Kudo & Kyokushin Karate

Q&A

[@Iocun]

I often find it strange how much people focus on Kyokushin not having head punches. Well, sure, that's an obvious limitation when it comes to a street fight, an mma match, etc., but just about any martial art will have such limitations. Boxing doesn't teach kicks, but that doesn't make it bad martial art. BJJ doesn't teach striking, but nobody's saying that BJJ is ineffective because of that. The question shouldn't be what a particular martial art doesn't teach you, but how well the stuff works that it does teach.
A competitive Kyokushin fighter will have good and powerful kicks. He knows how to deal damage with unprotected fists. He'll be used to the pressure and pain of a full contact fight. He'll have good stamina and general athleticism. Is that enough to win an MMA match? Of course not, but he'll have a good head start on somebody without such training.
And to be honest: extremely few people have the time and physical capability to become good fighters in all areas anyways. To become truly good at boxing, kicking, takedowns, grappling, and at the same time being a strong athlete with great stamina would require training on a professional level unless you're some kind of super prodigy.

[@danielmulchansingh8488]

I know this is a bit late, but your comment here is one of the most underrated ones I've seen on this video.
You're absolutely right about what makes a fighting style useful - a system may be limited in some regards but may offer real combative value in other areas. Great breakdown of what utility can be found in Kyokushin. 👊

[@jpsholland]

That no punch on the head, since when is that? I trained Kyokushinkai in Holland in the 80tis and 90tis and we did uppercuts, hooks and straight punches on the head like boxers do.

[@petarvasiljevic8764]

Do not limit yourself to one style only.

[@DwellingTheAbyss]

@@jpsholland after sosai's death,kyokkushin changed. Nowadays most tournament based modern dojos don't teach it. But the old style dojos still teach it.

[@kamiingtv]

For info in Kyokushin your not allowed to punch in the face only in kumite or competition but you definitely learn how to protect your face or throw punchs in the face in the dojo !!!!

[@kudoista]

I teach Kudo in Japan and I would have to agree with pretty much everything you said. The equipment and rules of Kudo make it a very different dynamic to mma. The headgear certainly has various advantages and disadvantages. Its great for practicing elbows. But some people do tend to get sloppy in their defence and over reckless in their attacks. You have to force yourself to be aware of this and train with more precision. But the headgear is also one of the reasons that I chose Kudo over mma. with the headgear I can wear contact lenses when I fight. It sure helps being able to see your opponent.😄Also I can compete in a tournament and go to work the next day without looking like I was in a car accident! Kudo grappling is very different to mma. Not so wrestling intensive. So to transition from kudo to mma would require a lot of no gi grappling.

[@RamseyDewey]

Awesome! Thanks for the info!

[@Buli0n]

kudoista and headgear let’s you do headbutts, which are absent in MMA. Kudo is great.

[@dmills5755]

Wish there were more kudo dojos in the USA 😢

[@supersperg166]

I do Kyokushin and if their kudo dojo in the USA this would be my religion/way of life.
Also there whole dynamic MMA practice with wearing glove and wrist wrap, As to Kudo/Kyokushin punching bare-knuckle strengthing the wrist and knuckles. I see a lot MMA/Muay Thai guys get into a street fight Their hands and wrist end up breaking because of lack of condition spar bare-knuckle and wrist strengthening. In Kyokushin, we do a lot knuckle push up.

[@kudommacombatmartialarts455]

there are 4 kudo schools in the USA.
New York-which is Kudo and Judo based.
L.A. California Which is 100% kudo taught by a Japanese Instructor who learned from the founder.
Colorado- which is a Kyokushin and Kudo Blend
Michigan-Metro Detroit Kudo- we are a BJJ, Boxing, Muay Thai, Kudo facility

[@GuitarNTheCar]

Andy Hug was THE MAN. That axe kick and his flexibility was awesome. RIP AH

[@tomassusko1390]

It was kakato otoshi geri not Axe Kick :))

[@steverodgers4662]

@@tomassusko1390 it's a ax kick u dingleberry..in taekwondo is called naeryo chagi.. that's wrong as well? How about u get ax kick to ur collar bone.. maybe that would straighten you out

[@adamoleoni2272]

@@steverodgers4662 that was hard turn there, buddy

[@mirkoparagano1744]

Hi Ramsey, I want to make some clarifications on Kudo and MMA. I am a former boxer, judoka, karateka, practicing bjj and a fan of Kudo.
Kudo is primarily a martial art and a combat sport, MMA is a sporting context where combat takes place, this is the first distinction. Kudo, as a martial art, wants to give to the athlete a complete technical background, in a sporting context, that tries to reproduce the realistic and effective dynamics of a street confrontation. For this reason, the hand is without glove or mini-glove, the clinch must last a few seconds, and on the ground you have a few seconds to finish and for a few attempts. The consequences of this regulation create unique dynamics, both in the strikes and in the throws, both in the timings and in the ways. If it is true that the helmet does not make the athlete feel the risk (which is not true because with the kudo helmet you still go KO), it is also true that the martial artist has the opportunity to express all his technical and emotional ability without that it is excessively tainted by fear, indeed the athlete has the opportunity to experience the dynamics of a confrontation in full contact and with the chaos of a realistic fight, putting his safety at a minimum risk. MMA, as mentioned, are a sports context, where the athlete can draw, to win the opponent, the technical baggage that he deems most appropriate, based on his own characteristics and it follows that a striker remains mainly a striker and a grappler a grappler, trying to force the fight into his area of competence. But this differentiation, "striking" and "grappling", is an artifice, nature does not make this distinction, and neither does reality, the human being strikes and grapple without differences or distincions. One last thing about kudo is that it has a etiquette, a philosophy, an approach to combat and life. I still compete in MMA today, but kudo is another planet. I hope I have been of help to someone. Thanks for listening to me. Hi Ramsey!

[@matarahmadal_atif9359]

I REALY admire your explaining sir,
You own my respect. 💌🌹👌

[@mirkoparagano1744]

@@matarahmadal_atif9359 Thanks Sir. Very thanks

[@dojimanoryu4969]

Sure, but you know, getting too used to this type of over aggressiveness could get you hurt in the street, good defense is very important too.
In that regard maybe zendokai karate is a bit better:to my understanding is kudo but with less restrictive rules and a standard headgear, so you can use your jab and cross more effectively.

[@matarahmadal_atif9359]

@@dojimanoryu4969 you mean High concentration on grappling would be more safer than hitting arts as kickboxing and taekwondo?
Ofcourse in a Street situations am pointing to now... 🙏🌹

[@scarred10]

@@dojimanoryu4969 actually,its the opposite,there is no defense on the street,just all out attack in most cases.In sport,its much different and have rume and space to defend and counter.

[@badge1094]

I’m a police officer in Miami. 34 yrs ! My Kyokushin & Judo training have repeatedly saved my arse many a time ...

[@lucajustluca8257]

So many people consider that kyokushin not having head hand strikes is a fatal flaw but, in my own humble opinion, thats exactly what makes it such a GREAT martial art to practice and more specifically COMPETE in

[@albertoandrade9807]

What is the advantage of no hand to the face?

[@lucajustluca8257]

@@albertoandrade9807 the thing that racks up brain damage the quickest is head punches (specially with gloves).
Also, look at the rythim difference! Kyokushin combats have no breaks, unlike other kickboxing arts that need to worry about a "punchers chance" that can knock them out in one punch. The better fighter wins in kyokushin, which isnt always the case when you can instantly knock somebody out.

[@albertoandrade9807]

@@lucajustluca8257 full force kicks to the head are no joke

[@lucajustluca8257]

@@albertoandrade9807 yes of course, but how many full force head kicks do you eat per fight? And how many punches?

