twominds Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 I was in the art of Pancrecia (however u spell it) I liked it but not all the wrestling I wanted to do kickboxing but there are no classes close so I narrowed it down to shotokan karate and tae kwon do I havent tried any classes yet and I will but I would like some input of the major and minor differences in these two arts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeygirl Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 I think Shotokan is a little closer to kickboxing, it would be a nice complement to your ground training. Tae Kwon Do is going to be a little more about speed, and yes, flash. Unless the school in your area is a little more combat-oriented like mine was. Both will train in kata. Does Pankration do any of those? If not, kata will be something new for you that you may or may not enjoy. TKD should also train you in stamina, because TKD sparring is often about sustaining quick, hard movements over a long period of time. Can't tell you much about Shotokan though. I'll leave that to the others. 1st dan & Asst. Instructor TKD 2000-2003No matter the tune...if you can rock it, rock it hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aefibird Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Shotokan will help you with stamina and speed training. You'll also get to learn kata (patterns). There's emphasis on low stances when practising basics in shotokan to help develop strong leg muscles - strength in low stances helps when you come to being in 'higher' stances when free sparring. However, shotokan and TKD are fairly similar in a lot of respects (techniques, etc). I don't really know a lot about TKD, so I can't really talk about that (well, not without sounding like a complete idiot, anyway!!). I think either style would be useful for you, though, and would complement what you've already trained in. I think that the best thing for you to do would be to go along and watch a lesson or two at both clubs and speak to the instructors there. Explain that you've had some previous MA experience, but that you want to try something new. Ask about fees, contracts and gradings. Also what sort of emphasis does the school have? Is it geared towards competitions and sports karate/sports TKD or is it more traditional, concentrating more on kata for example. Also, have a look at what sort of other students are there when you go. Is it mostly children? Do they have separate junior and senior classes? How often would they expect you to train? etc. You could even see if you can try out a couple of lessons at both places before deciding firmly on which one you want to pursue. I hope you find a suitable club! "Was it really worth it? Only time and death may ever tell..." The Beautiful South - The Rose of My CologneSheffield Steelers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninjanurse Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Shotokan and TKD are a good compliment to each other-as long as you keep things in perspective. They are not the same. Shotokan=strength and power TKD=speed & flexibility "A Black Belt is only the beginning."Heidi-A student of the artsTae Kwon Do,Shotokan,Ju Jitsu,Modern Arnishttp://the100info.tumblr.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeopardGold Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 I think the best way to decide is to try both of the schools. Watch a class or ask if you can try one class. I personally liked Shotokan karate better than my experience with TKD but I think most of that related to who ran the school not the different ma. I would try a class and see which instructor you like better or feel more comfortable with and go with that school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy_Mendiola Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Shotokan and TKD are a good compliment to each other-as long as you keep things in perspective. They are not the same. Shotokan=strength and power TKD=speed & flexibility whichever martial art you choose it is not the same and tkd involves more of speed like in the tkd sparring etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G95champ Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 Shotokan is the better SD choice TKD is the better sport. (General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John G Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 There are many variants to TKD, from hard core martial arts through to martial sports. Shotokan on the other hand (I believe) is a known standard. Both are subject to the quality and experience of the instructors. My advice is to take a few classes in both and talk to the people involved (students/instructors) before making a decision. Respectfully, John G Jarrett III Dan, ITF Taekwon-Do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White_Tiger Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 John G is on the right course. It will depend on the Instructor(s). Both arts will serve you well, if you are indeed a dedicated student. But if one school as a bad instructor, and the other a good one you will obviously learn more from the good one regardless of the style. Try some classes first in both schools...see which one you like the best. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icetuete Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Shotokan is the better SD choice TKD is the better sport. yes, indeed, you shouldnt go check the dojos/talk to instructors and just make up your mind on whether you want good self defense and moderate sport or bad SD but a better sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts