The Beginner's Thoughts

[Anne Onimous]

After some humming and hawing, I've decided to go with Shotokan. It's pretty inexpensive, it's an art I can practice proficiently into my old age (unlike kyokushin, which requires one to take hits in competition and training), the sensei isn't too serious or light-hearted, and his teaching is certified by an international federation. Compared to the other schools in my area, his teaching looks ideal.

The drawback is a lack of exposure to full-contact kumite, officially. While I may be able to have some off the record, it's not quite the same. However, I should be aware of the low amount of violence in my area of the world. Gun control is helpful, and the crime rate is very low, so self-defence in the form of a martial art will likely not be very necessary for me. I have been in one fight in my life, and that was when I was very young - one punch was all it took. I never got into a conflict again, and I don't plan on getting into one in the future.

If I really need self-defence, then I would likely be better-off taking a course in knife defence. That is, training how to use one, and how to deal with facing an enemy with one. One of the assistant instructors at this dojo is a police officer, so I can get supplemental knowledge about street-wise self-defence from him about that.

If Shotokan helps me in a real confrontation, then that is a bonus. I am looking into it more for the lifestyle and fitness benefits than I am for the ability to fight or compete. I don't mind the idea of competing, because it's a great way to compare skills and exchange techniques, but it's not my focus.

My goal is to make Karate a part of who I am.

Thanks for listening. ~

And thanks for your thoughts.

[DoctorQui]

After some humming and hawing, I've decided to go with Shotokan. It's pretty inexpensive, it's an art I can practice proficiently into my old age (unlike kyokushin, which requires one to take hits in competition and training), the sensei isn't too serious or light-hearted, and his teaching is certified by an international federation. Compared to the other schools in my area, his teaching looks ideal.

The drawback is a lack of exposure to full-contact kumite, officially. While I may be able to have some off the record, it's not quite the same. However, I should be aware of the low amount of violence in my area of the world. Gun control is helpful, and the crime rate is very low, so self-defence in the form of a martial art will likely not be very necessary for me. I have been in one fight in my life, and that was when I was very young - one punch was all it took. I never got into a conflict again, and I don't plan on getting into one in the future.

If I really need self-defence, then I would likely be better-off taking a course in knife defence. That is, training how to use one, and how to deal with facing an enemy with one. One of the assistant instructors at this dojo is a police officer, so I can get supplemental knowledge about street-wise self-defence from him about that.

If Shotokan helps me in a real confrontation, then that is a bonus. I am looking into it more for the lifestyle and fitness benefits than I am for the ability to fight or compete. I don't mind the idea of competing, because it's a great way to compare skills and exchange techniques, but it's not my focus.

My goal is to make Karate a part of who I am.

Thanks for listening. ~

And thanks for your thoughts.

You wont be disappointed with Shotokan and in terms of self defence...you will find that as you learn technique and kata you will also be able to apply that to self defence situations!

Enjoy!

OSU

[JohnnyB]

I had noticed that. I'm feeling a bit less uptight about these sorts of things, but it is my nature for my mind to rush ahead and try to figure out the future before I know much about the present.

Tomorrow cannot come soon enough.

Martial Arts is a great cure for that. At the very least it worked for me.

Yeah, the Martial Arts forces you to learn patience.

yeah... training an hour and a half training in the summer under 40C without a sip of water definitely builds up patience!

OSU

[bushido_man96]

Enjoy your Shotokan training, and keep us posted as to how it goes.

[brickshooter]

I ran into this website about a week ago on my search for information on the Martial Arts. After I found out that practising Kendo would not be in my budget, I turned to the empty-handed arts, and in my research on them... KarateForums was played a significant role.

So, I thank you.

Now that I've looked into things enough, I'm going to be joining a dojo soon, in the beginning of January. I've sent a couples of inquiries, and when the senseis reply to my, I'll decide on whether I'll be training in Goju-Ryu, or Shotokan.

My instinct is leading me to the Shotokan dojo. While they don't have a set location, because they use a school gym, a Japanese cultural centre, and a fitness centre (three locations, and all of them a healthy walk away!), the teacher has the most experience out of all the other senseis in this small town - a good twenty-five years, and a Godan rank to go with them.

I spectated a belt testing class today, and was mostly relieved with what I saw. The sensei had a good sense of humour, but was not too silly - he was also quite serious when necessary. I saw in their training a focus on self-defence application, though they do tournaments as well. However, in the kumite for belt testing, I did notice a lack of contact - a little disappointing, but I sent an email asking if contact is normally done, hoping testing is a different story.

I was rather hoping to acquire a few bruises, after all!

I may very well end up in the Goju-Ryu class, if they offer decent contact and aren't too pricey. I will say, though, that ... while I haven't gone to watch them practice (I will be doing that in a couple of days), I know this sensei is a bit less experienced than the Shotokan sensei. While his website is a bit less clear, especially on the number of years of practice, I can tell that he has at least eight years of training and is ranked at Sandan.

Now, Sandan is still quite good, but seventeen less years of training is quite the gap! I also don't know his prices yet, but if they're noticeably more expensive... then that will be a problem, as my budget is very limited.

When it comes down to decisions, I prefer more contact, and Goju-Ryu looks like it would be more interesting than Shotokan. However, even assuming pricing is similar, I am not entirely sure about which class I would want to join simply because of how much more experience the Shotokan sensei has. Karate style, I imagine, matters relatively little in how well a person can spar or fight when compared to how skilled a sensei is, and how well he can pass on his knowledge.