[@albertoandrade9807]

@@lucajustluca8257 good one

[@kyokushin-4-life890]

How did I miss this LOL GSP one of the best ever to step in to the octagon. Third degree Black Belt in Kyokushin .... Most people don't stick with Kyokushin it's a pretty hard on the body.. Keep on keeping coach thanks

[@scarred10]

GSP never trained karate for his fights,that was just his background but he trained exclusively for mma sport with firas,no karate was taught there.

[@OkurkaBinLadin]

@@scarred10 "that was just his background" - Base makes or breaks fighter, not random MMA gym.

[@scarred10]

@@OkurkaBinLadin when GSP started training,there was no mma,never mind mma gyms,same goes for nearly all the elite fighters in their late 20s,30s.

[@giorgiociaravolol1998]

I started to train Kudo because my previous kyokushin master advised me to. He said it's a natural transition from something more traditional to mma. It's just a step, but an important one. With the helmet, you can get used to get hit in the face and you can get a very strong base for competing in mma. He advised me also to take at the same time bjj classes, so that I can improve also my ground techniques faster than the normal kudo pace.

[@zero-z3354]

how good is kudos ground game and takedowns?
does they spend alot of time learning grappling and how often they do it?
also how good do you think they would do in a pure grappling?

[@joshwolf5377]

@@zero-z3354I’m currently training Kudo and we do just as much ground work as standup. The takedowns are mostly judo based, Striking is very much like Kickboxing or Muay Thai sinc head strikes are allowed. Also there’s multiple mma fighters at my gym including myself so we do train without the Kudo headgear as well. We learn submissions, sweeps, sub defense, takedowns, etc. Striking is mostly staying light on the feet and quick but teaches Punches Kick Knees Elbows and Headbutts

[@joshwolf5377]

@@zero-z3354also a lot of clinchwork.

[@Shadowrulzalways]

I trained in Kyokushin Karate for 5 years with a friend of mine who was a black belt in Kyokushin. I was training in kickboxing when I first started learning martial arts and my friend thought I should learn Kyokushin as it compliments and ads more to my style of fighting. Since then Kyokushin has always been my base style and I am now doing more Kyokushin training by myself as I just work out and train with a bag and spar with who ever wants to go 1v1.

[@julienandrejames8312]

@Abdi Omxr Go for it!!! I've trained in Taekwondo kick boxing and Kyokushin. Always go back to Kyokushin!

[@Shadowrulzalways]

Abdi Omxr Kyokushin is by far very very bery effective for combat. I mean seriously? 😂😂😂😂

[@julienandrejames8312]

@Abdi Omxr Whatever a man does not understand he hates & whatever he hates he throws under the bus.
Pay no attention to their negativity.
You're most welcome and enjoy your training!

[@julienandrejames8312]

@@Shadowrulzalways Go to the nearest Kyokushin's dojo and prove yourself.
Would you?

[@Shadowrulzalways]

Andre James I want to. But I don’t have one nearest to me.

[@jlogan2228]

You can always tell a legit kyokushin fighter by an amateur by their body. They litteralky feel like punching a tractor tire.
Part of what makes them so insanely effective is they have pushed their body's to the utmost peak of one simple concept to deliver the hardest hit possible while being able to take the hardest hit possible.

[@joopsnoop]

I like Kyokushinkai because it has all the good qualities of the toughest stand up fighting with a lot less head impact and damage. I think that is one reason why it is popular with professionals such as lawyers, doctors and so on who want to enjoy hard fight training without getting the brain banged up. Yes, of course you can find arguments about how it is lacking head punches but that is its strength as much as its weakness. Kudo is a nice extension to Kyokushinkai and is why a lot of Kyokushinkai fighters are also going to Kudo. The only downfall I see with Kudo is that like Mr Dewey said the head gear does NOT stop the brain from bouncing around and getting damaged. It stops the face from getting cut up though. But like American football and all the brain damage they have been dealing with I think in the long run it is still important to be really careful of the accumulated head contact. But the Kudo way of teching the wide range of techniques is really nice, like a more disciplined Kyokushinai approach to MMA which usually has no real formal etiquette. So for me Kudo is like MMA with all the good mental disciplines of Kyokushinkai (which is a lot of the time not present in mma schools) and a really nice range of techniques.

[@DanielTejnicky]

"Yes, of course you can find arguments about how it is lacking head punches but that is its strength as much as its weakness" yes =D exaclty from the few violent encounters I had in my life I stopped them all with good old giakutsuki to the ribcage or solarus plexus =D No faces got harmed =D only some prides.

[@danidsds]

Personally, I think the lack of head punches is a huge advantage for the exact reason you've mentioned. Most people doing martial arts are or start out as kids. They train for a few months or years, and then most move on to other things.
But, head injuries are no joke and can mess up your life you're a little unlucky. It's especially dangerous for kids whose brains are still developing.
So, if you're serious about doing martial arts and are old enough to take responsibility for the risks, cool. But, until you've experienced enough fighting/martial arts to decide whether you want to expand your knowledge or not, it's best to avoid injuries.

[@innerfire81]

Kicks to the head seem to be a staple move in Kyokushin, no? I would still worry about head injuries doing Kyokushin.

[@thatoneguy6165]

@innerfire81 punches to the head were outlawed from Kyokushin competition because of the increased risk of hand injuries, typically the eponymous Boxer's Fracture. Head kicks are allowed because you're never going to break your shin against an opponents skull.

[@majaimay]

Hey there Ramsey, just gotta preface with love your videos, always great insight. So I've been studying martial arts since the age of 5 ish. Black belt in shudokan and Kyokushin karate and Just this last year I started picking up dutch kickboxing at a local MMA gym to supplement my training and it's been a very interesting and enlightening ride adapting one style to the other and learning how to blend them into a cohesive method which I am still working on leveling out. A few points I've taken away from the whole experience is that I've been able to examine both the weaknesses and strengths of Kyokushin through my recent training and what I've found is that Kyokushin's specific brand of training and conditioning favors powerful short combos or singular strikes, short bursts and overall toughness. I've found that most of the people I train kickoboxing with even when throwing a little harder just aren't prepared for the amount of force I seem to generate (when I can actually connect) or how much I can just tank through most shots. However therein lies the weakness I've been trying to correct. Kyokushin does not particularly excel at flow or volume of techniques and I've had a slow adjustment phase to keeping my guard up at a constant and overall heightened level of movement as well as adjusting to the constant barrage of distracting blows to the head and face which is disorienting. Kyokushin fighters tend to be very rooted, very strong but somewhat immobile and focused on forward momentum. Anyway sorry for the giant book of a comment. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on my observations.

[@InGrindWeCrust2010]

majaimay Where do you live? You might be interested to attend a camp with Judd Reid in Thailand, to practice Kyokushin at all ranges, and learn far longer flowing sequences of footwork and techniques.
This might be redundant if you picked up Dutch kickboxing, but Kyokushin Budokai might interest you, too.
Finally, random question: do you still use your Shudokan training? My Kyokushin dojo moved to another town, and I did another type of karate before that, which has similar roots to Shudokan. There is a Shudokan branch in town, but I'm concerned that it will be too oriented on WKA competition for its training and many kata, without heavy contact sparring, live bunkai, and goshin waza to balance it out. Any opinion? Would you ever go back if you couldn't train knockdown or kickboxing?

[@geoffcollins7115]

@It's my way or the Highway 1968 if you are primarily interested in one on one combat you are probably best off with a grappling based style, with a working knowledge of striking. So, BJJ or Judo with some boxing. There is no easy way, you will need to practice at least a couple of times a week. Stick to a few basic take downs an submissions and lots of practice against a resisting opponent, learn how to anticipate punches and close the distance. And, very important, do strength training. Getting stronger and more athletic is the first thing you should be thinking of.
So, couple of times a week on the mats, couple in the gym and you will make pretty fast progress. Sorry if you were looking for a quicker fix - there isn't one.
My background, incidentally, is in Kyukusin Karate. I love it, but it's probably not the think to get into at 50 (I'm 54) if you are primarily interested in gaining hand to hand skills ASAP

[@TenThousandMethod]

i really want to learn Kudo, and now I have a few things to think about with your intelligent insight. You really know your stuff Ramsey, thanks so much for sharing.

