Dr. Frank

"It's just that in free sparring, Shotokan practitioners know how to keep distance, preferring long-range techniques over brawling." Again, depends on what type of Shotokan you are learning. There is a perception that Shotokan is all about those long, deep stances and that is exactly what the JKA has emphasized since the death of Shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi. The style was altered from Funakoshi's original teachings to be more competitive in sporting tournaments and the deep stances were designed for ippon kumite and to impress the judges in kata rings. Many current instructors may be unaware of Shotokan's original function which was to be a close range fighting art. I have routinely practiced close fighting against multiple opponents since beginning my training. This is what I find frustrating about Internet forums. I wish I could meet you in person and demonstrate the many, many close in fighting techniques found in a great number of the Shotokan katas. Stomps, knee and elbow strikes, eye rakes etc. abound. Many times I have heard people say "That's not Shotokan" but it is... if you understand the art as it was taught before 1957.

Knowledgeable Shotokan stylists have a saying. When told that we will be met "anywhere at anytime" for a fight, our choice is high noon in a phone booth. My instructors have always emphasized close-in fighting techniques. All one must do to see the close range techniques in Shotokan is examine the katas. Hook punches in Heian Nidan, Tekki Shodan, and others. Upward elbow strikes such as in Gojushio Dai and others. Cross elbow strikes as seen in Heian Yondan and others. Knee attacks in Heian Yondan and others. All of these are in your face, close in fighting techniques and there are many, many examples in Shotokan katas. I don't know what type of Shotokan you are studying, but if you feel it isn't effective in close then it isn't the same Shotokan I have studied since 1973. My present instructor has trained a couple MMA fighters and he laughs at the idea of someone diving head first at his legs in a fight. That's a good way to lose your front teeth. I know that grappling is all the rage right now, but I have ways of defending against someone trying to wrestle me to the ground. Anyone trying that leaves himself wide open for numerous counterattacks.

"I know Shotokan is still useful to some degrees in real combat..." This is like the third time I have recently heard somebody suggest that Shotokan is only marginally effective as a real fighting/defensive art. I have no idea where such a notion is coming from as both of the instructors I have trained under (and a large number of fellow students, as well) caused me to experience absolute terror at the thought of having to actually fight them in a real fight. I have been in several real fights and have spoken with several fellow Shotokan practitioners with similar experiences and I can assure you that traditional Shotokan works quite well for self-defense. I believe that Funakoshi "toned down" the techniques to make the art more acceptable for teaching in the Japanese public schools and I believe that Nakayama made additional efforts in the late 1950s following Funakoshi's death to make Shotokan more competitive in the world of sport karate, but the roots of all martial arts styles lie in unarmed people being able to defend themselves and it's no different with Shotokan.

Responding to some of the comments... The 7th dan was a Tae Kwon Do stylist. But isn't 3rd dan in Koren samdan? This is only one letter off from the Japanese sandan. Shouldn't someone around the martial arts long enough to achieve that rank level at least recognize a term only one letter off from what he uses? Maybe I'm wrong... I don't blame the 6 year old shodan, I blame his instructor. First, no 6 year old is physically or emotionally mature enough to be a black belt. Secondly, shodan should take at least 3 years (if athletic and talented) and more like 4-5 years for adults to attain and longer for juniors. Must have been tough for this kid training in diapers. Yes, the sandan unaware of Heian Sandan and Bassai Dai was definitely a Shotokan practitioner. Owns a dojo and advertises instruction in Shotokan karate. I have no idea who trained or promoted this individual (if in fact anyone did these things). The chi comment referred to those folks who claim they can knock an opponent down or propel him backwards with no physical contact, using their chi energy alone. I do not believe this is possible and the several demonstrations I have seen of this techniques left me convinced that it is indeed not possible (they failed miserably in their attempts to move people with only their chi). The rule of thumb in our association is that 3rd dan is instructor rank and at that level a person may teach, open a dojo, and make rank promotions up to two levels below his own. So a 3rd can make a 1st. Not meaning to criticize but simply state a fact as I see it, the JKA has always been about keeping power in Japan so I am not surprised that they don't allow Western Yondans ro make black belt rank promotions. They require graduating from their "Instructor Program" which is reserved for Japanese members of the association.

