Shotokan

[EclecticFighter]

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.

This is indeed what is practiced in many, many shotokan dojos. It gets even worse: most of the 2 by 2 techniques are practiced by only moving forward/backward. Talk about mobility...

For a long time now my instructor has been dissatisfied with the big organizations. He is a product of the SKI and I am a product of the JKA. I am dissatisfied too, but I was afraid to switch from one organization to another like he is doing. Still I followed him. As time went on I could see that I was becoming more articulate and adaptable than those who stayed in their big organization. Worse, I was learning MORE from non-japanese masters. I'm not talking about technique here but how to fight, grappling extracted from kata movements, how to move in all directions.

Right now we are learning from Steve Ubl. He is a direct student of Nakayama and his teachings are very martial-oriented. Gone are the big and flashy moves in the katas. The movements are more efficient and he teaches the associated bunkais. His bunkais involve a lot of grappling and simultaneous block-punch. When I practice my katas per his teachings, I feel like a beginner, I keep on fumbling my moves because my first impulse is to do the move has I have been doing it for the last 17 years. I feel very fortunate for this teaching because I have always been questioning my effectiveness in real combat and that is why I have started practicing daily on a makiwara. Steve's bunkais are an arsenal with which to expand my little punch-kick-block toolbox .

I am very happy to meet a lot of like-minded people here because I feel very alone in a world surrounded by people who define themselves by their organization. It gives me faith in my coming years of training.

[bushido_man96]

It sounds like you have some good things going there, eclectic fighter. Currently, I don't get to do any bunkai training, so I am trying to get to the point that I am.

Eventually, I would like to move into kata-based sparring.

[bushido_man96]

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 -

I apologize, Killer. I am not intending to make it sound like that, but the responses made are very common, and I believe that it leads to a common misconception of the martial arts, and I would just like to see this misconception shook off.