[@ZenDragonYoutubeChannel]

I'd also love to train Kudo one day.

[@fmills1583]

Kudos to you sir

[@harjutapa]

please tell me that was an intentional pun

[@richardlynch3412]

Kudo focuses very heavily on wrestling techniques. In fact match in Kudo might end up with a wrestling hold performed on the elbow, neck or ankle. As I remember correctly at least back in 2004 in ultra heavy weight category it was legal to kick in the groin area, if prior to the fight both fighters would ok that. Also if you dont use kappa you might loose your teeth in a fight, the helmet doesnt protect you from that.

[@guererodelluz]

The founder of kudo insists it is a martial art, a budo, not cage prize fighting. Headbutts and groin kick are allowed, limited time on the ground because he wanted to emulate the chaos of reality 1 on 1 confrontation that goes rather quick and unorganized ...hence the special protection gear that allows all that. There is no amateur or pro debate, just a fight based martial art, that you can practice and have a normal working day to day life without looking like a low profile morron with a bruised face. No ego, not for fame, not for money not for glory, not for Instagram.

[@sardalamit]

Groin kick!!????!!!

[@guererodelluz]

@@sardalamit they exceptionally make this rule in open weight when a small man is facing a very big opponent.. They'll let it slip. I have never seen it though

[@thekyokushinanalyst6846]

yes exactly. well said. Its vastly superior to MMA for reality based fighting.

[@gustavobaptista1361]

The best preparation for real fight. No bullshit.

[@nelsonamado4187]

The BUDO spirit.
Sosai Ni Rei.
Never give up.
OSU

[@jopalo31675]

Ever head of Shidokan Karate... the founder is Yoshiji Soeno. It’s called the triathlon of the martial arts. One round Kyukashin, one round K-1 kickboxing, and the last round is no-gi grappling. George St.Pierre has a black belt in this.

[@majdikamal1389]

Thank you much Mr. Ramsey on Kyokushin and Kudo karate..
From my understandig on Kyokushin karate : it is an excellent way to harden and toughen your body , getting used on taking punches with no gloves and no protection on on your body and excellent leg striking techniques . So they say its a valid base style gor mma with adding some boxing and judo , judo ne eaza or bjj . Kudo is based mainly on Kyokushin and Judo but the founder of Kudo added also boxing and maybe bjj as will. In their competition its pretty much mma with gi and also head buts allowed. May be thats why the gear is a must . I think it can fit very will in mma may be they need a little upgrade .....
Again I appreciate your feedback .Take care

[@tonymontana3949]

yes but also boxing is...for me ok...nice

[@vincentlee7359]

Nothing wrong with taking bits and pieces of other styles and adapting it to your own. A pretty normal human thing to do.
Though I do not know about Daido Juku (Kudo) using BJJ techniques... You mean Jujitsu right...?
Because if you have not noticed BJJ isn't anything great in Japan as they in the past beat the Gracies everytime.

[@zefsagala1391]

waittt kudo has boxing techniques???

[@vincentlee7359]

@@zefsagala1391 Waaaaaait most martial arts have a clench fist and when you push it, it is called a punch?
Most Martial Arts have similar attacks. Great Minds just think alike.

[@zefsagala1391]

@@vincentlee7359i see..... i come from muay thai background and want to transition to Kudo...do you think its a good or a bad idea??

[@JackHanma]

It's interesting because I had an argument with my partners about this issue a few years ago.
I used to train in Kudo and I noticed that people tend to be more Reckless, ignoring some offenses to the head. As a consequences their guard and stances were more open.
The vision is also different with the gear: the angle being narrower.
In Mma or in street fight, even a small jab can cut your eye or knock you out, that's why I recommend to train with and without headgear.
It's the same with Kyokushin, because when you don't have to worry about punches you're in some kind of confort zone and you're vulnerable to certain techniques or angles.
Thats why certain techniques are forbidden in Mma because they are too dangerous and too easy to pull off ( attack to the joint, eye jab etc...)
Every style has its rules and limitation.

[@gesshugh9976]

For most, it's not the helmet, but the agression based rules. Kudo tries very hard to promote constant offense, so fighters tend to sacrifice their defense to get a few more shots in. Then they watch a video of some Russian competitors, and it cements the idea, lol. Kudo is, after all, designed to simulate a street fight, so it's not suprising that it tends to favor sloppy but intense explosive offense.

[@nelsonamado4187]

Andy Hug the Blue eyes samurai, a porwerfull karateka and master of masters.
Never give up.
R.I.P.
OSU

[@GokuInfintysaiyan]

Coming from a traditional Kyokushinkai background, I really started taking modern Kyokushin seriously when I started watching a lot of bas rutten and seeing his style and explanations of his style. He’s my favorite fighter and he took his style from Roman Dekkers, Mike Tyson, and Kyokushin along with shoot-wrestling, tkd, and Muay Thai/kickboxing.

[@darkwraithknyack126]

Do you like kyokushin? You teach alot of things I hear in kyokushin dojo and you're humble like a kyokushin fighter. Very similar and that's why I like your videos

[@silentwarrior5621]

Kyokushin is kyokushin # 1 full contect martial art I Love kyokushin 1000 times

[@amokbel]

I train in both kyokushin and judo and from what I’ve learned from researching Kudo was that they do a lot of clinch work. Several people mentionned using headbutts to effectively distract or create distance, they do a lot of striking and kicking while grabbing which is facilitated by the gi, etc.
For amateur fighters, I think it’s a good alternative for people who want a good training while not risk getting overly injured.

[@alexpointon784]

From the outside, kudo looks like a way to pratice high intensity often, with relative safety, in a sporting enviroment and with a large dose of realism thrown in. Id love to try it!!

[@siddified]

I don't agree Kudo is like amateur MMA fighting, rather it's more like an approximation of skilled street fighting.
coming from kyokushin, that makes sense too.

[@vincentlee7359]

Kudo foundation is Kyokushin...the only difference is headgear and no Kata. Only basics and sparring...
Also depends on who the hell is teaching you. Like everyone knows there are shitty instructors and great instructors in every martial art.

[@gesshugh9976]

@@vincentlee7359
Not the only difference. Old school Kudo was based on kyokushin, but it was also judo. So not the same. Also, now it's a pretty open evolving system, people use use tons of different techniques. Kudo is pretty much anything that works within the Kudo ruleset.
A lot of people say that Kudo is pretty much just kyokushin, but it's really not. Full clinching, throws, take downs, pins, joint locks, chokes, knees, elbows, headbutts, gi grabbing, sweeps, trips, and ground striking, make it a pretty different experience.

[@GokuInfintysaiyan]

Gess Hugh
Old school Kyokushinkai was 1/3 Kodokan judo. It also allowed face punches (and head strikes in general) as well as unrestricted grappling. Soooooooo modern Kyokushin is different, but old school Kyokushinkai being re-popularized would trivialize kudo, unless you really wanted that head-gear

[@gesshugh9976]

@@GokuInfintysaiyan
Sure, If you say so. It did not allow unrestricted grappling. It was less than 1/3 Judo, but it certainly had a higher Judo influence. And even kodokan at the time didn't allow unrestricted grappling. Also, if you wanna be like that and talking about trivializing, than I'll be straight:
Old school Kyokushin wouldn't compare to modern Kudo. Technique has evolved. and as much as some people don't like to admit it, better styles have formed from older ones. And if you think that judo and head punches are the only difference between kudo and kyokushin, I am afraid you are sorely mistaken. I respect old school fighters, but martial arts are about refining fighting skills and making them better. If you don't think newer arts can become better than older ones, than you shouldn't think that the old ones work in the first place because that's what they were built on. You can take the head gear off of a kudoka, but that doesn't make them a kyokushin fighter, old school or otherwise. It's a modern fighting style. We've learned stuff over time, like mma. Just because it has gis doesn't mean it's outdated.

