Hi

i was just wondering what people thought of these 2 styles, and any insight they have on the diffrences or similarities, and if one of these style is better at certian areas.

I do shotokan (SKA) my brother TKD (TAGB), and i am thinking of moving to TKD becuase they seem to have a greater variaty of kicks, unlike shotokan's front kick, side kick, roundhouse, back kick.

Thanks

Well, lufbrajames, is your priority learning lots of kicks? What do you want to gain from your martial art?

From your post it sounds like you want to learn whatever will teach you the most kicks, in which case taekwondo is a good way to go.

Edit - in my humble opinion, the shotokan style is better for just about everything than taekwondo (I'm not just being antagonistic, I genuinely think that is true), but if it's just variety of kicks that you're after, then nothing beats TKD

Well, lufbrajames, is your priority learning lots of kicks? What do you want to gain from your martial art?

From your post it sounds like you want to learn whatever will teach you the most kicks, in which case taekwondo is a good way to go.

Edit - in my humble opinion, the shotokan style is better for just about everything than taekwondo (I'm not just being antagonistic, I genuinely think that is true), but if it's just variety of kicks that you're after, then nothing beats TKD

Elky hit the nail on the head. If you're looking for a kicking art, TKD is the way to go.

Personally, I feel Shotokan has better self defense. But that's always a personal thing anyway. If you don't feel you would use the techniques being taught to you, then they are useless anyway. Good luck with your decision.

Theres a thread that I believe is a really really long one about this somewhere here. I'd dig it up for you but then..half the fun is finding it right!!

Look in either Karate..this one. Im not sure..but I know I replied to it several times.

And just cuz Im cool like dat

http://www.karateforums.com/what-can-tkd-learn-from-karate-and-vise-versa-vt26924.html?highlight=

Thanks dancingsteve very helpful.

I think that TKD and Shotokan both have the same kicks, but TKD just focuses on them more, adding spinning variants, jumping variants, and then adding in both variants. It depends on the TKD person doing the teaching as to how much of the different kicking you do, how often it is trained. There are also a lot of competition-focused TKD schools out there, which tends to alter the teaching methodologies.

TKD actually has some of its roots in Shotokan. If you do an ITF style of TKD, you may see some of the similarities between the two.

As far as the self-defense aspect of any martial art goes, it usually depends on the instructor's knowledge and viewpoints to training self-defense.

Hey, DancingSteve, thanks for throwing my old thread back up there!

There is no rule stating that just because you train in Shotokan you can't learn TKD kicks. Have your brother teach you the TKD kicks or get some TKD kicking DVDs so you don't have to switch arts. Your martial arts journey is YOUR journey...if you like an element or variation of something that another style does.....take it and put it in your arsenal.

My opinion,

I went from Shotokan to TKD for similar reasons: speed and kicking. My Shotokan base has been an advantage to my TKD training which I have stuck with ever since. I say try it, you might like it!

There is no rule stating that just because you train in Shotokan you can't learn TKD kicks. Have your brother teach you the TKD kicks or get some TKD kicking DVDs so you don't have to switch arts. Your martial arts journey is YOUR journey...if you like an element or variation of something that another style does.....take it and put it in your arsenal.

My opinion,

Good point, James. Turtle Press sells some DVDs made by Sang H. Kim, focusing on TKD kicking drills and tournament type kicking drills. Check it out: http://www.turtlepress.com/Tae_Kwon_Do_DVDs_and_Books_s/89.htm