What does one say to a guy wearing seven stripes on his belt who says he has no idea what sandan means when he asks what rank you hold? How should one react when a Shotokan sandan says he never learned Heian Sandan? This same individual denied that Bassai Dai was a Shotokan kata after seeing it performed. What would you think of an instructor who has promoted students to sandan and higher ranks when his biography clearly states that he is a nidan? How would you react to someone telling you he was a black belt at a particular dojo at a specific time and it happens that you were a black belt at that school at that time and you've never heard of him before now? Then there's the 19 year old who struts into your dojo and casually admits to being an 8th dan. And the six year old shodan who gets his... OK Mr. Censor... gets soundly defeated by a green belt at a tournament. And the guy who steadfastly insists that his style is so superior to all others that anyone not trained in his style is helpless. And the guy who proudly claims to be a 9th kyu knowing that non-martial artists won't realize that's actually a beginner rank. And the guy who took exactly 3 judo lessons and then opened his own dojo. And the people who are convinced that martial artists in movies are really as good as they look on the screen. And the "death touch" people. And the "knock you down with my chi" people. And the... well, you get the idea. Really, is there any area of interest with as many fools and charlatans as found in the martial arts?

As always, standards and customs will vary from style to style and school to school. It was explained to me that at Godan one is expected to know all of the techniques and kata within the style so technically at that rank one has "mastered" the style. But personally I find the term master a bit pretentious and greatly overused. I tend to smirk at anyone who actually calls himself master.

mudansha- I was responding to your first post in which you said: "In the SKI system, 5th dan is about the highest a non-japanese person can get to. " Like I said, bias against Westerners by Japanese associations is well known, but some have risen beyond Godan as you suggested doesn't happen. My current instructor is an 8th and he was promoted by a highly-placed Japanese karateka. The second most senior member of the club is a 7th. It happens, just not very damn often. I assume you mean Mr. Belardo when you discuss the Yondan in Bakersfield? I agree that he should be higher rank based on his experience, but Sensei Halliburton was also very slow in awarding rank. I didn't realize it when I was there in the 1970s and 1980s because I had no other experience or knowledge to compare, but I now realize that Robert was VERY slow in making promotions. When I left around 1988 or so nobody in the club had been promoted beyond nidan. Even the talented students with 20 years experience were no higher than second dan. I think everyone realizes that rank is a totally subjective thing as there are no universal standards. I believe Nakayama (took over the JKA following Funakoshi's death) essentially promoted himself to the upper dan levels. Funakoshi called himself a Godan and said 5th the top level. It was Nakayama who changed it to allow promotion to higher ranks.

Of course it can vary wildly from one style to another and one instructor to another. My first instructor was a great karateka and teacher but he was very slow in giving rank. He felt 6 years was about right for shodan. I was with him for 17 years and left as a nidan with no hint of any promotion on the horizon. There were a couple guys who had a more time in than I and were also still nidans. I think most people would agree that 17-20 years and still a nidan is very slow progression. After being out for a while and moving to a new state I found another dojo and started again. After one year he said I was over-qualified for nidan and I was promoted to sandan. New instructor thinks 3 years for shodan is good (IMO maybe 4 is perfect but naturally I don't argue him). You want it long enough to be meaningful but not so long good students become discouraged and give up.

As Shotokan practitioners we do not put stripes on the belts. We may embroider the belt with rank in Japanese characters using red thread for shodan and nidan, and gold for sandan and above. I think this is because sandan was traditionally considered "instructor rank." The head instructor is an 8th dan and sometimes he wears a red and white belt at tournaments. He says 8th and above can wear this belt but I think he borrowed that idea from another style as I don't think it's strictly traditional Shotokan. I was promoted to shodan in 1979 and have never worn anything but plain, black belts.

mudansha- Although instances of Japanese bias against Westerners are well known, I would point out that in 2007 the late Robert Halliburton was promoted to 7th Dan in the SKIF association. In my opinion he should have been a 9th considering his ability and 40+ years of serious training and teaching but he had progressed beyond the Godan rank. On the original question my instructor believes that Sandan is "instructor rank" and members who have attained this rank may be called Sensei.