[@GokuInfintysaiyan]

Gess Hugh
Sorry man but kudo is way less realistic than Kyokushinkai, and yes it allowed for newaza but allowed for more time than the 25 seconds allowed for judo. In my dojo that’s how we did it and my sensei said that was the way he was taught kumite. Maybe it wasn’t common? I meant unrestricted in the sense of you could use heel hooks and other techniques you can’t use today. I tried kudo and hated it. The gloves and helmet take a lot of risk away, and most of them are so focused on trying to kick-box they lose a lot of the subtleties that make karate great. I prefer even the old 60’s and 70’s full contact shotokan tournaments, because they really utilized the tools karate gives you and the unique fashion the art was performed. Kudo feels like in a real fight against a person from MT they would lose hard because even though they have the grappling down, the striking isn’t realistic enough and creates a false sense of security.
So let me rephrase. I’m a Kyokushinkai karateka and due to the abundance of techniques and the “steal moves” mentality, despite the fact that I cross-spar all the time I never feel out of place. It really helped when I was in high school and started wrestling XD, I thought I was gonna get slaughtered but I did way better than I expected

[@adamspice9076]

Kyokushin is Bad ASS

[@davidprivate949]

I can see why you would think that about the headgear, but I disagree. I think what a lot of people arent aware of is that Kudo combat is only one 3 minute round, with an additional round granted if the fighters are judged as a draw. It is this aspect of the sport that encourages the aggression and perhaps "recklessness" that you see, its because youve only got 3 minutes to either knock your opponent out or convice the judges that you deserve to win. Some may view this as a positive aspect for spectators - kudo fights are rarely boring or stalling. On the other hand, some may rightly criticize that this reduces tactical aspects, perhaps.
But its worth considering the context within which kudo was formed. Kudo is very, very serious about street fighting. This is why you wear a gi (whens the last time someone got into a real fight, naked bar their bicycle shorts and vaseline?
Most of us wear clothing and you should learn how to use clothing in grappling and throwing), this is why headbutts are allowed, its why the clock is so short to encourage aggression.

[@justalurker3489]

When was the last time you wore a gi around town either?

[@davidprivate949]

A gi is just clothing that stands up to abuse. You're welcome to train in shirt and pants if you like, you'll be buying a new set after every randori or sparring, I guarantee you.

[@vincentlee7359]

@@davidprivate949 No one really wears a Karate Gi in public everyday. Or gets into street fights in a Karate Gi today.
Do you mean that the reason you wear Karate Gi is because it is more durable and sturdy for training?

[@davidprivate949]

yes, a Gi is just clothing that stands up to the rigours of training. One could certainly train in real street clothes, but then one would also be buying new clothes every week.

[@vincentlee7359]

@@davidprivate949 Depends on the material used for clothing. If you use a cotton shirt then no shit it would rip. If you use a specialized clothing wear that utilizes the right materials for the rigorous training for martial arts you should be fine.

[@alyonabilous922]

Great video, thank you. From kyokushin practitioner from Vietnam 😊

[@Horus-Lupercal]

I only have 3 people with the CZcams bell active, Coach Dewey's one of them.
Great knowledge base, really thoughtful. Cheers bro.

[@xyon9090]

*I'm just glad they removed the headgear* in Olympic Boxing.
Those things gets in the way more than helping the fighter.

[@zachariahz]

One thing people never keep in mind when talking about the "practicality" FoR Da StReEt of these forms of competition is that Kyokushin is a lot closer to the *pace* of actual violence. That is something in its favor if people are looking for reasons to put a square peg in a round hole with the martial art and self defense question, as they always are.

[@caldeandrade69]

Kyokushin-Kan Karate still practices "Shinken Shobu". This type of kumite practice the use of head punches. Though the elbows to the head are still not allowed.

[@tomcallahan393]

YES.....I just did a Shinken Shobu match in Costa Rica 2 years ago. Kancho Royama has brought it back

[@scarred10]

Its very much in the minority due to the face trauma for non pro fighters.

[@wasabi5338]

kyokushin without face punches is what made their karatekas incredibly tough to begin with. Add face punches then its just going to be bareknuckle dutch kickboxing (which also came from kyokushin)

[@ThunderSummersPro]

I feel like with Kyokushin it is much easier to transition into MMA since it combines both the boxing style punches in my dojo we practice punching to the head using palm strikes like pancrase. An example of a really good kyokushin practitioner in MMA rn is Tenshin Nasukawa he's fighting for Rizin right now and he has a really good stand up game.

[@URN-A55]

EZE "The Game Hunter" greatest fighter in ufc history is also a kyokushin fighter 4th dan black belt. He has been training in kyokushin since he was a child. George st Pierre. Yes he uses jujitsu but his stand up is kyokushin, that’s what makes him a complete fighter.

[@Srbandara]

With all due respect that is a false notion to say Kyokushin transition to MMA is by far the easiest. It certainly isn't. Your dojo is somewhat unique if you allow palm strikes in your dojo, my guess is your a offshoot dojo and not one linked to the main arteries of Kyokushin such as Matsui, Midori, Matsushima, etc.
Exceptions cannot be the rule, so congratulations on breaking the mould. Kyokushin practitioners majority of the time have very very poor head movement and with clinching and throwing involved not to mention grappling means kyokushin have a lot to catch up on. in reply to the other comment, yes GSP and Tenshin are prodigies, and they have cross trained nearly as long or longer than they have in Kyokushin in other arts. It just so happens that they have either started or consider Kyokushin to be their first major art. Please do not confuse the two scenarios.. ..
Osu

[@vincentlee7359]

Depends on which branch of Kyokushin you do. The style splintered after the death of the founder.
Personally 2 out of the 4 branches (that were originally one) are shit compared to the other 2.
In addition depends on your instructor/Head Sensei's belief. If they believe you should incorporate certain movements of another style and blend it in then good for you.

[@Helltown66]

How can you say kilkishen is easier to transition to MMA when they don't do any grappling techniques and most of them don't even do basic strikes to the head unless it's kicks?

[@urielnascimento3567]

@@Srbandara clinching and head movement are HELL to learn if you're kyokushin without any prior training. Luckly I pick up fast, so 3 months in thai and my instructor was already full speed/force sparring me. But jesus christ, if noses could get harder to break boards mine would cut a wood in half.

[@MegaMrsuperawesome]

I do Kyokushin mainly tournament training but also kickboxing rules are done in our dojo.
Benefits for no head punches are obviously the lack of brain trauma but something I don't see brought up is the lack of use of gloves for blocking. In kickboxing rounds I see people use their gloves in a way that wouldn't work as soon as gloves are out of the picture.

[@Thadnill]

Nice video, I myself have Brown belt in Kyokushin and think that it has some good perks and also flaws, but it take the flaws with a big smile because the perks makes it worth it.
By the way, in my kyokushin dojo we can train kumite/sparring with punches to the heads sometimes, to get that practice as well, so i believe that it depends a lot on which dojo that you chose.
Kyokushin also gives you excellent striking technique, since we are often forced to sparr/train without gloves, we have to naturally learn to really punch correct with precision etc, which i think is essential in a street fight situation where you don't have gloves, it will be more natural for a kyokushin fighter to not break his hand/wrist etc due to bad angle or precision.
I love mma, muay thai and boxing but I have also witnessed that a lot of those fighters don't have as accurate or solid punches once they take their gloves off, because they are so used to only sparr and punch with big gloves. It's actually a complete different thing once you take them of which is surprising. The timing, the weight, the feel, the precision, everything.
However we should respect all martial arts, and especially the traditional older ones since they are the roots for today's modern mma.

