A little research.

[Yasutsune Makoto]

I've been reading a lot lately and am finding an extremely disturbing number of sources stating that Shotokan has become nothing but a competition style.

I'm not going to lie, this makes me ANGRY!

What I want to know is who out there, other than me, practices Shotokan and uses it in contact situations? Who attends or teaches at a dojo where students learn combat, power in jiyu kumite, and not just MC Dojos. Control is a huge part of karate, the difference between those who train and those who don't.

So, karate-ka and especially Shotokan practiticioners. Tell me how many train for combat and apply it in free spar with control, or just train for competition. Is there anyone else out there fed up with the statement, "shotokan is just a sport"?!?!?

[bushido_man96]

I get this all of the time, being in Taekwondo. I understand how it makes you feel. Our sparring is controlled with rules, but we practice a lot of basics and one-steps as well.

[patusai]

I suppose that many styles can be considered sport or combative depending on how it is used and taught. Each school in each style may be and many times are differrently taught. I do not know to what level your school teaches so I do not know what to say to you. People should probably consider that all Shotokan schools are not cookie cutters of eachother. If they find one school that is Sport based totally they need not feel that all are. One question I have is how to you use it in a combat situation?

[Shotokan-kez]

Makota.....I hear you!! I have been practicing Shotokan for years. We are not combative, aggresive and we are not full contact. Our club isn't competition based. When we do kumite is totally semi contact, controlled and i have to say it....fun!!

I have heard people call shotokan 'boring'. I love it. It teaches me control, dicipline and good fitness. Shotokan is 'big' and in a way 'graceful' in some of the ways the moves are performed.

[Yasutsune Makoto]

One question I have is how to you use it in a combat situation?

By combat situation I mean full-contact MMA, and ocassionally no holds barred fighting amoung other martial artist friends. We use this as training to find weaknesses in our techniques and get practice against people outside our dojo. I've also done some multiple attacker practice that was unscripted just to see how it went.

Here I think it is important to note that I practice the martial arts for development of the mind, spirit, body, and martial aspects. I believe they go hand in hand and all should be emphasized equally, hence the explorations into situations that aren't really practiced in JKA style shotokan.

[Yasutsune Makoto]

adendum:

and training for combat would be training for self-defense. instead of training for competition.

[NinTai]

I've been reading a lot lately and am finding an extremely disturbing number of sources stating that Shotokan has become nothing but a competition style..

I guess you would have to look at the history of Shotokan to see what

they mean.

The "mother art" that Shotokan came from was a "life protection art".

Meaning that it was a complete art that contained grappling, joint manipulation,

inside fighting and was focused on protecting ones life above all else.

When Funakoshi brought this art to Japan many things where changed

some things, like the the meaning of Karate (China hand) to Karate

(empty hand) were political, other changes such as stances and hand

positioning where for aesthetics.

When these changes took place the art evolved more towards a sporting

aspect.

This does not mean that a Shotokan practioner cannot defend him/her

self on the street but it does mean that they are far removed from their

roots, and have lost much in the process.

MMA and full contact fighting is not combat. You do not fear for your life.

The person you are facing is not intent on killing you. If you lose you get

banged up, but you will survive.

Now before everyone starts flaming me, let me say that I have great

repect for these ATHLETES they take a beating, but so do boxers and

we consider boxing a sport not combat.

I believe that Shotokan is a sport form of Karate BUT that does not make

it a "McDojo". The quality of the student is what determins that.

[bushido_man96]

I've been reading a lot lately and am finding an extremely disturbing number of sources stating that Shotokan has become nothing but a competition style..

I guess you would have to look at the history of Shotokan to see what

they mean.

The "mother art" that Shotokan came from was a "life protection art".

Meaning that it was a complete art that contained grappling, joint manipulation,

inside fighting and was focused on protecting ones life above all else.

When Funakoshi brought this art to Japan many things where changed

some things, like the the meaning of Karate (China hand) to Karate

(empty hand) were political, other changes such as stances and hand

positioning where for aesthetics.

When these changes took place the art evolved more towards a sporting

aspect.

This does not mean that a Shotokan practioner cannot defend him/her

self on the street but it does mean that they are far removed from their

roots, and have lost much in the process.

MMA and full contact fighting is not combat. You do not fear for your life.

The person you are facing is not intent on killing you. If you lose you get

banged up, but you will survive.

Now before everyone starts flaming me, let me say that I have great

repect for these ATHLETES they take a beating, but so do boxers and

we consider boxing a sport not combat.

I believe that Shotokan is a sport form of Karate BUT that does not make

it a "McDojo". The quality of the student is what determins that.

I would like to make a point relevant to the one you have made here. The same thing that has happened to a lot of martial styles, like shotokan, can be releated to the likeness of what happened to fencing.

It is in no way like its combative counterpart of the 15th to 16th centuries.

[Andrew_Patton]

I agree with NinTai, Shotokan's lost it's way as far as the inside fighting, grappling and joint manipulations that are in Okinawan arts, we also traing those aspects in sparring situations, and I have begun taking people of other styles up on offers of sparring matches to learn how to defend against other types of attacks.

Also, just because it is the sportier side of karate doesn't mean it's a mcdojo, it's just mainly trained geared more towards sport.

[Yasutsune Makoto]

You're comment about combat not being MMA, much agreed. It is a wrong word choice on my part, apologies to the team. What I mean is just anything more than point-sparring. Something where you can see the effectiveness of your technique and not just "If I had thrown that for real it would have hurt", or "Tag, you're it". You know what I mean?

Again, sorry.