Is this school TOO traditional?

[T3chnopsycho]

welcome to the forum nj908

I think a style can't be TOO traditional. The style either says itself "We are a traditional style." or they say they're not.

Just try it out for some time and decide if you like it or not. It's also a question for what you want to train. In the end you have to check your list of things you want to gain from the martial art and what a specific school can offer. Then you know if it's a good school or not.

For me a school should be open to progress. And not just teach techniques a way because "it's written in a book" but because it's proven that it's effective.

But that is a personal opinion ^^

Cheers and enjoy your training and trying out

T3chnopsycho

[Nevinyrral]

There is nothing wrong with blocking with forearm. I remember when I was in middle school doing kung fu and we did some blocking drills, and after just three or four block I couldnt lift my arm. But now I can execute block hard enough so it will hurt the oponent not me

I my opinion traditional martial arts are better in the long run. Think about how long can anyone compete in boxing or mma. About till they are 50 is max. And in karate you can always go for kata competitions or point sparring.

[Harkon72]

Our club teaches traditional Karate but in a Modern way, this is the form Shukokai is taught.

[KyungYet]

I think its interesting that most arguments here have centered around the assumption that a technique must be effective in a streetfight to be worthwhile (e.g., "modern") and that something "too traditional" (like a forearm block or a really obscure and unlikely movement) is something to avoid.

People take martial arts for very different reasons, and there are lots of different things to be gained from martial arts. Practical self-defense and badassery on the street may be one of them. But there is also self-discipline, self-control, respect, flexibility, strength, conditioning of body parts, cultural and traditional aspects, a sense of community, blah blah blah...

Myself, I love my hyungs (katas, just in Korean). Many of the moves in them are fairly impractical. Many of our "traditional" moves are somewhat impractical as well, in street-fighting terms (or at least, there are more practical versions of them elsewhere or they need to be modified into a fighting version of themselves to be practical). But this does not discourage or bother me, because I thoroughly enjoy the traditional, historical, cultural aspect of my art. If that's not what floats your boat, personally, then my art would be a poor fit for you (which is fine! To each their own!).

I think I'm just sayin' different strokes for different folks, and the sum total value of an art may not be (for everyone) the degree to which all of its techniques are effective in street combat.

Good replies, all - interesting topic.

[FighterForLife]

Hi all!

First off, I have some informal martial training. My dad trained in various styles and then taught me growing up. He didn't teach me really advanced things (advanced throws, or joint locks, or anything like that), but he taught me what he used as a bouncer and police officer. However, I now have the ability to formally train...but theres a problem. I'm a little skeptical. A friend of mine has a black belt in Shorinryu karate and showed me his dojo just the other day. I like his sensei. He is very nice and didn't have a problem correcting students when they were not doing something right or when he felt they could be doing better. I like that.

My biggest qualm about the dojo is I'm afraid its too traditional, and they are using techniques that are slightly outdated. I'm talking mostly about blocking with the forearm, which definitely hurts after sometime. My girlfriend is currently a 2nd degree blackbelt in Isshinryu karate(I don't want to go to her dojo and feel like I'm impeding, long story), and she didn't seem to be against the school, but she mentioned that Isshinryu was created because Tatsuo Shimabuku found faults in Shorinryu and Gojuryu karate. I could go on, and on, but thats the gist of it. Can a school be too traditional and could that be a bad thing? I'm not sure, because I could always adapt the style to what I see as more practical, right?

Thanks!

I only know what you have given us here, so I dont know if I can give you what you need. But I'll take a stab in the dark!

If you enjoyed the basics your dad taught you and you like the simple and straight forward combatives of bouncer/LEO techniques then why are you going after a traditional art like Shorinryu? You may be best off with something like Hapkido, Aikido, Krav Maga, etc since they all have techniques that are applicable towards what you already have learned.

But lets say you are dead set on going to a traditional karate school. Is the Shorinryu dojo "too" old school? Maybe. Though I am not sure whether you can make that call based solely on what you've told us here.

Every style (Krav, BJJ, Karate, JKD, etc) blocks with forearms. Doing so is not outdated unless there is a new technique of blocking with telekinesis I am unaware of (which would be sweet!).

Your gf sounds well intentioned, though it is a paper-rock-scissors argument about who developed what style due to perceived weaknesses in style X, Y, and Z. So don't use this as your sole barometer either.

Bottom line, unless you see something that is dangerous (making children punch bricks, stabbing your hands into hot sand or gravel, gun disarming techniques with LIVE AMMUNITION, etc) then I don't think you should write them off simply because they do things differently than what you already learned.

Best of luck!