[@Soldier-of-God.]

Hi coach Ramsey Dewey great perspective on Kudo and Kyokushin Karate. Kudo Karate was developed by the late master Azuma Takashi whom in turn he himself was a Judo third dan black belt, also a Kyokushin Karate black belt who later on added elements of boxing, Boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling and Jujutsu and thus ultimately becoming 'Kudo'!
As for the legendary Kickboxing champion, 'The Blue Eyed Samurai' Sensei Andy Hug was indeed a Kyokushinkaikan Karate fourth dan black belt, also since you mentioned K-1 Kickboxing rules here in your video, Sensei Andy Hug was the 1996 K-1 World Grand Prix champion, as well as the 1998 K-1 World Grand Prix finalist against the phenomenal Peter Aerts who won that year, of the Netherlands 🇳🇱.
Nowadays coach Ramsey Dewey, Kyokushin Karate organisations such as the KWF (Kyokushin World Federation), whose inaugural parent organisation is the EKF (European Kyokushin Federation) has gone back to our Kyokushin Karate founder Sosai Oyama Masutatsu's original vision of having fighting with face punches.
As such the Kyokushin World Federation (KWF) has launched its own Kickboxing circuit with boxing gloves to allow full contact punches to the head, including back fists, spinning back fists, knees, kicks, no elbows, minimal, limited time clinching, essentially K-1 Kickboxing rules, which itself emanates from Seidokikan Karate, an offshoot Karate style from Kyokushin Karate.
The KWF's (Kyokushin World Federation) Kickboxing circuit is called '戦士' (せんし) Senshi which is the Japanese word for warrior literally. So nowadays many Kyokushin Karate dojos including that of my Shihan (師範) master we incorporate Muay Thai/Kickboxing punches, elbowing to face,knees to the face, legs, body, clinching and throwing to the floor. This was all along Sosai Oyama Masutatsu's ultimate desire for the evolution of Kyokushin Karate eventually, prior to his death.
Our dojo although being predominantly and primarily a Kyokushin Karate school, we also offer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, in addition to Muay Thai/Kickboxing classes as we cannot afford to necessity of such skills, plus the popularity and demand for mixed martial arts training. Awesome videos as always Coach Ramsey Dewey, with all due respect you remind me of the legendary Gordon Liu, from The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and his other Shaw Brothers Kung Fu films classics, Osu🇲🇽🇦🇺🙏🥋!

[@josephhernandez3907]

Kudo is karate and judo. Kyokushin and judo

[@Srbandara]

A very rough description but one that works very well for those that don't know much about martial artists.
In reality the influences in Kudo are varied, Kyokushin and Judo for sure but also SAMBO, boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai etc

[@darkwraithknyack126]

Give kyokushin a try. It has a unique thing to teach and it isn't something i can describe to you, they train their hearts and bodies and the result is very particular. I'm sure other styles have a similar result but there is something special about kyokushin Ramsey I think you will resonate with it truly. Please try it man it's great stuff and you won't know what I mean entirely until you train it and try it out. Osu.

[@d.Rahmanov]

OSU

[@nicholasnj3778]

GSP gave a lot of credit for his fundamentals to his Kyoshin background, for example the way he steps into is lead jab with the wide stance and then readjusts his stance or uses the wide stance off the power jab to drop into a takedown

[@filipcesnjak2944]

Kudo is mma, kyokushin is karate. OSU! 🥋

[@emmanuelawosusi2365]

Facts

[@mpcollins1993]

Have you ever done any voice acting?

[@RamseyDewey]

Some, but probably nothing you would have heard of.

[@k.levirusco3834]

Ramsey Dewey you have an amazing narrator's voice.

[@gerbilking5100]

I still insist he sounds like he's artificially trying to sound more macho

[@DanielTejnicky]

@@k.levirusco3834 IKR =D

[@sebastianoscarcampanello3940]

@@k.levirusco3834
You're right: his diction is perfect.

[@adrianjagmag]

Kyokushin is a mix of Shotokan at the beginning and Goju as you go higher. So it starts out linear and becomes progressively more circular. It's a combat art at it's base, but the tournaments aren't realistic and promote the lack of head movement, close range body shots, flashy high kicks that would be inadvisable on the street since it's a sport... like the difference between Muay Boran and Muay Thai, or Street Savate and ring Savate. If you're training for self defense not learning how to deal with elbows and punches to the face is suicide, kata can only take you that far...also, the grappling element present in Goju is almost always neglected. I love Kyokushin, and have trained it, but if you're focussing on self defense you need to train other stuff in addition to it. (Well to be honest no art is complete...).

[@xarlockshowtochannel1033]

Kyukushin is fun! Day 1 you spar with 2 guys until the end of the day. If you come back for day 2, you must be serious about it.

[@GokuInfintysaiyan]

xarlock's how to channel
Also to be a 10th dan you have to fight 100 matches consecutively against brown belts or higher!!! It’s awesome

[@sliderx1897]

GokuInfintysaiyan lol thats to be a 1st dan dude. A 10th dan would be in his 70s or 80s

[@psychedashell]

@@sliderx1897 First dan is 40, second dan is 50, third dan and beyond are for service to the style.
100 man kumite is a big event that takes as much organisation as a whole competition.

[@sliderx1897]

@KyokushinTrader im not doubting his toughness. But in my style u cannot achieve that high of rank that young. In my style there is no living 10thdan. The only one just died.

[@GokuInfintysaiyan]

@@sliderx1897 what the fuck are you talking about
100 man kumite is the 10th dan test. Like just look it up. And no. Kyokushin is a martial art that awards effort. If you know the material and have the kumite for it you can skip colored belts and test once a year. I would know. I skipped colored belts and am a 9th dan, and I am in the early stages of my prime. And I am doing classic kyokushinkai which allows face punches/elbows/etc and grappling (judo rules)
do not spread misinformation. Kyokushin does not follow a lot of BS traditions. If you have the skill, talent, and dedication, you can be a young 10th dan.

[@aramilarantrial2493]

I know the video is quite old .But i would like to share my thoughts on the differences between MMA and Kudo.
I practiced and still practice these two sports and I think both of them are awesome.
I discover kudo through mma .I liked mma but i was missing the gi to use more my judo and jiujitsu background.At the same time i didn't want to practice judo again because of the way the rules change over the last few year (lack of groundork and no more legs attack).
So my mma teacher taught me about kudo that was also taught in my club.So i gave it a try thinnking it will be easy due to my background both in mma and grapling with gi.
And yeah indeed i didn't felt lost on the mat but the feelings were completely different.Actualy you can use the gi in so many way during the clinch situation ,this change a lot from mma.also the fact that in competition kudo fight are lot shorter force you to fight at an higher rytm while the helmet is actually making breathing harder.
Now i practice both and think both are awesome ,i love to fight with a gi in kudo ,but on the other hand i love the longer fight in mma.
So if you practice any of this two sports it could be really useful to try the other one.I also realised that people practicing kudo are more often from japanese martial art background witch mean that you have to fight people with a stance and a way to move that you don't always face in mma.

