shotokan?

[eat_my_fudge]

HAHAHA, Zorbasan, that just caught my attention. You mentioned how it is interesting with the close in fighting of Shotokan. I personally feel that Shotokan is distance fighting, but that's because the other styles I have done are grappling or chinese striking arts, as opposed to you doing TKD. Hmmm, interesting.

Anyway, Shotokan is a great style, particularly for people new to MA. I personally don't think it would be a good thing to study simply because it is so similar to TKD, that I think your time would be better spent learning something completely different. I have no doubt that Zorbasan will disagree with me though.

I am also currently doing judo which is obviously very different.

[cathal]

I view fighting as from the long range, ie, kicking, close range as in punching, and then grappling.

I was sparring with my Shotokan sensei the other day and got in very close. She came in and I didn't back up or turn, and I through with an upper-rising elbow. I was so surprised it go through, at all let alone with an elbow. Jiffy is correct in that most sparring with Shotokan is going to be at at medium or larger distance. But we don't discount the close-range training...well in my dojo anyway.

[jaymac]

Some of the kata might be similar, but I do not think Shotokan and TKD are that close. I know on previous posts, others have mentioned that Shotokan is a sport style karate. Our dojo and instructor are not. We do not train to score points at tournaments. I have gone to a few tournaments on my own and have seen TKD practicitioners and never saw any similarities. In fact, most of the TKD students did not compete in anything but sparring. They did awesome high kicks and even some jump kicks. It wasn't until coming to this forum that I first heard of Shotokan being a sport oriented MA. We train for realistic self defense situations. Do traditional kata and spar to really fight, not score.

[PlasmaShock]

From the videos ive watched over the years, TKD seems to be missing alot of things that shotokan does in techniques. So they are both different. TKD is modified from shotokan so it takes less time to learn(without having to learn all the technical components shotokan has). Plus they added alot of kicks to strengthen the legs. If you read some history of tae kwon do, you would find out that they have alot of kicks because the hands were made for art and didn't want them damaged or used as weapons.

[bushido_man96]

From the videos ive watched over the years, TKD seems to be missing alot of things that shotokan does in techniques. So they are both different. TKD is modified from shotokan so it takes less time to learn(without having to learn all the technical components shotokan has). Plus they added alot of kicks to strengthen the legs. If you read some history of tae kwon do, you would find out that they have alot of kicks because the hands were made for art and didn't want them damaged or used as weapons.

I have never heard this comment about the lack of using the hands.

[PlasmaShock]

over the years tkd has developed some hand techniques and stuff. i love learning about the history and philosiphy of martial arts.

[bushido_man96]

There are a multitude of hand techniques available to the TKD practitioner, and there are many shown in General Choi's encyclopedia. The forms have mostly hand techniques and blocking techniques in them.

[PlasmaShock]

i knew that about the forms. most forms that i see barely even have kicks.

[bushido_man96]

I just got a book in today that talks about TKD and it's forms applications. It also has a section on TKD's lineage, and it talks about its connection with Shotokan. After I get it read, I will post more.

[PlasmaShock]

cool. im gonna do some research on where i can get some good martial art books.