Shotokan Karate

[Menjo]

What are your overall views of it? What has it become to day, and its effectiveness in real situations and just overall satements about it. Might be able to get something interesting going.

[24fightingchickens]

I do not view arts as being effective or not. The reason for this is that I cannot say what we mean when we refer to "Shotokan."

There are a lot of variables at work that determine whether or not someone is an effective fighter. For example, I might wonder how good their coach is, how much time they devote to training, whether or not they have native talent to develop, what their personality is, how athletic they are, etc. I believe that the answers to those questions are good clues as to predicting how someone will perform in a fight, rather than asking after the principles of the art they do.

If we want to explore the potential that Shotokan Karate has to offer in terms of principles, strategy, and overall methodology, even then, we really cannot say how good it is, because it is very incosistent from one karate club to another and one expert to another as to what is taught and how it is taught.

Just look at some of the really big instructors. Many of them have very different approaches. Some instructors teach tensing all of your muscles on impact, others say you should punch with relaxed follow through and not mess with that. Some instructors teach you to tuck your tailbone under, and others lift up their heels and punch in a more relaxed, athletic fashion.

So, despite calling what I do "Shotokan", I cannot really compare what I do with another art - because I cannot get three Shotokan guys to agree on what the principles should be that we would compare.

[Fairfax_Uechi]

What are your overall views of it? What has it become to day, and its effectiveness in real situations and just overall satements about it. Might be able to get something interesting going.

Well this really doesn't seem fair since it's really a loaded question.

Thoughts that come to mind are that the style is a very popular style of karate. With this in mind, as a style becomes popular there is tendency for the style to get "watered down". Now, I'm not saying that this is or isn't the case, but it does happen. So I'm sure that there are many bad instructors and many good ones. It just gets harder to find the good ones when a style gets very big.

As far as techniques, for me, the little bit I know about the style it really isn't a good style FOR ME. The stances just don't work well with my body shape and size. Also the movements don't look natural to me, and don't seem like things that I would use in a real fight. Hence the reason that I study Uechi. The style works well for me, and is right for me. Now, the opposite may be true to others, but this is my opinion.

[Sauzin]

There's been a couple of topics that have surrounded opinions and views of Shotokan and it's effectiveness. Take a look at these...

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=21754&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=18075&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

[Jay]

I agree with farfax_uechi about the style getting watered down but only by some schools as he said the long stances and body movements arnt natural and arnt meant to be. The more advanced that you get in kumite the more 'natural' you get due to learning how to apply what you leart in those long stances to shorter ones. The style that is best for you the the best style that you can learn.

[Menjo]

ok i hate when i post something and miss a tiny detail and someone will pounce on it and tear me apart for it. Dont consider the person, just what you think im saying the best or anything just your thoughts, i never said wether it is effective or not i merly suggested someone bring a thought or too about a technique maybe.

[pers]

What are your overall views of it? What has it become to day, and its effectiveness in real situations and just overall satements about it. Might be able to get something interesting going.

Well this really doesn't seem fair since it's really a loaded question.

Thoughts that come to mind are that the style is a very popular style of karate. With this in mind, as a style becomes popular there is tendency for the style to get "watered down". Now, I'm not saying that this is or isn't the case, but it does happen. So I'm sure that there are many bad instructors and many good ones. It just gets harder to find the good ones when a style gets very big.

As far as techniques, for me, the little bit I know about the style it really isn't a good style FOR ME. The stances just don't work well with my body shape and size. .

You are right about the style being watered down and in my opinion that has formed your opinion about the stances and not being suitable for you .

It is getting harder to find a good one as the numbers grow .

In my opinion if you really find a good master teaching in a good club regerdless of style GO THERE ! I trained in shotokan or shall I say continued to train in shotokan simply because the master I found after moving town was doing shotokan ,if he did wado Ryu or any thing else then I would have done that .

you see the name on its own doesen't do miracles ! its hard work and good instruction that is what counts !

otherwise shotokan is as good as any if not better than any other fighting arts ,its the person doing it andthe master who taught him !