Is karate the exact same thing as tae kwon do?

Taekwondo tactics place more emphasis on kicking and long range strikes, although hand strikes and other close quarter fighting techniques are utilized. Kempo uses more of the upper body with focus on hand strikes, knees and elbows. Taekwondo will often use wider range techniques with a fuller motion for maximum power, and the torque of the internal body muscles is different than Kempo and other Karate systems. Taekwondo's fighting tactics will involve moving around in a defensive stance similar to Kempo, but the guarding hands in Kempo often resemble boxing whereas Taekwondo keeps are further distance of the guards if used at all.

Taekwondo fighters rely more on distance, and evasions, and only blocking when necessary. After initially stunning an opponent with a quick strike, a Taekwondo fighter will finish the oppent quickly with the maximum power generated from the torso, and supported by a firmly rooted stance, and properly locked joint positions. Kempo tends to remain fluid and mobile using the lunging of the upper body torso, and turning of the shoulders into the punch to gain the power needed rather than using a deep fixed stance.