Shotokan Check In

[Sho-ju]

Just wanted to start a thread for shotokan karateka....

 

How long you been training, with who, what kata's do you study, have you cross trained at all?

[aefibird]

I'll kick it off with a little about my training...

 

I'm pretty much a karate 'newbie' compared to some of the folks on here. I've been training a little over 5 years and have been a Shodan since December 2003. I'm the assistant instructor for my club.

 

My instructor is Shotokan 5th Dan Sensei Graham Smith, and my club is a member of the Federation of Shotokan Karate, headed by 6th Dan instructor Sensei Aidan Trimble. Both my own instructor and Sensei Trimble are former students of Asano Sensei and Kanazawa Sensei. Sensei Trimble is also a former student of Enoeda Sensei.

 

My instructor incorporates cross-training into our own syllabus. He has trained extensively in several styles of karate and is a Dan grade in quite a few Okinanwan and Japanese styles. He has also trained in Judo, JuJutsu and Aikido, as well as being an experienced street fighter, as the result of a mis-spent youth!

 

We learn the 'standard' 26 shotokan kata, plus Taikyoku Shodan. Sensei also teaches kata from other styles once a student is brown belt or above. He believes that it is interesting to look at the similarities and differences between styles and that this is shown with variations in common kata (such as Naihanchi/Tekki or Heian/Pinan).

 

Shotokan kata that we train in are:

 

Taikyoku Shodan (known as Kihon in my org.)

 

Heian Shodan to Godan

 

Tekki Shodan to Sandan

 

Bassai Dai and Sho

 

Kanku Dai and Sho

 

Gojushiho Dai and Sho

 

Jion

 

Jitte

 

Ji'in

 

Meikyo

 

Nijushiho

 

Empi

 

Wankan

 

Sochin

 

Unsu

 

Hangetsu

 

Chinte

 

Gankaku

[WapCaplet]

I have only been studying Shotokan for about 2 years. Currently a 1st level Brown Belt. Probably another year or two till I get my first Black Belt. I train with the All Canadian Karate Union under Sensei Addison James Bray.

 

http://www.acku.org/

 

We have the same basic 26 kata, but through the National Instructor's Course Program we have the option of learning many, many other katas, from a few different styles of karate. We also have workshops throughout the year where we can learn the jo, bo, nunchaku, bokken, kama, tonfa and sai.

 

Wap

[Pacificshore]

Former Shotokan stylist for 3yrs. or so. My instructor was/still affiliated with Nishiyama Sensei. We studied the 26 Shotokan katas, although I never hit them all. My favorite was Nijushiho. In fact my av is of me performing Nijushiho at competition . All in all was a good time training, and learned lots

[G95champ]

Sounds like a good thread. I've been in shotokan since the spring of 1993 so this is my 11th year. I am currently a 2nd Dan in no rush to bump up lol. I trained in a JKA school but never was certified by them. (teacher droped out long story) Im now in the FSKA which is the Funakoshi Shotokan Karate Assoc. We study the 26 kata as listed above in the FSKA but I myself do all 3 of the Taikyoku kata Because I thinks its good for young kids and In Gichin Funakoshi book karate-do Koyhan he says to do them. lol So I teach 28 kata our school.

 

Taikyoku Shodan to Sandan

 

Heian Shodan to Godan

 

Tekki Shodan to Sandan

 

Bassai Dai and Sho

 

Kanku Dai and Sho

 

Gojushiho Dai and Sho

 

Jion, Jittie and Giin

 

Meikyo

 

Nijushiho

 

Empi

 

Wankan

 

Sochin

 

Unsu

 

Hangetsu

 

Chinte

 

Gankaku

[Killer Miller]

I started JKA Shotokan in 1974. Trained for 17 years. About 2 weeks away from my Nidan test, then my hernia popped from Squat, Reverse Punches (I believe that was a Nakayama class at the time). I've had that fixed since then, but became inactive on the training scene when I got married with children and it became difficult to go down to "Central" and train. All my local training buds had moved away, and I didn't have time to teach anymore after going BIG Corporate at the time... Now I train Aikido with a local friend, a Sandan and an excellent instructor. However, I miss my old JKA buddies and don't mind passing on what I've learned and experienced over the years to ya guys/gals...

 

I trained with Many of the JKA Shotokan greats of the world. My primary instructor was Nishiyama-sensei in my late Brown and Black belt years. Had some other great instructors in my earlier development.

 

If cross training means with other styles, no (or very little). I didn't believe in it. JKA Shotokan is an "art" that takes a life time to perfect. Cross training distracts from that perfection and develops bad habits (perhaps I will explain this in an article some day).

 

My primary tournament Kata was Gankaku, and my backup Kata was Kanku Dai.

 

The following are the Katas we studied. We never used the Taikyoku katas, even when teaching the young.

 

Heian Shodan to Godan

 

Tekki Shodan to Sandan

 

Bassai Dai and Sho

 

Kanku Dai and Sho

 

Gojushiho Dai and Sho

 

Jion, Jittie and Giin

 

Meikyo

 

Nijushiho

 

Empi

 

Wankan

 

Sochin

 

Unsu

 

Hangetsu

 

Chinte

 

Gankaku

 

- Killer -

[wing chun kuen man]

Killer Miller,

 

I can´t wait for you to write an article on your points of view on cross-training.

 

Wing Chun Kuen Man

[manuelito]

okay i have been in martial arts for about 18 yrs.

 

i am currently training in germany with sensei peter stohl (shotokan) and as for kata heian shodan-godan, tekki shodan-sandan, bassai-dai, jion, empi, kanku-dai, hangetsu, jitte, gangaku, sochin, nijushiho, chinte, bassai-sho, kanku-sho, ji'in, meikyo, wankan, unsu and a few others but i can't think of the names.

 

i have cross trained in tkd, wing chun, and a little bjj

[Sho-ju]

Good posts.

 

I live in Ontario Canada, not much in the way of traditional shotokan. My sensei moved to town from Scotland and was a member of both SKI and JKA...he had a nidan from both. We trained independent of any shotokan group, when I earned my shodan I had it confirmed by a karate org that exists as an umbrella group covering Chinese, Japanese and Okinawan styles. I continued training under Koshinrin Budo Kai and earned my nidan. Our kata are different because of the different influances, we remain shotokan in essence, but some of our kihon are different and we include more Okinawan versions of kata, this is all done under the direction of the KBK. Because the KBK is has an open format, I'm able to train with other shotokan dojo and continue to learn shotokan kata without all the politics of big groups.

 

sj

[Killer Miller]

I'm not sure how to take that comment? On a serious positive note, or not?

Killer Miller,

 

I can´t wait for you to write an article on your points of view on cross-training.

 

Wing Chun Kuen Man