Shotokan

[jaymac]

I know I have answered similar to this previously about shotokan and our school. We are not a sport karate. We do not participate as a school in tournaments. My instructor does not discourage those who want to compete, but he does not promote it either. He feels many shotokan schools that are represented at tournaments have been watered down. He explains it that some are under governing bodies and just run that way and some are headed by instructors who have ranked in many styles and are incorporating all into one and calling it shotokan. We are not under any organization. I have competed and done very well, but gave it up when watching unrealistic type hand kata, weapons kata, self defense, and sparring taking place amongst many schools. Even some I am sad to say were "shotokan" but looked more like XMA. Please understand that I am not trying to knock anyone who competes. I would actually love to attend a traditional competition that is not under some national point rated system.

[KarateK]

Jaymac its refreshing to hear an opinion like that - a lot of focus at the moment is made on competing within the MA

[Takeda Shingen]

there was a man who only could ski alpine, but refused to try telemark, snowboarding, cross-country, or free-style short-boards..is he a good skier?...he will never know.

Osu!

TS

[The Karate Kid]

at my dojo we do traditional shotokan and also freestyle kickboxing.......and i love it lol

[y2_sub]

Another shotokan effectiveness thread ...

So far most of the guys who have posted are shotokan practitioners , so of course they are going to say shotokan is effective ….

And I personally AGREE that shotokan is a very good style for self defense , only if it has been taught as a self defense style not as a sports MA , and to be honest there are tones of sports shotokan dojos around the world , few of the schools I have visited teach shotokan as it should be taught ..

I think that JKA should make competition rules a little bit harder ???

[jaymac]

I didn't say shotokan is effective. I said we (as in my dojo) are not sport karate. I think personally, any style of Martial Art is effective in self defense if the practitioner trains hard. Even the most effective style of MA will be ineffective against an attack if the individual does not train. Just because someone takes the very best defensive style, does not make him/her a master at defending themselves.

[Triskel]

Hi!

I'm new in this forum, I've practiced Shotokan since a couple of years and I've seen lots of changes since my first lesson...

I'm from Costa Rica, and I've been in three different dojos, of three different Associations -by the way, I must apologize for my poor english - and I've seen different -how to say it?- "understandig?" of the spirit of karate, some more rude, other more sport related, and one more "martial" as in live/death situations. My own point of view is that Karate is a way of life, even more I hate sparring, i prefere to practice kata than fighting... I like to think that Karate is a way to know myself better and to discipline my mind... but... this is my particular point of view, and a personal conviction, I've never seen anything but the "Dojo kun" (i'm not sure how to call it in english) that five phrases which were given to me years ago.

I've told my sensei that I've never seen anything else, anything more... "spiritual??" in Shotokan which is the only martial art I ever practiced. And he told me that it was true, something have been missed since karate left japan and reach my country...

Right now, the karate we're practicing in C.R. is becoming more "martial" as it used to be, and not as tournament focused as it is now (I'm sorry to say this, I'm not trying to say Shotokan is bad, I love it and I'll defend it with all my strenght) but as I can see you have a clearer vision of it, I know you'll see why I'm confused and I'm sure since we're all comrades I'll get a "non defensive" answer but an explanation... I'd like to know if perhaps in other dojos the vision of karate is explicit in this mind related stuff and is not a personal seek as in mine...

Thanks a lot for your answers, and for your understanding.

-------------------------

 

Karate ni sente nashi

[kgcobra320]

I bumped this thread back to the top, as I feel there is still more to this

subject than what has been discussed thus far.

I've done a fair share of reading for the last three months or so, on the

history and developement of modern karate. Without revisting the entire

history I think that most Shotokan practioners recognize that the karate

that they have learned is not the same as was originally taught. I

compleatly understand the reasoning for the changes and to a large

degree appreciate what the changes have accomplished, bringing karate

to the masses, that is.

The question that I have is this: Why does the JKA still continue to teach

karate in this fashion? Why not reinfuse the art with the original kata

bunkai and make it a complete MA? IMHO this is why, to some, that

Shotokan appears to be more sport that practical. The bunkai are there,

they just need to be taught!

KG

[Triskel]

Yep kgcobra320 I think the same way you do...

In fact in Costa Rica the former JKA dojos merged into a new organization, where sensei Wei Yui Yi (I'm sure if I spelled it the right way) and he is actualy moving forward our karate into the martial original form it used to be (as I said in my previous post)

[Yasutsune Makoto]

Since I haven't seen this posted on this thread yet...

Shotokan is also seen as a sport style because (I believe) it was the first karate style (judo not included) to have competitive sport fighting. It also has a substantially large number of members, most of whom enjoy sport competition.

This being a big factor of the sport style shotokan, I want to point out that although it's been modified, its essence hasn't been watered down. I've recently begun using shotokan in heavy contact fighting, no pads, allowing leg strikes and light groin (w/ cup) and face strikes, throws, knees, elbows and joint manipulations with no restrictions except for don't maim/break your partner...we are friends after all. Staying loyal to the style I manage to do very well, and even can use many moves from kata during the fighting.

All that was to point out one basic thing...

If you use shotokan to point spar, it will look like a sport. But when you begin using it in a more combative situation, its essence comes out, showing how martial it can be.