Can Someone Explain Shutokan?

[cj32001]

Ive been in Karate for about 2 months and Ive just been promoted to a yellow belt. My style is shutokan, and i understand the basis, but i was wondering if someone could give me a more in-depth definition of the style.

[ncole_91]

Shutokan or Shotokan?

[Jay]

doesnt matter essentially they have the same basics origin

Basically a man called Gichin Funokoshi went to okinawa and when he was there he was taught karate by 2 instructors of different styles (Shorei-Ryu) and (Shorin-Ryu) and he came back to japan and combined these two to make shotokan the stye is named after Funokoshis nickname shoto. The two style one was vey strong and hard slow movements and the other has fast agile and light footed movements. Shotokan is characterised by its long stances and very powerful punches through the use of the hips some katas contain more of the agile stuff such as enpi and some of the strong slow stuff like hangetsu.

Many styles where further developed form shotokan such as shotokai (more sport karate) and Wado-Ryu which was made by one fo Funokoshis top students.

For now thats all you need to know but the long stances are there so that you can learn the hip action and then learn to apply that in short self defence stances

[Tommy_P]

doesnt matter essentially they have the same basics origin

Basically a man called Gichin Funokoshi went to okinawa and when he was there he was taught karate by 2 instructors of different styles (Shorei-Ryu) and (Shorin-Ryu) and he came back to japan and combined these two to make shotokan the stye is named after Funokoshis nickname shoto. The two style one was vey strong and hard slow movements and the other has fast agile and light footed movements. Shotokan is characterised by its long stances and very powerful punches through the use of the hips some katas contain more of the agile stuff such as enpi and some of the strong slow stuff like hangetsu.

Many styles where further developed form shotokan such as shotokai (more sport karate) and Wado-Ryu which was made by one fo Funokoshis top students.

For now thats all you need to know but the long stances are there so that you can learn the hip action and then learn to apply that in short self defence stances

Funakoshi didn't travel from Japan to Okinawa to learn karate. He was from Okinawa and he brought karate "to" Japan "from" Okinawa. Actually it was after he brought it to Japan that it became "karate" (more or less).

Shotokai wasn't developed out of Shotokan, they were/are pretty much the same thing. Shotokai was the original name of Funakoshi's organization and Shotokan was the dojo "name". Students within the school had some differences about karate's direction so they split. JKA used the name Shotokan and the rest remained Shotokai. "Shotokan" went the way of tournaments and Shotokai is dead set against any type of competition.

The poster might be talking about "Shudokan" founded by Toyama rather than Shutokan.

Tommy

Edited December 16, 2005 by Tommy_P

[ncole_91]

Shoto - was Funakoshis pen name when he wrote poems, it can be translated to Pine Waves.

Kan- Means building or a place to train at.

That is why everyone started calling it Shotokan. Funakoshi called it Karate because he did not believe in Styles and he thought all the styles should join together and create a new awesome karate....

[Jay]

soryy guys i forgot that stuff i messed up thanks for clarifying it

[jaymac]

It may be a good idea if you enjoy the style you are taking, to talk to your head instructor. I am sure he has great insight to the style he is teaching. Good luck in your journey.

[glockmeister]

Took the words right out of my mouth. Ask the instructor.