karate fighter".

Look, I`m sure you`re a bullshido roflcopter with sweet typing skills; I relate. My older account on sherdog had a larger post count than my current. The time I spent on the UG was never really recovered. You probably have a great brain that you use to discern fallacies all over the web. but you can`t keep having hissy fits on the net. And you have to grow up. I`m all for bullshido ribbing. But drinking haterade and spitting it all over a decent martial art is plain old retarded. In the literal sense. Your stunted and no matter how old your are or how much you`ve trained (I`m hoping you have) you could still use soem more time in the gym.

What? I'd say maybe 2 on that list use karate as their base style. Chuck actively distances himself from his kempo background and suggesting he chambers his punches is retarded.

***Omega Supreme*** · Posted On: 5/11/2008 4:23am

Originally Posted by Sakmongkol

What? I'd say maybe 2 on that list use karate as their base style. Chuck actively distances himself from his kempo background and suggesting he chambers his punches is retarded.

Actively distances himself from his kempo? Proof please.

Who gives a **** if Chuck chambers his punches (which you can actively see in his fight with Tito Ortiz)? To completely discount the training that brought them to the table is idiotic. Try proving that they would be the fighter today without that training. You can't. I thought it was an excellent article and while we're on the subject it was koi kan karate not kempo that is his karate background.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 5/11/2008 4:58am

Originally Posted by Sakmongkol

What? I'd say maybe 2 on that list use karate as their base style. Chuck actively distances himself from his kempo background and suggesting he chambers his punches is retarded.

Yeah, that huge tattoo that says Kempo has been removed from his arm?

What?

http://www.thepitmma.com/fightTeam.html

Yes, If I'm distancing my self from an art, the fist thing I do is allow them to have my name on a fight team blaring HAWAIIAN KEMPO.

Even better, I allow them to list me as an instructor.
http://www.thepitmma.com/instructors.html

Yes, distance.[/SARCASM]

**Odacon** · Posted On: 5/11/2008 6:27am

Originally Posted by Draven

I think thats a ridiculous list. Most of these guys standup style doesnt even slightly resemble anything in Karate. Most people start off doing stuff like Shotokan Karate and TKD because its more popular, but then move on to better things.

Chuck Liddell is a Karate fighter because he "chambers" (lol) his punches and drops his hands? WTF, he drops his hands because he can get sloppy at times. And look how that turned out against Rampage. I guess he has his Karate training to "thank" for getting knocked the **** out then? Gomi strikes like a pure boxer. You have to be smoking something to think his style resembles Karate in any way. Bas is mainly a Muay Thai fighter. But you seem to have "forgotten" to put that in your article. I could go on...

There is more to karate than WKF style point fighting. Please remove your head from your ass.

**Kempo Chris** · Posted On: 5/11/2008 9:21am

As far as Chucks fighting style. Hawaiian Kempo is an offshoot of Kajukenbo. He is a Kaj guy. Most good Kajukenbo schools standup is kickboxing/muay thai. Kajukenbo has been teaching a mix of jui-jitsu/Judo, kickboxing, and kempo for a long time. Many people consider it the original MMA style.

Kempo for the win.

**Draven** · Posted On: 5/11/2008 9:23am

Originally Posted by Odacon

There is more to karate than WKF style point fighting. Please remove your head from your ass.

That may be true, but that doesnt make that list any less stupid. OK, there are a few valid examples on there. I´ll give him Machida, since he actually has a Karate stance in his standup and fights somewhat like a Karate guy. Maybe GSP too, since he often uses KK kicks in his fights. Schilt belongs there too.

But some of the stuff on that list is unforgiveable. Gomi started out in MMA as a pure wrestler who couldn´t strike at all. Later in his career he discovered that he had lead in his hands so he stated focusing on that, improving his boxing skills. He may have done Karate as a kid but you certainly cant see that in his style. Chuck is another example, he was a kickboxer before fighting in MMA. But its strange how the writer of the article keeps forgetting those facts, same goes for Mezger.