j1123s

What exactly do you mean , they way you dress ( i mean gear not uniform ) or the way you fight ??? I meant the way you fight.

Ok, so we train in kihon. We practice kata. We learn bunkai. We practice formal kumite. We strike makiwara. Maybe we meditate. We might study kobudo. So... How come in a fight, sparring, tournament ( knock down or tag type), Karateka end up looking like a BOXER or KICKBOXER?

may be in your style they changed the name from pinan nidan to shodan like some japanies styles of karate. in this case the kick we been talking about is part of pinan nidan. There have been changes in our kata. Our Pinan shodan is all ,gedan barai, lunge punch, rising blocks and shutos. I'm told this was most likley pinan nidan at one point.

Thanks for the info everyone. I have been exploring the roots and history of the katas, so this info helps. The Version of Pinan shodan that we do in our style has no kick at all. I've been told we are shobayashi based but there have been changes made to the kata's in our lineage.

I have been told that Shobayashi kata are different than other versions. for example their pinans look different than other shorin ryu style pinans. Is this true? Are there any books that show this difference ? Thanks.

Thank you for your replys. I like Enshin and respect Kancho Ninomiya, but I feel the Shorin Ryu is more well rounded for me. J1123s

I'm returning to Karate after a few years off. In my area there is an Enshin Dojo and there is a Shorin Ryu Dojo. Both are very good, I've checked them out. Question: Which style would provide the best all around system for self defense on the street? I know no system is complete in all respects. I have been training in Aikijutusu for years, so I have a good base of throwing and grappleing skills. Enshin seems tough but, seems to put most of it's effort into tournament type fighting. I'm wondering if there might be more options in the bunkai of the shorin ryu kata. The Shorin Ryu dojo does seem to train tough with some hard contact in the middle kyu ranks and up. What do you think? Thanks.