I wonder if I would be right to assume that a good teacher in a style less preferred would probably serve a student better than a somewhat worse teacher in a preferred style? Would the "worse" sensei produce a better student due to the advantage of using contact in sparring as opposed to not?

They're complex questions, especially considering that you have to factor in a student's faith in their sensei. Subjective things are the bane of knowledge.

I'm, of course, using their experience to compare them as I can't directly compare their teaching abilities in a quantitative way.

What are your guys' thoughts on the situation? I have their websites below, in case one of you is feeling especially curious about this situation.

... I really needed to spill my brain, tonight, so I'm sorry if my post was too lengthy! Lol.

http://www.cmaakarate.com/vernon/events.html

http://www.vernonshotokan.ca/

Go to the instructor you like the most regardless of style. In this age of MMA and free information exchange, there's a good chance that you will try new styles now or later.

Everyone wants contact to test their masculinity. But I find that most have a change of heart when they're having their face stitched back together or their nose re-set.

[Anne Onimous]

I'm not about testing my 'masculinity', personally. I prefer contact because of the self-defence benefits - that is, it is difficult to learn how to handle yourself in a confrontation if you don't train realistically.

Without contact, you can only theoretically know how to force an attacker to disengage. When a dangerous situation presents itself for real, things may not go according to theory.

While I realize your use of "everyone" was not intended to be literal, it would be advisable for you to pay attention to your use of absolutes and generalizations. This applies doubly when communicating with strangers. I've met too many people who don't see these things as the hyperboles they are typically intended to be.

I would be foolish to deny that there are many people who want to test their mettle in a full-contact setting. Some people don't mind receiving pain, while others go so far as to enjoy it. However I imagine that full-contact's greatest appeal is the possibility of being able to inflict that pain on others.

In any case, there are many diverse reasons, just as there are many diverse people.

[ShoriKid]

I'm not about testing my 'masculinity', personally. I prefer contact because of the self-defence benefits - that is, it is difficult to learn how to handle yourself in a confrontation if you don't train realistically.

Without contact, you can only theoretically know how to force an attacker to disengage. When a dangerous situation presents itself for real, things may not go according to theory.....

I would be foolish to deny that there are many people who want to test their mettle in a full-contact setting. Some people don't mind receiving pain, while others go so far as to enjoy it. However I imagine that full-contact's greatest appeal is the possibility of being able to inflict that pain on others.

Look at your own second and fourth paragraphs and contrast them. Seems you're looking for contact to know if something works. But, that people are mostly interested in full contact to inflict pain. Could it be that people participating in full contact sparring are just seeking honesty in what works without any theory at all? Not picking on you, just pointing out there are way more people I've met who enjoy the test of full contact than like the idea of hurting other people.

To me contact has always kept us honest. It doesn't have to be hard, hard contact for someone who's trained a while to feel what would have stopped them. I know a solid strike when it lands, know it could have been trouble for me. Everyone has a plan until they get punched. If you train for defense and you never get punched, never have resistance (and getting hit solidly if not full out is resistance), your training has a high chance of failing if it's ever called on in a defense situation.

[Anne Onimous]

I was feeling more than a bit negative that day. Sorry.

I withdraw that inflicting pain on others is a significant reason for a person looking for contact fighting or training. It may be that this happens, but it isn't commonplace.

And yes, contact is very important in self-defence training. If self-defence isn't important to someone, then it's unnecessary... but I'd say it's a valuable experience anyhow. Even practising contact just every now and then would be a great benefit.

[ShoriKid]

I was feeling more than a bit negative that day. Sorry.

I withdraw that inflicting pain on others is a significant reason for a person looking for contact fighting or training. It may be that this happens, but it isn't commonplace.

And yes, contact is very important in self-defence training. If self-defence isn't important to someone, then it's unnecessary... but I'd say it's a valuable experience anyhow. Even practising contact just every now and then would be a great benefit.

Don't sweat it Anne. We all have those days. I've got ones where I'm verY "err, grrr, hit, elbow, smash! People bad!" And then I get a little rest or some coffee and all the world is right again.

Contact now and then is better than nothing at all. I've run across a lot of keyboard warriors on some other forums who claim to train 4-6 hours a day and always spar full power, full contact. Any one who claims they always spar full contact is either selling a line of bull stuff, or they hit like an eight year old girl. Pro boxers, kick boxers, MMA fighters etc only go hard once or twice a week and they are well padded when they do. Too much contact means unneeded injury. All that does is cause loss of training time. Life of excess on either side of the training spectrum is bad for you. Moderation in all things. Mostly.

[brickshooter]

I'm not about testing my 'masculinity', personally. I prefer contact because of the self-defence benefits - that is, it is difficult to learn how to handle yourself in a confrontation if you don't train realistically.

Without contact, you can only theoretically know how to force an attacker to disengage. When a dangerous situation presents itself for real, things may not go according to theory.

While I realize your use of "everyone" was not intended to be literal, it would be advisable for you to pay attention to your use of absolutes and generalizations. This applies doubly when communicating with strangers. I've met too many people who don't see these things as the hyperboles they are typically intended to be.

I would be foolish to deny that there are many people who want to test their mettle in a full-contact setting. Some people don't mind receiving pain, while others go so far as to enjoy it. However I imagine that full-contact's greatest appeal is the possibility of being able to inflict that pain on others.

In any case, there are many diverse reasons, just as there are many diverse people.

Sorry. I failed to read your name properly and mistakenly thought you were a male. I apologize if my response seemed sexist.

Go with the less pricey school. Gotta face reality in tis type of economy is my answer.