Is This What All Shotokan Dojos Are Like?

[guird]

The first place I trained shotokan at was a three-way split between kata, kihon(I've always viewed this as quite unneccessary, we already spend the kata time doing the techniques into empty air, why devote an additional part of the class to it? padwork maybe?), and kumite(no free sparring here, it was all prearranged, starting with three step basic punches/blocks to one step basic punches/blocks with counter, to one-step with various kinds of attacks, again moving exactly the way we move in the kata). we did bunkai not as part of the syllabus, but only as part of a demonstration during the grading ceremonies, and it wasn't like bunkai in my later dojo, it was one person doing the kata, with a number of other students performing attacks.

I honestly believe I came out of there a worse fighter than I went in. I trained there for three years and had no training before it, I reached the rank of ikkyu.

a while later I studied shotokan at a different place. It was comparatively kata-focused (compared to other local schools I'm told) as the instructor was the kata coach for the national WKF team. training was about 50% kata. The rest involved some kihon (this time including useful sparring combinations, unlike the previous school, and sometimes done against striking pads), prearranged kumite(done better than in the previous dojo), and of course sparring (which was about 25% of the training, rules were WKF without throws because there were no mats). Bunkai was performed in pairs at ikkyu and above.

I feel I did benefit from training at it, but nontheless I no longer train there for a variety of reasons.

If the place seems more like the former description, I'd go someplace else, if it is kata-centric but does include free sparring and striking of objects, it seems fine. Shotokan has a wide spectrum.

[DaveB]

The warm up is traditional; there are no pretty colored cones to run around.

You poor thing, you don't know what your missing! Pretty coloured cones are the best bit!

[Luther unleashed]

id have to say most of the answers have addressed the main point, which is that all schools are different and to judge a school by a style, would be similar to comparing blackbelts in the same style. they are very different even if they are similar, if that makes sense. judge the schools for their energy and training methods more then specific techniques that make a style, you should be safe with that as a goal!

[Nidan Melbourne]

Depends on the instructor on how they run classes and when they introduce things like kata to students.

At my dojo, our students that have 2 classes that are introductory, so they won't be shown kata or expected to start doing it until their 3rd lesson (if they sign up). The first 2 are so they can start learn basics before making it more difficult and joining things up (combinations etc)

[Nabil Kazama]

We only do Kumite on Saturdays, and technical on Sundays.

Unlike most schools, our Sensei actually wants us to learn how to 'diffuse' situations in the outside world.

[Harkon72]

A good attitude to have. Keep in mind though that not everyone will react well to attempted diffusion. Some are beyond reason, some are trained without your morals or control. Stay calm, stay safe.