Jump to content
Welcome! You've Made it to the New KarateForums.com! CLICK HERE FIRST! ×
  • advertisement_alt
  • advertisement_alt
  • advertisement_alt

PBI

Experienced Members
  • Posts

    30
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by PBI

  1. I agree 100%. I should have clarified that I found the training benefits of "overly-deep" stances to be in the realm of physical strength and flexibility gain; not necessarily in the ability to actually USE them in combat. Nobody should be fighting in locked-down stances anyway, as stances are more properly transitional. Structural integrity, and the related outcomes of maneuveribility and effective technique delivery are definitely the goals. "Stance for stance's sake" is pointless. PS. Please forgive my early fascination with the emoticons; I'm sure it will pass...
  2. Hi, My name is Paul and I'm a sandan and sensei in Shindo Jinen Ryu, which is a lesser known style of Japanese Karate, but also one of the "original" styles. (It was founded by Konishi Yasuhiro, who was part of the group of masters that trained together and included Funakoshi, Mabune and Miyagi.) I've been training since 1985, and am also Shodan ranked in Hayashi-ha Shito-Ryu and first kyu-ranked in JKA Shotoktan. Originally from Boston, I'm currently located in Kansas City, MO. I'm looking forward to learning more about (And from!) all of you! Best, PBI
  3. The greater stance depth in Japanese styles of karate (like Shotokan) versus Okinawan styles is also at least partially attributable to the manner in which Funakoshi Sensei promulgated his style: university physical education classes. To this day, there is, in many respects, a somewhat greater emphasis on "physical training" in Shotokan than in, say, Shito-Ryu. My personal experience with Shotokan is that I found the depth of stance beneficial for strength and flexibility, and for training purposes. (Kind of like the Roman legions used to train with 20 pound swords, but fight with 10 pounders.) That said, I think an additional by-product of this emphasis touches on your original question related to bunkai, and that is that many Shotokan schools are often less focused on the variety of bunkai, henka and oyo that can be applied through each technique in a kata, and more focused on stance training. (That may be why it seems that the bunkai you are being taught only work under strictly controlled conditions, if I may paraphrase.) Having come through Shito-Ryu, Shotokan, and now Shindo Jinen Ryu, I appreciate what Shotokan has to offer, but consider it a somewhat incomplete style with regard to kata. (And that is not because of inferior teaching either; I trained in both Okazaki Sensei and Mori Sensei's organizations.) Once you make some progress in your current style, it might be worthwhile to check out some cross-training opportunities like multi-style seminars to gain some additional understanding and experience.
×
×
  • Create New...