Sho-ju

Better ways, that’s a matter of opinion. Karate is an art as well so the low stance is not for fighting but for betterment of self and for strength as I stated before. Do as you like. Spend 2 hours daily in karate then head to the gym to work your legs, it's up to you. I just don't have the time, never had the time to do both karate and lift weights. I work two jobs, run a dojo and have a family...doesn't leave extra time for the gym. Maybe you do have time, great!. It's all a matter of opinion.

I find Okinawan martial arts to be a bridge between Chinese and Japanese arts. Any thoughts?

What is a traditional kata?

Do guys in wing chun hit hard? I don't mean to offend anyone, but I've had wing chun guys come to my dojo and try full contact karate and they usally don't do well. It could be they are not well versed in the style or the style they know is watered down. They are fast, very fast punchers but not very hard punchers.

Use the credit card to slice at the eyes, and the rim of the hat to slam the nose or eyes. Not a good weapon but it's on hand.

Nice moves, but they are not from Okinawan karate, added in latter.

stone, rock, rim of a hat, keys, credit card, belt, jacket, etc.

http://www.geocities.com/judah_dojo/p01.gif Never knew until just a few seconds ago how to add a picture. Cool.

Kyokushin is a mixed style of karate, isn't it. I mean, it mixed shotokan and goju kata. When your training and your sensei moves away you have to continue to train in some form...after shodan I was on my own. That is why I'm learning kata from other styles. Shotokan is great but it doesn't contain everything.

I didn't know Kimura fought Santana. Thanks. Can you provide a link?

I would have to say that all Shotokan stances are useless in a real fight. So why do we train in them? To develop strength in the legs and hips. Just like the basketball player who lifts weights in the gym, we use our stances as resistance exercises. I can attest to almost 15 years of low Shotokan stances, my legs are very stronger and my lower body endurance is awesome. When it comes to a fight the lower body is the foundation and we need both endurance and strength for longer fights. Can higher stances accomplish this, sure, but to a lesser degree. Another reason is “do.” It becomes a battle when your tried to remain low and in stance. This aspect is not readily found in the kihon of Okinawan styles. It has nothing to do with fighting but yourself. You against the stance, the battle then is against yourself. These are the reasons why, for me anyways, that I teach lower stances. I use a boxing stance for fighting, it comes natural and my movements are faster from training in the low stances. If you can move fast with power in a low stance normally you can almost double it in a higher stance. Besides, Shotokan stances are not really that low. Only in tournament style kata.

Funakoshi also states that low stances are to be mastered first, the higher stances are for more advanced. I understand your point, but I do feel Funakoshi did teach lower stances then what was common, even if the pictures don't show this. He was advanced and could have been following his own advice. Yes shotokan has dropped all stances far below what Funakoshi had in mind but shotokan was only an idea in his mind, and grow under the JKA into the shotokan of today. You can see one of ideas in the link you provided. The hand at hip and not higher by the nipple... His kiba would not even be considered a kiba today but naihachi dachi. Tekki is suppose to be a kata filled with grappling waza and perhaps that's why it's so square. (ex. freestyle wrestling/judo you remain low and square) Good topic.

Karate was illegal at one time too.

After watching a Judo tournament, Kano reportedly gathered the participants together and told them: You fought like young bulls locking horns; there was nothing refined or dignified about any of the techniques I witnessed today. I never taught anyone to do Kodokan Judo like that. If all you can think about is winning through brute strength, that will be the end of Kodokan Judo. Popular information on Judo is rife with misconceptions, many the result of casual observations of modern sport judoists. Of course the Judo originally conceptualized and popularized by Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, is quite different than the modern sport version. One of Kano's key motives in creating his Judo was to preserve the ancient martial arts schools or ryuha, their long legacies and lessons gleaned from centuries of battlefield experience, and the vehicle they provide for the perfection of the individual and therefore the human race. http://www.judo1.net/ju01002.htm After reading the above article found on the link provided you have to see that Judo is Kano's jiu jitsu and judo can be performed as an art or self defence. I was taught the self defence aspects, it was just called judo. Sho(as in shotokan)-ju(as in judo)

Mabuni=Shito ryu Chotose(sp.?)=Chito ryu

I'm only echoing Oyama, Motobu and Funakoshi. But what do they know...

The Original Kodokan Judo Tournament Rules H. Irving Hancock and Katsukuma Higashi, The Complete Kano Jiu-Jitsu (Judo), (New York: Dover Publications, 1905) 1. Each contestant shall wear coat and belt. 2. A contestant shall be deemed to have been defeated when his two shoulders and hips shall have touched the floor, provided that said contestant shall have reached this position on the floor through having been thrown down. 3. A contestant shall be deemed to have been defeated when in such position on the floor, if said combatant cannot free himself from his opponent's arms within two seconds' time. 4. A contestant shall be deemed to have been defeated when from any cause or causes he may become unconscious. But it is not permitted to use serious tricks when the wrestling bout is between friends. Such tricks as kicking and the breaking of arms, legs, and neck are barred. 5. A combatant shall be deemed to have been defeated when he has been reduced to submission through the employment by his opponent of any hold or trick. 6. When a defeated combatant finds himself obliged to acknowledge his submission, he must pat or hit the floor or his antagonist's body, or somewhere, with his hand or foot. This patting with foot or hand is to be regarded as a token of surrender. 7. When a defeated combatant pats or hits the floor, or anywhere, in token of submission, the victor must at once let go his hold. 8. It is understood and agreed that the Jiu-Jitsu man, whether he fights a boxer or contests with a wrestler, shall be allowed to use in his defense any of the tricks that belong to the art of Jiu-Jitsu. 9. It is further understood and agreed that the Jiu-Jitsu man assumes no responsibility for any injury or injuries caused by any act or thing done during the contest, and that the Jiu-Jitsu man shall be held free and blameless for any such ill effect or injury that may be received during the contest. 10. Two competent witnesses representing each side, or four in all, shall see to it that these articles of agreement are properly drawn, signed, and witnessed, to the end that neither contestant or other participant in the match shall have cause for action on any ground or grounds resulting from any injury or injuries, or death, caused during the contest. http://judoinfo.com/rules.htm Still think it's just sport?

Real hapkido is hard to find, now days it's mostly Tae Kwon Do with wrist locks. I was told not to take hapkido in a dojang where TKD is being taught as well, to seek out a dojang that only taught hapkido without any blending of TKD. The point behind this...to make sure your teacher is teaching hapkido and not TKD with wrist locks.

At my dojo we are trying out the black gi's right now for the same reason you pointed out. Too hard to keep'em clean. We do alot of throwing and joint locks so sweatly hand prints are left ont he gi's.

I've only seen one other shotokan club wear a black gi, has anyone else seen a shotokan club in black?

Low stance is good for the hips and legs.

If you have any question about Isshin ryu log onto the site below and email Shihan Albert Mady. He's been training for many years and has trained many sabbki, kyokushin, kickboxing and a K1 champ. http://www.madyskarate.com/

Very good point.

I've a lot of Shito ryu karateka use neko to spar in. I like a boxing stance.

At our club we include the kata Funkoshi listed but in the Okinawan form. (all except 5 heians, bassi dai, hangetsu and the tekki's) Because we are closer to Shorin ryu clubs we are affected by them...we have no shotokan around in our neck of the woods. Instead of Empi (which we know) we teach Wanshu. It makes more sense for us to do this for we have access to Shorin teachers and can better understand the kata being taught with bunkai, breathing, stance, etc.