Isshin Ryu or Goju Ryu

[tekki]

I have seen Isshin Ryu people perform quite a bit at tournaments, but I myself have never trained in it. All I really know about it is that they punch a lot with the vertical punch (which is a close-in type of punch that is quick-doesn't have the full twist that most karate punches have) I've seen excellent Isshin Ryu performances, poor Isshin Ryu performances and everything in between. Overall, it seems to be more like Goju Ryu than say, Shotokan, in that Isshin and Goju are both Okinawan systems. Given these choices, I would make my decision based on factors other than the style, such as the location of the dojo, the cost of classes, your impressions of the instructor, and which school seems to cater more to what you want most out of karate. (do you want self defense, fitness competition or do you simply want to have fun learning something new?)