Mixture of TKD and Shotokan

[Chinman]

I'm going to start classes next week with my two younger sons and one of the few schools around here is...

http://www.mwsda.com/

I talked with the instructor and he seemed nice enough, prices are on par. I just have been reading on this forum and it was always TKD vs Shotokan, while this school claims to be a combination of those two.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

[ninjanurse]

Having a background in Shotokan and now studying TKD I can say that the two compliment each other well. What I didn't get from the site was whether they are teaching both arts, or have mixed the two into a new style. It is always wise to check out other options (if available) before you jump on the first opportunity...and watch or participate in a few classes before committing.

[Chinman]

There is really only 1 other school that's at a manageable distance, and it's an ATA school. More expensive and I wouldn't be able to take the classes with my boys. Long story short I have them every other week and will attend class with them, then on opposite weeks the adult class.

[ninjanurse]

The family plan definitely sounds the best...and I am partial to TKD & Shotokan so I say "Good luck and enjoy your training"!!

[gojupralgo]

It's great to be able to do this sort of thing with your kids. I do caution you however. If you are looking to teach self defense to your kids, TKD in my opinion is not the way to go. Shotokan however can be.

[Chinman]

Thanks for the reply. Without getting too deep, the kids are struggling with thier parents divorce : ( so it's not about self defense it's about giving them something to do, to look forward to, and they are only 5 & 6 so it's not about self defense, at least not yet.

[xdevilmaycry24x]

Shotokan and TKD go well together. Karate has alot of punches and strikes while TKD has some pretty good kicks

[Aodhan]

I started in shotokan, and moved to TKD. The styles do complement each other well.

Shotokan has much deeper stances, and there is more emphasis in the beginning on doing not much more than stances, basic kicks and blocks for long periods of time. TKD doesn't spend quite as long drilling on stances.

I found shotokan to be a little bit more rigid than TKD, but they have enough different emphases that they do end up merging quite nicely.

Aodhan

[jaymac]

I have to say that I think it is great that you are doing this with your kids. They will love it and you will too. Martial Arts is a great confidence and self esteem booster. I wonder about this style though. Shotokan and TKD may compliment each other but what would you call this. I mean, Shotokan is a traditional Japanese art and TKD is Korean art. Does the instructor have a name for the style or is he ranked in both styles and incorporating both in his teachings. It is definitely an interesting concept. Good luck to you and your children and enjoy your training.

[Jiffy]

I won't go into too much discussion about it, because it's heresay, but one of the theories is that TKD is actually a modified version of shotokan (according to a student of mine who is a TKD BB)

In either case, they are so similar that unless you are looking at really getting into the deep inner workings of the art, they will not make any difference to you. Both have effective techniques and both can be a lot of fun. If it is a mix, this is not always a bad thing either, it sometimes means you get the best of both worlds. As long as the school is good (eg. well established, good instructor, insurance etc) then just go in and have fun.