What Karate Styles Do You Train In?

[Doomed]

Before I decided to firmly plant my roots in Kanzen Ryu Karate, I dabbled a little bit in both Kyokushin and Shotokan, and trained in the "Upper Body/Lower Body" techniques of Isshin Ryu for a few months. Just the Kihon, though. This all took place at home via DVDs or YouTube, so I took what I could get lol.

What style(s) of Karate do you train in, or have previously trained in? And are there any particular reasons why your styles of choice drew you to them?

[sensei8]

What style(s) of Karate do you train in, or have previously trained in?

Shindokan Saitou-ryu: 50+ years

TKD: 1 Year [While I was in high school]

And are there any particular reasons why your styles of choice drew you to them?

Shindokan: My mom enrolled me when I was 7 at one of the local dojo's that was closest to our house.

TKD: I wanted to learn how to kick above the waist.

[Doomed]

Shindokan Saitou-ryu: 50+ years

TKD: 1 Year [While I was in high school]

50+ years of Karate? That, sir, is awesome. I'm not entirely familiar with Shindokan Saitou-Ryu, though. How would you describe it, in comparison to other styles?

Shindokan: My mom enrolled me when I was 7 at one of the local dojo's that was closest to our house.

TKD: I wanted to learn how to kick above the waist.

That's cool that you stuck with it, sir. I find that level of commitment highly commendable.

[wildbourgman]

Shotokan From 11 years old to 16 years old.

I started Shorin Ryu and re-started training Shotokan for the last two years from 40 to 42 years old.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Goju-Ryu because mum and dad signed me up when I was 9.

Other Martial Arts I do/did was Brazillian Jujitsu (BJJ) and Balintawak Arnis.

[CDraper]

TKD when I was younger for 7 years.

Now IsshinRyu for ~2 years.

[AlbanyDude]

Kyokushin. Many years ago, a coworker who trained in Shotokan showed me the "The Fighting Black Kings" movie. I was instantly hooked.

[Spartacus Maximus]

When I was a young teenager, my sensei always played us that movie after practise in the summer evenings. My first experience with karate was Shotokan but my real start(over 20 years ago) and lifetime commitment is to Okinawan karate of the Shorin ryu style.

[CredoTe]

Matsubayashi-ryu (Shorin-ryu) 22+ years: parents enrolled me when I was very young (a) to help me deal with focus/anger issues in a positive outlet, and (b) because I was interested (I wanted to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle!).

Initially, as a kid, the style was meaningless to me. As I grew and matured, I stay in it because it makes sense to me and is the main vehicle for my MA journey.

Hung Gar (Hung Siu Lum) Kung-fu (3 years): During a period in my younger life when training in Matsubayashi-ryu wasn't possible (no dojo), I trained in Hung Gar (Hung Siu Lum), a Souther Shaolin style of Kung-fu. It's similarities with my Okinawan karate-do training really supplemented my skill. I don't train in it anymore (not a focus of my journey), but I would recommend anyone to try it if you have a school in your area.

Ti / Ryukyu Kobudo (3+ years): The wisdom and dynamics of empty-handed Ti training is the missing link between my Matsubayashi-ryu training and the Koryu Ryukyu fighting art concepts. It (Ti) really facilitates the pursuit of truth, fighting sense waza, and the capability to adapt my MA into the modern world. To be clear, Ti is not a style of MA, but rather, wisdom and concepts that are added to MA training.

The Ryukyu Kobudo I train in is completely built around Ti concepts. So, it serves dual purpose: (1) Ryukyu weapons training, and (2) connecting both weapons and empty-handed training (karate-do) with the wisdom and concepts Ti provides.

[Wastelander]

I started training in Shuri-Ryu in 2006 at the age of 18, and continued for the next 4 years, although the last 2 years were entirely at home, because I had moved out of state. I can still perform most of the kata I learned in Shuri-Ryu, although I've altered some. I don't remember most of the partner drills.

I started in Shorin-Ryu (Kobayashi) in 2010, and I have been training in it ever since, having earned my black belt last summer. During the two years I was practicing my Shuri-Ryu at home, I did a lot of studying and research online and in books, and discovered that Shuri-Ryu didn't really have what I was looking for. I started looking around and found my current dojo, and I saw the kind of karate I was looking for, so I made the jump

I started learning a little KishimotoDi in 2014, through discussions and video exchanges online with one of the few instructors of that rare system. He flew out here for a few weeks to teach at our dojo, and during that time he gave me corrections and taught kata and applications. We still have discussions and video exchanges that are quite helpful, and I still practice those kata and applications. The next time he comes out, I'm supposed to learn the next kata in the system. After that, there is only one kata left.