Karate was originally an Okinawan method of combat that almost completely dispenses with throws. Its blocks are hard and it is a power oriented style. Judo is a sport that involves primarily throwing and grappling. It is very similar to western wrestling and was invented in the late 1800’s by Jigoro Kano, in Japan. Tae Kwon Do is a Korean art, similar to karate, that emphasizes the feet as weapons and is also very power oriented.
Wushu, more commonly known as Kung Fu, is a Chinese self defense system that is comprised of both hard and soft styles. The Shaolin curriculum consists of many styles of Wushu that teach the use of throws, grappling holds, weapons, and self defense. It is therefore a more broad and complex system of combat than many other styles. Similar non-Chinese martial arts include Jiu Jitsu (Japanese) and Hapkido (Korean).