Why so many different styles in Karate?

[Dobie1979]

I understand that variety is the spice of life, but why are there so many different styles in Karate? I study Shorin Ryu, how does that stack up against Shotokan or Goju to name a few. Im sure there are differences in stances and katas, but is that it? Looking forward to hear the responses.

[quinteros1963]

They are all just different styles of fighting, usually taylored to the creator of his respective style. Kata is nothing but a set of techniques put together to simulate a fight. Certain techniques will lend them selves as better for one style to the next, but at the end of the day the desired result is the same. Find a style that suits you and stick with that.

[Lupin1]

Why so many languages? Methods of dress? Styles of dance? Different cultures develop differently, and that includes in karate. I don't think one is better than another-- they're just different.

[jsteczko]

Because every individual is different. Everyone creates sooner or later his own style and adapts techniques to his own body. As you can see, very often karate styles are not that much different. I know that sometimes the only different thing can be the name.

There are also many opinions and discussions which techniques are best. One might prefer traditional karate with deep stances and katas. Another guy may want to train sparring instead of katas. But they both train the same martial art.

Some people can have a vision where they create their own style with their name on it. For example, my name is Smith and I create Smith Karate. Because I want others to train my style.

Another example: think about catholic church and protestant church. There are not many differences, except some details. But still they are not counted as the same thing.

The reason to so many karate styles is as always, the fact that every individual is different.

[Lupin1]

Another example: think about catholic church and protestant church. There are not many differences, except some details. But still they are not counted as the same thing.

If it weren't for the fact that religious debates were against the rules, I could give you a very long argument about why that's not the least bit true. But alas...

[sensei8]

I understand that variety is the spice of life, but why are there so many different styles in Karate? I study Shorin Ryu, how does that stack up against Shotokan or Goju to name a few. Im sure there are differences in stances and katas, but is that it? Looking forward to hear the responses.

That's a good question. Allow me to try to adequately answer it. The martial arts can be thought of as an organic, living thing; it must grow, adapt, and change in order to thrive. Take a taste, and hopefully you'll see that the martial arts in all of its variety is good.

Edited April 22, 2010 by sensei8

[Dobie1979]

I wasn't asking if one was better than the other. I was just curious in the slight differences for style to style. The differences in philoshpies and such.

[BDPulver]

A couple posts kinda sum'd it up. Each has its strengths and weakness but what your asking is why so many styles.

Well for example gojo ryu, very hard very powerful mostly on its stances and techniques.

Shorin ryu is almost subtle in that it could pass as a tai chi type ma. Nice and fluid.

Wado ryu im not real familiar with.

Isshinryu which has both aspects of shorin and gojo.

These are primarly just examples though. I hope this helps a bit more.

[RW]

What you all say is totally right.

I guess he meant something more of the lines of "why does Karate have so many different styles as compared to other MA's?"

Think about it. There's WTF and ITF taekwondo. There's Muay Thai (I am not aware of different MT styles). BJJ has several schools, but they're still BJJ, as opposed to say, shotokan and goku ryu karate.

I have wondered that myself...

[Toptomcat]

I guess he meant something more of the lines of "why does Karate have so many different styles as compared to other MA's?"

Think about it. There's WTF and ITF taekwondo. There's Muay Thai (I am not aware of different MT styles). BJJ has several schools, but they're still BJJ, as opposed to say, shotokan and goku ryu karate.

On the Korean side there's ATF taekwondo, as well as Tang Soo Do, Soo Bahk Do, Kyuki Do, Chuck Norris' hybrid style Chun Kuk Do, the Muay Thai/TKD hybrid Kun Gek Do/Gwon-gyokdo, Choi Kwang-Do, Kuk Sool Won, etc. etc. It's just that few of them are as visible as TKD due to its promotion by the South Korean government.

On the BJJ side there's the split between what's now considered to be 'mainstream' BJJ, which is virtually all ground fighting, all the time, and a curriculum that hews somewhat more closely to what the Gracies themselves teach, which adds some very basic standup strikes and focuses a bit more on throws. There are also the 10th Planet people, who have also taken some pains to distinguish themselves from ordinary BJJ, and there's a rather quieter split between those schools that practice mostly with the gi and those that practice mostly without.

Only when you're on the outside looking in do either appear monolithic. While I don't know as much about Muay Thai, I imagine the same is true there as well.