Shotokan

[Jiffy]

I'll second that one. Been reading one article each day for the last week.

[24fightingchickens]

Thank you guys. I appreciate the compliments, and I am glad to have been of service to you.

Yes, I am a professional writer who has been doing Shotokan for more than 25 years. I now am very interested in how I can apply my management and business training to Karate club operations while providing practical how-to advice for students and instructors to improve how we practice. The instructor training section is my focus right now.

[bushido_man96]

Thank you guys. I appreciate the compliments, and I am glad to have been of service to you.

Yes, I am a professional writer who has been doing Shotokan for more than 25 years. I now am very interested in how I can apply my management and business training to Karate club operations while providing practical how-to advice for students and instructors to improve how we practice. The instructor training section is my focus right now.

Very nice. I just bookmarked it!!

[kgcobra320]

At times, I second guess my critisism of the JKA training style, as to

whether it would be practical in a real world self defense situation or not.

It seems to me to me that some kind of upper block or lower block,

depending on the attack, coupled with a strong reverse punch should be

fairly effective for most situations.

It is basic and has been etched into the minds/bodies of most JKA

karateka by years of repitition. Basic and second nature, in the midst

of a high stress moment, isn't that the formula for a good self defense

technique?

Why wouldn't it work?.......Any thoughts?....

KG

[Jiffy]

What annoys me is when people say things like "Shotokan is not effective cos they don't do grabs and stuff".

Without getting into the whole "what is included in Shotokan" discussion, there's a couple of principles these people seem to forget.

1) Keep it simple.

2) A punch in the face or kick in the groin usually qualifies for street effective.

Even if the school does only look at basic techniques, that doesn't mean it doesn't work. One of the most restricted arts is Boxing, yet I'm sure many of them could quite easily protect themselves in the street!

[juey palancu]

Jiffy,

Once again I agree with you completely. Well put. I've seen people collapse in a heap from a gyaku-zuki

Besides, shotokan does have MANY grabs and throws in kata and their bunkai. Even clinch work! Just refer to the last few moves of heian yondan for example. Not to mention the tekkis...

gero

[bushido_man96]

At times, I second guess my critisism of the JKA training style, as to

whether it would be practical in a real world self defense situation or not.

It seems to me to me that some kind of upper block or lower block,

depending on the attack, coupled with a strong reverse punch should be

fairly effective for most situations.

It is basic and has been etched into the minds/bodies of most JKA

karateka by years of repitition. Basic and second nature, in the midst

of a high stress moment, isn't that the formula for a good self defense

technique?

Why wouldn't it work?.......Any thoughts?....

KG

I think that it can work, but you cannot always assume that you block, then punch. You may block, but there may be another attack coming right in behind, and you haven't got to punch yet. Besides that, you have to practice the block and counter in a resisting situation, in which the scenario evolves as you go on.

[Killer Miller]

Bushido_Man96, you make it sound like we only do one block and puch in the basic sense only. This is most certainly not the case. He's refering to the most basic sense of the topic. But there are many variations and repetitions of that basic block and punch that is still very effective.

- Killer -

[kgcobra320]

Even if the school does only look at basic techniques, that doesn't mean it doesn't work. One of the most restricted arts is Boxing, yet I'm sure many of them could quite easily protect themselves in the street!

Excellent analogy! I've seen quite a few knockouts that involved simply

ducking a punch and following with a right cross/uppercut. Basic, simple

and effective.

I think that it can work, but you cannot always assume that you block, then punch. You may block, but there may be another attack coming right in behind, and you haven't got to punch yet. Besides that, you have to practice the block and counter in a resisting situation, in

which the scenario evolves as you go on.

We are trained to deliver the counter as fast as possible. Done correctly,

it almost appears to be one technique. But I hear what you are saying.

I think that the issue of practicality, of any MA is situational. In some, if

not most situations I think that basic self defense techniques are very

effective. In my mind these situations are the ones where you sense that

an attack may occur but the attacker has no idea that you are trained at

all and if you are successful then the altercation is over. If, for a number

of reasons, your attacker is trained, your counter was ineffective, etc,

you are not successful, then your cards are on the table and the situation

has changed dramatically. You have lost the element of suprise and in

these cases I think that the shortcomings of JKA are revealed. In our

dojo we usually say, "If the Shotokan cannon hasn't dropped your

opponent, you better run".

But as we have already discussed, the techniques that might be

necessary in these stiuations already exist in the kata they just need to

be extracted and trained on.

KG

[Shui Tora]

What annoys me is when people say things like "Shotokan is not effective cos they don't do grabs and stuff".

If you look at some the stuff the Goju Ryu uses, most of their techniques are not grabbing etc... They use uchi-uke (in close combat) to deflect a punch (like its used for) as well as a strike.... Most of their katas, they use blocks with little grabs etc....

I just wonder that the people that writes this has little or no clue about what Shotokan is really about, or any other karate style for that matter...