[@aurelianspodarec2629]

Good you mentioned Andy Hug.
You can look at the modern UFC, and the champions, the middleweight champion also comes from Kyokushin :D
Check this guy MMA/UFC champion trained Kyokushin - Georges St-Pierre
Now, Andy Hug and all of the other people from Kyokushin had one BIG problem - they weren't used to head movement and hitting the head with punches, that took a bit of training.
What is about Kyokushin that's different is that it's REAL. FULL CONTACT, stuff that works. Yo ulive the facnu butterfly kicks out. My instructor can't do this kind of shit, some of them can't really do a kick where you turn around and kick the head with you hill - that's a bit fancy ish, I mean, good if you can do it... but they fight simple.
Their body is trained to take A LOT OF PUNISHMENT. Look at GSP from the UFC - he said that, you hit him and he doesn't feel anything because of the training.
Now, I'm not saying Kyokushing is GOD, I trained it... but like anything... it's how you train. So Kyokushin training is VERY effective. A boxer or Kyokushin might have same resistance to a punch... but a Wing Chung... he will break if you throw a beginners punch - that has been proven anyway. Kung Fu guys are just average guys that are just more flexible and can do acrobatics. That's it, they aren't really trained fighters.
I trained Kyokushing for like 3-4years... and then I was just curious what about other martial arts.
So I went to some randome Karate class, and there was this guy, much bigger and heavier I'm 6ft skinny, and that guy had a black belt. Somehow, even tho I'm not a black belt, I kicked his ass. Hmmmm. It was pretty strange. I mean, yeah.... and I'm far from a real black belt in Kyokushin, but in the other karate I would have been a black belt lol
Handle black belts like candy to kids, just make sure you pay for it - meh, you can get a black belt for 2dollars off amazon lol
Like anything else, you need to adapt.
However, if you get Kyokushin, Boxing and grappling stuff, you can go into MMA. If you know what I mean.

[@GokuInfintysaiyan]

Kyokushinkai was the best to me, it’s what I train. It does all 3 types of karate kumite along with a unique one which is basically mma with no protective gear (stopped in open tournaments due to rumors of permanent injuries and death) but still allowed in-dojo. Basically it allowed punches, elbows, and any other strike to the head allowed as well as free grappling. However it does put more emphasis kata than modern Kyokushin by far.
Too bad many dojo’s don’t still practice the traditional Kyokushinkai style. Still kinda sucks that they even got rid of a lot of the grappling (stems from kodokan judo and Okinawan wrestling from Goju-ryu with some jujutsu and aikijutsu joint manipulations from shotokan, in the original art )

[@regnauldmortimer7265]

Hi Ramsey i enjoy your videos great stuff..very informative practical and unbiased...

[@williambreen4290]

Just imagine how effective it would be if you cross trained Judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kyokushin Kai and kudo! I think you would be prepare for mostly anything!

[@MLR_13]

Kudo literally has all those techniques from those martial arts but training in them yes can change a lot of things

[@Srbandara]

Hello Ramsey,
First time I've watched any of your videos and I must say I will subscribe immediately. It is very good.
I am a Kudo Black belt from the time it was called Daido Juku. I teach in Liverpool England.
I like your description of Kudo and yes to a great degree what you've said about the helmet is accurate. I also appreciate that you recognise the difference between soft tissue damage and trauma...a point not many know.
The only thing I have to point out is that whilst that false sense of protection does exist and you get the Gung go attitude, the scoring system in Kudo reflects a real world scenario. KUDO SCORES the lowest score (Koka) to 2-3 unanswered solid hits to the helmet. Direct trauma hits create a distinct pop in the helmet which is a sign of direct hits. The next stage of the scoring is Yuko which is given if there are more than 3 unanswered strikes to the helmet which causes whiplash movements or knee on the mat and so on so forth (next points are wazari and ippon)
So Kudo recognises but only awards points to damaging shots so to speak. So the less experienced and sloppy fighters get caught out eventually. This is true of any sport, ie the top ranked in any sport are the ones with the best technique.
Kudo is well and truly an art and sport in one. It is a sport in the sense that anyone can compete in it, and it is an art in the sense it teaches self defence in a very realistic scenario..

[@nickofengland]

So cool that you would mention Andy Hug! My father grew up with him and I even met him myself once, but unfortunately I was too young to remember...

[@kudommacombatmartialarts455]

stumbled on this video and you are both very accurate and articulate with what you said. Ramsey if you or your viewers have any questions please feel free to ask. i am one of the very few Kudo Black Belts in the United States.

[@fashionruben]

Have you heard about the ronin Karate style?

[@safdarkh786]

Kudo is mix of judo and kyokushin I believe!. Its a style I would really would love to learn. Sadly there isn't a single kudo dojo in our state!.

[@MLR_13]

Yes it is a mix of that. Also Muay Thai , Brazilian Jiu jitsu and boxing

[@taekwondobro]

When students spar at the school I go to, we change the rules a lot. One match can be different from the last.

[@brottarnacke]

I kinda get the impression that a lot of people see Kyokushin as "the effective Karate style", mainly because it's more similar to Muay Thai, than say a point Karate style like Shotokan is. Then you've got to ask yourself, why not just train Muay Thai instead. I find it more interesting, when someone takes a Karate style more vastly different from Muay Thai and then adapts it well enough to actually work in MMA. That's when you get guys like Lyoto Machida and Stephen Thompson.

[@Mothgoth1]

Because kyokushin training and grading is syllabus based and has many traditional Karate things like forms/kata while still having that combat sport readiness, something a kick boxing or muay thai gym may not offer, it's for the people that want to learn a combat sport fighting style but also wish to experience traditions and the formalities of Karate.

[@NovaSeiken]

Because Kyokushin is way more focused on advanced techniques in regards to kicking and punch-kick combinations/awareness than Muay Thai will ever be. There's a giant abyss in regards to kicking techniques between Kyokushin and Muay Thai. No martial art is as advanced in kicking as Kyokushin except perhaps Taekwondo, albeit Kyokushin techniques are meant to optimize damage, blunt-force-trauma, instead of merely scoring points: look for Kenji Midori demonstrating a traditional Kyokushin Roundhouse, Jodan Mawashi Geri and see for yourself what I'm talking about.
If a Muay Thai Roundhouse is often compared to "being hit by a baseball bat", a Kyokushin Roundhouse is basically like being hit by a f*cking FLAIL. (The medieval weapon with a chained metal ball, spikes not included)
You can recognize a Kyokushin Karateka amidst 1000 kickboxers by the way he kicks and the way he combines these kicks with punches.
Muay Thai relies much more in timing significant strikes and a vicious clinch game with extensive use of knees.
In the neutral game, usually the Kyokushin Karateka will pulverize Nak Muay with combinations they aren't even familiarized with and insane trademark kicks coming from unusually short distances/unusual angles. Nak Muay will try to resort to clinch to even the game and even beat the Karateka, like Buakaw did with Takayuki (I would call that rape, as Takayuki did not resort to any Judo throw to avoid being played and beaten around like a ragdoll).
I never saw a Nak Muay outstrike a Kyokushin Karateka in the neutral game and probably will never see, tho.
Even more: Kyokushin was the whole traditional repertoire of Karate techniques behind it. Although it is the more Kumite-oriented style of Karate, it maintains Kata, Kihon, etc from many of the traditional styles (Shotokan, Goju-ryu).
But Kyokushin has deep holes, because of politics and tournament rules. The "no punch to the head" rule castrates Kyokushin: competition fighters get in a comfort zone where they don't have to worry about head punching and become tanks who will absorb any kind of body shot.
As a Kyokushin Karateka *and* judoka myself, I would say Kudo Karate is a very beautiful path still unfolding for someone who loves the roots of Karate but wants to be updated in terms of what martial arts have accomplished with knowledge sharing.
Point Karate has its own prowess, nonetheless: single linear strikes with amazing speed, distance measuring, counterstriking.
But their legs are very exposed to low kicks and they don't survive in short distance: a full-powered, unchecked Gedan Mawashi Geri from a Kyokushin Karateka would end a fight against a pure Point Karateka. Low kicks make you unable to walk.

