Is This What All Shotokan Dojos Are Like?

[Sapphire1166]

After a long hiatus (12 years!) I finally started back into karate. My former style was Uechi-Ryu, but I practiced in MA and couldn't find a single Uechi-Ryu dojo nearby. After taking a practice class at a Shotokan dojo near my house, I decided to practice there. The issue is that for the 4 classes I've attended so far, we ONLY do katas after 10 minutes of warmup/stretching. I've found myself completely lost as the stances, punches, blocks, turns, and katas are very different. With Uechi we practiced the very basics (punches, blocks, turns, conditioning, stretches) for almost a month before getting to katas. With this dojo I'm just thrown into the katas as a "learn on the spot" thing.

With Uechi the class would be broken up with different types of conditioning, history lessons, katas, and pairing off. With this dojo it's warm up, then kata, kata, kata.

I guess my question is, is this typical of Shotokan? I know there are a lot more katas in Shotokan than Uechi, but I guess I sort of assumed that the classes would have much more varied activities. It's been hard not to compare my "old" style with my "new", but I'm trying hard!

[Wastelander]

That's really more of an instructor preference than anything. I've heard of some schools drilling you on basics for months before starting a super-simplified kata, and then other schools throw you into kata from day one. And that's regardless of style!

Your best course of action is just do your best at keeping up and learning the new material, and don't dwell too much on "how we did it in Uechi-Ryu."

[Spartacus Maximus]

It is impossible to judge an entire school (style) of martial arts based on what goes on in a single dojo. There are just too many different variables to consider, even within the same association or organization. The only thing that remains the same is the core curriculum. The teaching methods and focus of training is usually dependent on the sensei, his experience, how he was taught and by whom; personal preferences and many many other factors.

Three shotokan dojo can be almost as different as three different styles. I have been to one that was almost only kata without applications and combo drills for sport style matches. In another, students drilled basics for nearly a year before learning any kata, and kata was taught 3 steps at a time.

[sensei8]

That's really more of an instructor preference than anything. I've heard of some schools drilling you on basics for months before starting a super-simplified kata, and then other schools throw you into kata from day one. And that's regardless of style!

Your best course of action is just do your best at keeping up and learning the new material, and don't dwell too much on "how we did it in Uechi-Ryu."

Solid post!!

[GojuRyu Bahrain]

Yes, Shotokan Dojos tend to be less application focused and have a less mixed curriculum, i.e., concentrate on Kihon and Kata an Sports competition. Now, this is a crude generalization and there are many shining examples that do things differently, but on average I have seen what you describe....

[DaveB]

If your background is Uechi ryu you might find more comfortable training in a southern kungfu style.

My base is in Shotokan and your dojo sounds like it would bore me to tears.

[jaypo]

My first school was a strict Shotokan dojo, and we did a lot of basics, then kata, then 3 steps. That was a typical class. It gave me a solid foundation of basics. My current school is more open, and it is based mainly on Shorin Ryu and Shotokan. But the classes are more applications based. We focus on the katas, but there is more emphasis on what the katas can be used for rather than turning us into Kata competition champions.

We don't do much sport based training.

[wagnerk]

That's really more of an instructor preference than anything. I've heard of some schools drilling you on basics for months before starting a super-simplified kata, and then other schools throw you into kata from day one. And that's regardless of style!...

Same here, I've trained in and hear of various different Shotokan associations. Each one is different in their training and what they concentrate on.

[Lordy]

My first school was a strict Shotokan dojo, and we did a lot of basics, then kata, then 3 steps. That was a typical class. It gave me a solid foundation of basics. My current school is more open, and it is based mainly on Shorin Ryu and Shotokan. But the classes are more applications based. We focus on the katas, but there is more emphasis on what the katas can be used for rather than turning us into Kata competition champions.

We don't do much sport based training.

I'm a Shotokan practitioner. I must admit our school didn't really going into the applications [bunkai] too much, so a few of us began attending seminars covering these and bang!!! It opened up a whole new avenue for us. This became my favourite part of Karate. We would get together and practise stuff we had picked up on the seminars and also met likeminded people on said seminars that we would meet up with and share ideas.

[Harkon72]

I cannot speak for all Shotokan dojos and I can't pick out a typical system that Shotokan represents; but our local school and it's sister dojo not far from us seem to be a very balanced class. The warm up is traditional; there are no pretty colored cones to run around. The Kihon is done in basic stances and combinations and breathing exercises with more advanced combinations in the classes for higher grades. The Kata can be basic or advanced with everyone practicing together to the best of their ability. There is an emphasis on Ippon Kumite, each student pairs off against every other karateka, regardless of grade. This is where they learn the application of the Kihon and Kata. Jui Kumite is hardly taught until the student is deemed ready. These clubs do have a good long standing reputation.