Fighting stance to train from in shotokan??

[chrisw08]

I was wondering if someone would do a tutorial on the shotokan fighting stance. Ive seen diffrent ones but i dont know what the official standard stance looks like. I think its back stance with hand chambered and open hand outward but ive also seen both hands pointing together outward close together and twisting in close jabs. It would be awsome if someone posted a tutorial video. Thank you for replies

[Dobbersky]

I would get Kanazawa Sensei's Book/DVD on this specific subject

[wagnerk]

I would get Kanazawa Sensei's Book/DVD on this specific subject

I bought this DVD from Kanazawa Sensei. Excellent DVD.

However, imo, there are slight differences between Kanazawa Sensei's "flavour" (eg skkif and the people who studied under him) of Shotokan and Enoda Sensei's "flavour" (eg JKA and the people that studied under him).

As for the fighting stance of Shotokan karate, see

. Weight bearing 50/50 between back and front.

To be honest, I would strongly recommend training under an instructor to get a better feel of the art.

[sensei8]

I would get Kanazawa Sensei's Book/DVD on this specific subject

Great advice!!

[sensei8]

I would get Kanazawa Sensei's Book/DVD on this specific subject

I bought this DVD from Kanazawa Sensei. Excellent DVD.

However, imo, there are slight differences between Kanazawa Sensei's "flavour" (eg skkif and the people who studied under him) of Shotokan and Enoda Sensei's "flavour" (eg JKA and the people that studied under him).

As for the fighting stance of Shotokan karate, see

. Weight bearing 50/50 between back and front.

To be honest, I would strongly recommend training under an instructor to get a better feel of the art.

Solid advice!!

Stance in your provided video link is zenkutsu dachi even though their stances are more upright and even weighted.

[Jack Slack]

I would get Kanazawa Sensei's Book/DVD on this specific subject

Honestly one of the worst books I've ever read.

All filler, no killer.

Just numerous set defences for lunging attacks guys don't use in Jiyu kumite.

[Jack Slack]

If you can get a hold of Masahiko Tanaka's "Perfecting Kumite" it is possibly the only truly useful book on karate kumite.

Ticky Donovan's old books are pretty good too but a bit gimmicky, great fun though! 4 pages of punches, 4 pages of kicks, 30 pages of sweeps.

[Dobbersky]

I would get Kanazawa Sensei's Book/DVD on this specific subject

Honestly one of the worst books I've ever read.

All filler, no killer.

Just numerous set defences for lunging attacks don't use in Jiyu kumite.

Strange as you are the only one I know who thinks that. Would you be able to elaborate on your views as Kanazawa Sensei to many is considered as one of the founders of European/British Karate.

I have a vast personal library and I know I've read books by respected martial artists and thought should have bought something else. One book on self-defense that was rated by loads as THE book to get, I got a library copy and thanked God, I'd not bought a copy as it was as you say "All filler, no killer". I got another self-defense book 2nd hand as I didn't want to pay full price and again this was Judo in jeans!

Edited May 19, 2012 by Dobbersky

[Jack Slack]

I would get Kanazawa Sensei's Book/DVD on this specific subject

Honestly one of the worst books I've ever read.

All filler, no killer.

Just numerous set defences for lunging attacks don't use in Jiyu kumite.

Strange as you are the only one I know who thinks that. Would you be able to elaborate on your views as Kanazawa Sensei to many is considered as one of the founders of European/British Karate.

I have a vast personal library and I know I've read books by respected martial artists and thought should have bought something else. One book on self-defense that was rated by loads as THE book to get, I got a library copy and thanked God, I'd not bought a copy as it was as you say "All filler, no killer". I got another self-defense book 2nd hand as I didn't want to pay full price and again this was Judo in jeans!

Hahaha Judo in jeans is an excellent title!

I wasn't at all fond of Kanazawa's kumite book because it simply covered set curriculum of Promise kumite. I trained until my first dan under Kanazawa lineage so was used to having to remember all the bizarre defenses. They're amazing fun but they're completely impractical for a kumite bout.

The majority of the book is spent on set kumite, then some more on other promise exercises such as Okuri-Jiyu-Ippon, and then more on 8 man kumite, which just looks silly.

The Jiyu Kumite techniques outlined are few and only super basic "kizami-zuki -> gyaku-zuki" and "Maegeri -> Gyaku-zuki", punctuated with the traditionally impractical variation of Kani-basami.

I have enormous respect for Master Kanazawa (or Kancho now I suppose), but his book is simply techniques done on a line in basic stances. Simply looking at the footage of him and Enoeda at the JKA All Japan and the footage of him and Asai sparring in the best karate vidoes, it is clear that kumite has become a lot more logical and practical since his hey-day.

Tanaka and Donovans books talk about line, angles, sen-no-sen and go-no-sen and all the other stuff that is actually exclusive to jiyu kumite and that one doesn't get from practicing kihon, kata or promise kumite. While both have extensive sections of bizarre techniques (Tanaka has a whole chapter on kani-basami alone!), they both speak about karate as a science and art rather than a vague charging at each other with basic techniques.

Kanazawa's book on kumite was the first I'd ever bought exclusively on the subject of kumite and I was left feeling empty after reading it. It helped my sparring none. Then I found Edwin Haislet's book on boxing and several other classic boxing texts (John Walsh's Boxing Simplified and J. C. Thomas' "How to be an a**-whipping boxer" key amongst them), and they actually spoke about how to land techniques rather than implying that it's down to practicing throwing the technique straight at your opponent until it just lands on it's own.

Books like these and Donovan and Tanaka's books are great because they assume that everyone has equal technical ability in the fundamentals and talk about how stance, movement, drawing, feinting and angles are the most important elements of a bout