[@urielnascimento3567]

Silvio Neto it's nice when someone just writes all you want to write before you. You kinda feel like reading your own thoughts, haha. About the odd kicking ranges, won't ever forget the two jodan mawashi geri that my senpai threw at me and hit me when I was not expecting. He is left hand dominant but fights orthodox style and I'm right hand dominant but fight southpaw so my sensei was kinda curious about how that would go if we ever faced each other in a tournament. So we both wore gloves and shin protectors and went full force. He was way more experienced and technical than I was so when I closed the gap to neutralize his kicks he even said "protect your head, the kick will come". I thought to myself "hahaha yeah right". Seconds later BAM! He stopped the fight because he thought I was hurt but my face was one of surprise, not hurt. He laughed it off and after the class was finished taught me how to do more than just chudan/jodan mae or yoko geri (my main weapons, usually with a front step or a hop if needs be) with the front leg. Gedan mawashi or hiza geri usually came after some odd combinations he noticed I managed to learn from some tournaments, mainly watching Kazumi Hajime fight guys bigger than himself.

[@benjamintreitz1647]

"There's a giant abyss in regards to kicking techniques between Kyokushin and Muay Thai" 100%. Learning MT also implies not learning good punches (necessarily). I think of all traditional martial arts, KK is the most complete pure striking style. It is also the most complex. Since it is easier to transition from something more to something less complex (let's stay MT or any Kickboxing style), in my opinion learning KK first is advantageous.

[@NovaSeiken]

Usually the MT will feel heavily outgunned against a KK in regards to punching/kicking.
But they are all vicious clinchers nonetheless.
I would say *top physical conditioning* is much more of a factor in a "Kyokushin vs Muay Thai" bout than anything else.

[@aliheydari4719]

Hi.
I realy like your approach.
What do you think about silat?

[@zacharymorris8608]

Ali Heydari I am curious what his view on Silat is as well.
Personally, I am captivated by it and terrified of it. Gorgeously dangerous Art.

[@lloydkenzooasay810]

Kudo is one of the most efficient martial arts.it has strikes, grappling and ground fighting techniques rolled into one.its very similar to mma in many ways.

[@OkurkaBinLadin]

The problem is, that when people say "MMA" what they really mean is "current UFC ruleset". Technically KUDO IS Mixed Martial Arts. as is Pankration, old school Karate or catch wrestling.
So when hobbyist hears about hybrid martial art, he really asks: But is it like UFC with cages and ring girls? Thats the truth.

[@ShihanTomCallahan]

Kudo comes out of Kyokushin..and there are no punches to the face because it is bare knuckles. ALTHOUGH, There is something called "shinken shobu" which does allow face punches and take downs (no helmut ) but light gloves. Happy to send you some matches if you have not seen it. The typical misunderstanding of full contact karate is that there re no takedowns either. There ARE, and they are trained in the dojo, but just not in the "traditional" kyokushin rules during a tournament. Love your channel, love to chat offline sometime

[@edgardo9003]

Kudo and Kyokushin Karate, along with Lethwei (both traditional and modern ruleset), might be a good combo, because you get good striking skills, and good break falls (ukemi), through practice, and through training.

[@makesenz]

Kyokushin is the reason for "Dutch kickboxing". The first kickboxing teachers in the Netherlands were Kyokushin teachers and the style has been and still is very popular in my country. They pretty much added western boxing to the kicks/knees/liver shots of Kyokushin. Kyokushin has great leg kicks/spinning kicks and it's a very hard style. I've been practicing it since i was a kid but it's very hard on the body so i switched to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Osu!

[@Jake-df2zj]

I think if Kyokushin would allow at least ellbows to the head and catching kicks like in Sanda, it would be perfect

[@wilhelmhesse1348]

Kudo was around from as far back as the early to mid 80s so it's actually older than MMA as a sport, of course not as old as Pankration which is an ancient art though only resuscitated in the past 2 decades or so.

[@pjayshah]

It appears a lot of big names have trained in Kyokoshin. One MMA guy off the top of my head is Bas Rutten. Movie start Dolph Lundgreen trained in it. I think there are others who have gone far in Martial Arts in terms of respectability and fame that took that art. Not to say it is the best karate or striking system. It appears to be one of the more respected karate or striking style. I don't ever hear of Kyokoshin being affiliated with McDojos or the term McDojo.

[@OkurkaBinLadin]

That has alot to do with... culture. Kyokushin people seem to have pride in spartan way of life. There is nothing fashionable about that. Thankfully.

[@gerhardkeuschnigg1145]

there is no KUDO-Karate, because it´s a hybrid from Karate + Judo. The reason for the head-gear ist mainly because head-butts are allowed. The Gi changes the game, because grabbing the Gi gives much more possibilites to grab, throw, submit, a.s.o. R. I. P., Andy (Hug)

[@MogenNaidoo]

A lot of great scientific points raised with logic and reason on the technicalities of gear or without gear. However, most Kyokushin fighters do go onto professional fighting and a lot of the techniques hold strong during these fights. Kudo and Shinken Shobu included. Check out almost all the Kyokushin fighters that enter K1 or bareknuckle (with takedown and submissions). Lots of pro fighters from these styles of karate.

[@martinvanstein]

What Kyokushinkai mostly brings to the game, is physical toughness and endurance ... where you can take bare knuckle bodyshots.
So it is an excellent basis to move onward from ... where I trained back in the day they also mixed in boxing training and during sparring we wore mouth guards and gloves and allowed punching to the head ...but I also know that many schools train only traditional forms ... and even though I like Kyokushinkai, those fights are boring as it is basically 2 guys walking forward while punching most of the time.

[@N2EG]

I take kyokushin, Muay thai and mma. I'd switch to kudo and Muay thai if kudo was in my area.

[@austinhamby3088]

I like to train in both Kudo and Kyokushin.

[@lececamara]

I gotta say Kudo is my favorite contact sports competition and martial art competition. I think it is very entertaining, very realistic and at the same time very safe. For me its closer to reality than MMA...although people will disagree because you dont have the pain and knockout level of MMA. But hands are better conditioned in Kudo for real punching, the same Ramsay says about headgear, taking it off gives you a different performance, same happens with boxing gloves and MMA gloves too..for example most people couldnt throw an over head circular punch without gloves without hurting their hands. I like the limited time in the ground too, it makes it very dynamic and you dont have to smash your opponents head if you are in the mount, just show dominance and that your strikes are landing, that will score, so it is very safe in that regard. The main problem for me is grappling i the ground...head gear then is just baaaad...I once passed out under my partner, he pinned me in the ground, headgear turned and didnt let me breathe properly...like achoke, ha ha. Kudo is fantastic. I think people like more MMA because of the more violent componenet and lack of knowledge, as when someone who knows about MMAA will enjoy techniques, as watching a grappling match if you are not familiar with grappling...people who dont train will need to see the actual effect of the hits to enjoy I guess.Also Kudo fighters tend to be very good at throws, so the gi apsect of it is helpfull in that regard, making it ver balanced into all the aspects of an entertaining fight, it has good striking and superb kicking, great throws and good grappling, clinching and Ne Waza....fun, fun , fun to watch

[@arjungautam478]

Actually,
Inventer of Kudo Takashi Azuma was the student of Mas Oyama the inventer of Kyokushin karate.

[@cej3940]

Man I just love how cool the Kudo headgear looks

[@RamseyDewey]

Because it makes you look like a Cosmonaut?

[@cej3940]

@@RamseyDewey they look like something I'd find in a 2012 dystopian/apocalyptic sci-fi military thriller film haha
But yes, Cosmonaut too

[@emmanuelawosusi2365]

@@RamseyDewey love kudo

[@dwaynegreen1786]

Good video, thanks for sharing.
PS: thanks for mentioning Andy Hug, one my all-time favorites as well.

