Do people use “karate” as a generic term for traditional martial arts?

[J MacDonald]

I’ve noticed something recently while looking at search trends for my area (Calgary), and I’m curious if others have seen the same thing.
Searches for “aikido Calgary” (and similar variations) are basically nonexistent, but “karate Calgary” consistently gets traffic.
What’s interesting is that, in conversation, a lot of people seem to use “karate” as a kind of catch-all term.
If it’s: Japanese (or broadly Asian), has uniforms and belts then then it’s “karate” to them.

Even people close to me do this. My brother still asks how my “karate” is going, even though I haven’t trained in karate for years. My girlfriend once suggested I should just teach karate because “that’s what people understand.”
For context, I trained in karate for about 20 years (80s–2000s), so I’m not coming at this from the outside.

It got me thinking that a lot of people searching for “karate” aren’t necessarily looking specifically for karate — they’re looking for something traditional, structured, and recognizable.
Out of curiosity (and maybe as a bit of an experiment), I put together a page on my site - "Calgary Karate Alternative" - looking at this idea and how it applies locally.

I’m genuinely not sure if targeting that kind of search is a good long-term approach or not.
For example, most of our actual inquiries—especially for kids—are really about things like structure, and self-confidence, not “karate” specifically: our North Calgary Kids Martial Arts program

So there seems to be a gap between what people search for and what they actually want.
I’m curious how others handle this:

• Have you noticed people using “karate” as a generic term?
• Do you lean into that in your marketing, or avoid it?
• If you teach something less well-known (aikido, koryu, etc.), how do you bridge that gap?

I really wish this SEO stuff was unnecessary. It's a huge time sink, but it seems it can't be avoided.

 

[Tony Dismukes112 8]

Some people certainly do. I think maybe not as much as in previous decades.

Lots of Tae Kwon Do schools used to market themselves as Karate or “Korean Karate”, but as TKD became more widespread and popular than Karate, that largely went by the wayside.

In recent years, the popularity of MMA has made lots of non-practitioners aware of Muay Thai and BJJ.

But among those who aren’t fans of combat sports and who have never trained in a martial art or taken their kid to an after-school TKD program, there are lots of people who have no idea of the difference between martial arts. For them, “karate” and “judo” and “Kung-fu” are just generic terms. Someone like that who decides to take up a martial art will probably do a search for something like “karate school near me”. In contrast, someone probably won’t search for “aikido near me” unless they know what Aikido is and have a particular interest in that specific art.

 

[J MacDonald]

Some people certainly do. I think maybe not as much as in previous decades.

Lots of Tae Kwon Do schools used to market themselves as Karate or “Korean Karate”, but as TKD became more widespread and popular than Karate, that largely went by the wayside.

In recent years, the popularity of MMA has made lots of non-practitioners aware of Muay Thai and BJJ.

But among those who aren’t fans of combat sports and who have never trained in a martial art or taken their kid to an after-school TKD program, there are lots of people who have no idea of the difference between martial arts. For them, “karate” and “judo” and “Kung-fu” are just generic terms. Someone like that who decides to take up a martial art will probably do a search for something like “karate school near me”. In contrast, someone probably won’t search for “aikido near me” unless they know what Aikido is and have a particular interest in that specific art.

100%
I don't know why I didn't clue into this earlier.
I think it's pretty legitimate to market TKD as "Korean Karate." That's pretty much what it is.

For my Aikido, jujutsu, kenjutsu I simply don't have that luxury.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf114 144]

In the most direct way, yes. When I am talking with people that train, I specify the art. When I talk to my coworkers, or pretty much anyone else, I call it karate. Then if they ask other questions, I'll specify what it is. But pretty much everyone has their thoughts divided: karate / bjj, with nothing else between. Also keep in mind that no one else cares too much what it is that you train. Think about a friend who is into climbing - do you ask them "How was bouldering/soloing/deep water climbing/etc.?" or do you just ask them "how was climbing?" If someone you know plays futsal, rather than football/soccer, you're not likely to specify that as well.

