Shotokan

[shotokanbeginner]

Hi,

I think beginner's question is a fair one. The practicioner DOES make the art, however the teacher and the style do, too. A sensei I met used a saying i really liked: "Practice doesnt make perfect. Practice makes permanent". So one needs to be taught the right stuff in order to be able to perfect it through dedication and willpower.

I have been forced to use a Shotokan technique a few years ago to defend myself against multiple oponents in a very stupid neighborhood fight over a parking space that I really tried to avoid, even by surrendering the parking space and when that didnt work just by runnning away, but they were faster than me. These dudes wanted to kick some *.

Anyway, my techniques were SO effective that they scared me. My attackers really got badly injured and I got close to going to jail for assault. Thankfully, there were witnesses that I was just defending myself.. Fighting sucks. I never want it to hapen again. I was very happy to have escaped the beating my attackers wanted to administer, though.

anyway, my two cents,

Gero

Good post. Real life stories showing that traditional karate (and kung fu for that matter) techniques work in real fights, have to be told once in a while to stress the fact that we do not practise "dance fighting" and that what we practise are martial arts.

By the way Gero, what rank were you when you had this experience?

I completely agree.

[Hidden_Ronin]

If someone studies Karate and then fails to defend themselves "on the street" (that is; outside the Dojo) Karate, or any other martial art, is not to blame, the Karate-ka is. Karate is a fighting system designed for hurting and defending people, and if trained and applied propperly it can do both very effectivly.

The only move Ive used outside of training is a gidan-mae-geri, then I ran.

Worked fine for me

[shotokanbeginner]

If someone studies Karate and then fails to defend themselves "on the street" (that is; outside the Dojo) Karate, or any other martial art, is not to blame, the Karate-ka is. Karate is a fighting system designed for hurting and defending people, and if trained and applied propperly it can do both very effectivly.

The only move Ive used outside of training is a gidan-mae-geri, then I ran.

Worked fine for me

thanks , nice avatar by the way

[shotokanwarrior]

Funakoshi was against tourniments, in fact what he saw at them did not resemble shotokan at all. Shotokan is not a fighting art that goes against everything he believed, only used for self defense in life or death.

[Ace2021]

shotokanbeginner: "Have any of you ever been in a real life combat situation"

I'm pretty sure i've posted this before..just not here:

I'm in high school (and as most of you probably know that can be rough), just because everyone is so cocky and wants to prove themselves. Well I accidentally bumped into this kid in the hall, and acting gangsterish he told me to square up, only a few people knew I was a Karateka, and they were wondering how this would end. Before fighting I tried to tell him to calm down, but he swung first.

As I assumed (which I shouldn't have), he was trying to box me as most untrained kids would do in a fight, he came at me with a flurry of punches, but missed because I just took one step back and roundhouse kicked him in the right thigh (pretty hard), and he lost his balance instantly and his head hit the floor (I didn't mean for that to happen), luckily everyone understood I was only defending myself so I didn't get suspended or kicked out of the dojo.

After that I saw at least 7 kids in the hall and at classes asking me where I train and how can they.

[shotokanbeginner]

shotokanbeginner: "Have any of you ever been in a real life combat situation"

I'm pretty sure i've posted this before..just not here:

I'm in high school (and as most of you probably know that can be rough), just because everyone is so cocky and wants to prove themselves. Well I accidentally bumped into this kid in the hall, and acting gangsterish he told me to square up, only a few people knew I was a Karateka, and they were wondering how this would end. Before fighting I tried to tell him to calm down, but he swung first.

As I assumed (which I shouldn't have), he was trying to box me as most untrained kids would do in a fight, he came at me with a flurry of punches, but missed because I just took one step back and roundhouse kicked him in the right thigh (pretty hard), and he lost his balance instantly and his head hit the floor (I didn't mean for that to happen), luckily everyone understood I was only defending myself so I didn't get suspended or kicked out of the dojo.

After that I saw at least 7 kids in the hall and at classes asking me where I train and how can they.

good story, thanks

[Yasutsune Makoto]

I just wanted to point out that shotokan is quite an incredible style of MA. As you progress through the ranks push yourself to see what you are really doing, and don't just throw the technique out there. Above all it is a way of life and mindset, and I think any serious practitioner of shotokan will tell you that technical proficiency can never be complete until you start ataining understanding of concepts like atemi, kime, and zanshin, as well as the humility, discipline, budo and peaceful nature that is at the root of shotokan karate.

but then again, that may just be what I think is important

[Ace2021]

I thoroughly agree, Makoto Jin.

[Shui Tora]

The reason Shotokan is seen as a sport based system is because the WKF and AMA etc (all those Karate groups) added in sport style like kicks and punches...

Before that Shoto was created by Funakoshi merging two styles (Shorei and Shorin) to create a more simpler yet effective style - Shotokan...

And I agree with what Killer said, that just because it is now recognised as a sport like system, we Karate-ka do not go out and pick fights... Shoto is all about understanding how a situation is going to happen, anticpating your opponents move; using your body effectively to avoid the attack...

The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants

Shoto, I belive is an Art in which we learn how to use our bodies, as well as to understand, in a fight. It is all about learning how to deal with an attack and defend from it. Is that what Karate not about? Not going out there and hurting someone on instinct...?

And for the answer to the question - I have had to use techniques from Shoto to defend myself, and they proved effective...

If you learn a style of Karate properly, then you'll understand how to use if properly...

[KarateK]

I entered an open karate tournament in February which was predominantly Shotokan - I loved to watch their sparring, scoring points is obviously similar to how we train but we dont really do any sparring in tournament.

Unfortunately as most of the judges were Shotokan judges I dont think I did as well as I could of. While I was looking at the other competitors katas thinking oh that doesnt look right, the judges may have been thinking the same about me