[@kauriwilson9712]

I love kyokushin :) it is full contact and you can do anything except for punch in the head in tournaments you can't wear PPE gear except genital covers such as breast pads but not plastic ones

[@Anonymityfan]

I think that a gi might actually good for real life self defense because usually people are wearing a jacket that can be grabbed or at least a shirt.

[@belalabusultan5911]

Kudo seems like a safer and more strike-focused version of MMA, also the traditional moves used make it look (cool).
as for head gear ... I think face gear is important, less likely to get an eye gouged, or your nose broken, you can train one day, and go to work the next day with no visible bruises or cuts, since all of them will be under clothes.
------------------------
if Kyokushin adds face protection, not all the head, just the face, it can allow face punches .... but it's much better the way it is because the rules FORCE YOU tom improve your head kicks, so it's like a brutal mix of Karate and Taekwondo, adding face protection will remove it's unique appeal.

[@lasith3]

informative!! great video

[@joshuabrant3487]

Kudo makes perfect sense for self defense. Most people do not want brain damage or scarring from training so the headgear lets them learn how to behave with full force strikes to the head. Also the grappling component being judo is perfect since judo is the best individual martial art for self defense. It doesn't matter if in mma people don't wear shirts. 99% of people who attack you irl will have clothes on lol. And the matwork of submissions and what not is not as useful for actually defending yourself. First, because if you throw someone onto pavement they can fucking die already and 2nd you should not sit ontop of someone in a street fight if you do their friend can kick you in the face.

[@trellyproductions7685]

Is kyokushin karate better than muay thai in your opinion?

[@sabakimsg]

I think transitioning from one sport to another will always be challenging. If the sports have similar characteristics and qualities than the transition may not be as hard. In regards to Kyokushinkai, many Dutch Muay Thai fighters have a Kyokushinkai background. UFC veteran Gerard Gordeauo was a Kyokushinkai fighter who competed in Kyokushinkai tournaments. I do know some Japanese Shoot-fighters and even some MMA fighters, past and present, have Kyokushinkai backgrounds. But, just because some Kyokushinkai fighters have made a transition from their sport to MMA or Muay Thai doesn't necessarily the transition will be easy for everyone.

[@DanielTejnicky]

IT would seem that Kudo is similar to Shidokan which is Kyokushin + Jutsu. I started in Kyokushin. I loved how even weekly kumite in dojo was a FIGHT. The punches and kicks were hard and heavy. The sensei was hard, but fair, and did not allow people below his standards to earn kyus untill they reached the standards. It after all is a full contact. It spared my head (namely the brain). As somebody with early childhood brain damage (imflamation) I suffer glass chin syndrome =C. So for developing teen back in 2000's Kyokushin training had lots of psychological and physical benefits, without making the computer even worse, than it was. Also If nothing else it shows you your own limits and so you can push them.

[@smashmann488]

Genealogy Of Kyokushin Karate And Kudo
Karate Is ORIGIN Okinawa(RYUKYU KINGDOM) Martial Arts [Okinawa Ti , Style = Shuri-Te] ---> Shotokan Karate + Goju Ryu Karate = Kyokushun Karate[Foundation Mas Oyama]
Kyokushin Karate [Black Belt Azuma Takashi] ---- Foundation ----> Kudo

[@bilalkhares4932]

I wonder how Kudo would translate to self defence because often if you are attacked while out you would be wearing a jacket which might be more related to fighting with a gi than fighting shirtless.

[@khurramfarooqi3317]

Finally Kyokoshan ... Gets completed

[@MysticRonin101]

He looks, sounds and talks the same way as that dude Ashur from the Spartacus series.

[@solarhoney]

Hi Ramsey, Thanks for your great comments - I love your vids and your views. Could you please compare the specific pros and cons between Muay Thai and Kyokushinkai - as in - if someone could learn ONLY one style - which would be better for pure street fight efficiency. Thanks in advance.

[@pepenhonest1337]

Kyokushin is the strongest karate

[@Ninjasolarteam]

Kudo is very recognizable and being represented as their japanese international karate in Russia and other European regions including canada

[@bundy4prez462]

Agreed on the protective equipment. Kendo is a good example of becoming reckless due to the fact that the blades are not live and the protective equipment.

[@Eat-Fight-Trade]

Does not matter what you train it is only you how you fight.

[@efrainsandoval6480]

Hey Brother I just found your channel and love the content. To make the original question more specific, what do you think of Kyokushin in regards to self defense?

[@Chief2Moon]

I know nothing beyond boxing&wrestling but I remember the hassle of headgear getting spun halfway around in both sports, requiring a second to readjust it, which can interrupt a guy's momentum.

[@jean4j_]

Question for you, do you feel it can be harmful to the body to take that many body shot like they do in Kyokushin fights?
The number of body shots they take is really crazy

[@necromanteerrante8095]

Kudo is a mix of karate and judo.

[@chidorisnake22]

Don't forget a little bit of boxing thrown in. That's one of the reasons why I've always wanted to train in Kudo; it would be cool to have a structure for how I can combine what I already know.

[@DP-dd6hl]

wasn't the point of the kudo head gear to stop people smashing each other's faces to a pulp since they are not wearing gloves.

[@gunnerhiro394]

An MMA fighter I'm sure would do well in the streets but they're still RULES - and I'm not talking about eye gouging or fish hooking - but things I would do in the streets (and yes of course an MMA guy could do as well, but since we're talking rule sets) - tweeking fingers or toes (at least to get out of something) - driving my thumb into their temple (that works great) and other places - head butts (I've done it to others - had it done to me - you're more alert after one) - and of course the throat (strikes or grabbing with one hand - ended 2 fights this way). Thanks.

[@RamseyDewey]

There are no rules against “driving the thumb into the temple”, striking the throat is legal most of the time czcams.com/video/php8xzF1p3o/video.html
There’s no rule against grabbing the neck with one hand, but that’s a stupid way to get yourself arm barred against a trained MMA fighter.
The most important rules of MMA that don’t translate to street fights: “no running away, no timidity, no throwing in the towel, or otherwise disengaging from the fight.” Because that’s exactly what you should do in a street fight: don’t get into one in the first place! Street fights are the dumbest thing a grown man can do.

[@Quach7]

@@RamseyDewey
"Street fights are the dumbest thing a grown man can do."
Well said.
Martial sports to me are a kind of archaeology. Boxing, American football, even WWE. Archaeology by imagination. It is like a time machine into the past.
Take American football. (I don't know anything about it). It has that old school chess, battle field feel to it. It has infantry, cavalry (fast runners), artillery (throwing the football, like throwing javelins), catapults (kicker).
You go the the "Coliseum" to watch football. It takes you back to the days of the Roman Empire, to the Roman battles.
When the game is over, you wake up drive home in a car, like riding a Magic Carpet. A technological Magic Carpet for real.

[@cosminxxx5287]

two things would come into my mind if i would face a kyokushin opponent: endurance and heavy strong kicks 6 inch above my knee that will remain in my memory up until the last day of my life.

[@ronaldramkissoon4137]

kyokushin indeed in the better dojos has punches and elbows to the face. It is not allowed in all kyokushin tournaments. shinken shobue kyokushin allows head punches. The founder of kudo AZUMA is a well known student of Mas OYAMA. It is an off shoot of kyokushin karate and yes grappling is done in kyokushin just not for tournaments

[@bundy4prez462]

Reminds me of kendo sparring as opposed to how a real sword fight might look like.

[@OkurkaBinLadin]

So what does "real sword fight" look like, Obiwan?

[@Janisurai]

Kudo may be perfect for me as I am getting my broken nose fixed but still want to do striking

[@breifcase5336]

Kyokushin is just another tool in the tool box, its good but it isn’t complete(I trained kyokushin for a number of years). I think there is a lot of information missing in some of the techniques that are used.

[@joshuajohnson7788]

Good video. Also kudo also know as daidojuku has deep roots with kyokushin karate and judo.