So ultimately, karate is a catchall that people both in the art and outside understand, and for 99% of the population, is enough to express what is being done. And is also what people will look for (an example from my previous paragraph): Very few people are actively looking for futsal. So if I advertise my club as a futsal club, I'll likely get no one. But if I advertise as an indoor football club, and explain what I'm doing, the likelihood I'll get people looking at it, or even finding it in a google search engine search, are much higher. And with that I can potentially get more people joining my club.

 

[Haruhiko]

I mean I've heard it used derogatorily as in "karate kid", along with a slew of other racist remarks from ignorants.

But karate is marketable, it's known, and has both the competition gendai budō aspect as well as its Okinawan roots traditionally.

Funnily enough in Australia when I wear my hakama or samue people assume I do aikido. Probably because I don't practice any arts that use belt ranking systems (anymore).

 

[Same Trick59 10]

Perfectly valid, if one take it that”karate” means “empty hand” it’s a fit for any martial art that do not do weaponry

 

[Gyakuto114 123]

I don’t find that in the UK at all. Brits will use ‘martial arts’ as the generic term for Eastern combat activities.

Perhaps it’s a North American continental thing. After all, the US made reboot of the ‘Karate Kid’ staring Jayden Smith, was actually some sort of Chinese combat art and the narrative was based in China.

 

[Xue Sheng107 24]

I have seen the term "Kung Fu" and "Karate" both used in a generic sense

 

[gspell68]

I’ve seen several business signs on buildings over the years that say KARATE, but are actually TKD, TSD, kempo, or some kinda MMA with almost no emphasis on karate.

 

[Buka29 3]

TKD used to be advertised as Korean Karate constantly on the east coast fifty years ago. Haven’t seen that in a long time, though.

 

[HighKick]

TKD used to be advertised as Korean Karate constantly on the east coast fifty years ago. Haven’t seen that in a long time, though.

Yes Sir. Our school was originally named Midstate Karate Studio because we were convinced nobody in our area knew what the heck TKD was in 1986.
Kept the name for a little over two years before changing, but we still uses (Shin’s) Martial Arts instead of TKD. We have never been purists.

 

[Prince_Alarming114 144]

Possibly normal people do, but I haven't spoken to a normal person since about 2003

 

[isshinryuronin4 3]

• Have you noticed people using “karate” as a generic term?
• Do you lean into that in your marketing, or avoid it?

TKD used to be advertised as Korean Karate constantly on the east coast fifty years ago. Haven’t seen that in a long time, though.

When the Kung Fu series came out on TV early 70's most karate schools had "kung fu" (in the 60's even judo) somewhere in their advertising. Kung fu, karate, kenpo and the still mostly unknown name TKD were all the same to the general public as you know and equally exotic. Whatever, it was "the ultimate in self-defense," also a common tag in MA school advertising.

Just as the Okinawan term, "toude" or the Japanese term "karate," both referring to "Chinese hands," was changed to the kanji meaning "empty hands" in Japan to remove the idea the art was from China (whom they were about to invade) and build nationalistic self-identity, Korea also changed the name from the Japanese (who had already invaded them) to give them a nationalistic self-identity. I suppose this is natural, but the Okinawans had no problem with "Chinese hands" and only reluctantly followed Japan's lead to be team players and be accepted.

(This last point is important. Okinawa was seen to be a recently annexed backwoods region not worthy of respect; its people discriminated against. Karate was seen by the Okinawans as a door to acceptance by the mainland and this played a significant part in karate's evolution in during 1902-1936).

Back to topic - I see TKD as Korean karate just as Shotokan is Japanese karate and Shorinryu is Okinawan karate - they even share the same kata linking them together although they do each have their unique expression of the art.

When I am talking with people that train, I specify the art. When I talk to my coworkers, or pretty much anyone else, I call it karate.

No more needs to be said.