What Karate Styles Do You Train In?

[wagnerk]

Styles that I've trained in:

To black belt:

Shotokan karate - First style (saw an ad and wanted to try it)

Freestyle Karate - Second style (due to moving and work schedules)

Tang Soo Do (Korean karate) - Current style (atmosphere and standards, tried a variety of different styles and arts after Freestyle and this association was fit what I was looking for).

Not including the ones under BB.

[Karate_John]

Did the tiger shulman karate as a kid for around 2-3 years.

Started Goju ryu as a late teen, and hold a Dan Rank.

Working on Small circle jiu jitsu along with Goju currently.

[JR 137]

Started in 1995 in U.S. Budokai Karate. The founders came from Seido Juku (before I joined). Trained for 6 years until I had to leave for graduate school. Would have tested for nidan had I not left.

Upon getting my master's degree I started a career that left no time to train, and got married shortly after that.

14 years later, a 4 year old daughter, a 2 year old daughter, and 30 pounds the wrong way, I started Seido Juku Karate. Started at white belt 3 months ago and earned my blue belt (8th kyu) 2 weeks ago.

So glad I changed careers. I now have time to do the things I enjoy. More time with my family is the biggest benefit. Karate is easily the distant second.

[RW]

Started in 1995 in U.S. Budokai Karate. The founders came from Seido Juku (before I joined). Trained for 6 years until I had to leave for graduate school. Would have tested for nidan had I not left.

Upon getting my master's degree I started a career that left no time to train, and got married shortly after that.

14 years later, a 4 year old daughter, a 2 year old daughter, and 30 pounds the wrong way, I started Seido Juku Karate. Started at white belt 3 months ago and earned my blue belt (8th kyu) 2 weeks ago.

So glad I changed careers. I now have time to do the things I enjoy. More time with my family is the biggest benefit. Karate is easily the distant second.

This is my current issue. How did you change careers? I may want to do that too.

[Doomed]

I like all the answers I've read so far. Several martial arts I've personally haven't heard of, like Shinkodan and Seido Juku, but that's what makes this kind of forum great to me; I wouldn't have known forums like this weren't around.

[JR 137]

Started in 1995 in U.S. Budokai Karate. The founders came from Seido Juku (before I joined). Trained for 6 years until I had to leave for graduate school. Would have tested for nidan had I not left.

Upon getting my master's degree I started a career that left no time to train, and got married shortly after that.

14 years later, a 4 year old daughter, a 2 year old daughter, and 30 pounds the wrong way, I started Seido Juku Karate. Started at white belt 3 months ago and earned my blue belt (8th kyu) 2 weeks ago.

So glad I changed careers. I now have time to do the things I enjoy. More time with my family is the biggest benefit. Karate is easily the distant second.

This is my current issue. How did you change careers? I may want to do that too.

PM sent.

[JR 137]

I like all the answers I've read so far. Several martial arts I've personally haven't heard of, like Shinkodan and Seido Juku, but that's what makes this kind of forum great to me; I wouldn't have known forums like this weren't around.

Seido Juku (aka Seido karate) is a huge organization. I there's dojos in 15 countries (including the U.S.). Started in '76 by Tadashi Nakamura who gained attention as a renowned Kyokushin karateka.

Seido.com

I've come across some very interesting styles and viewpoints in my short time here too. It's a great place.

[GojuRyu Bahrain]

Goju Ryu Karate (Yuishinkan) since 1989...As a kid I played international karate plus (IK+) on my Atari 1024...I guess I wanted to do that in real life, too Now I got my Yondan recently...Tried a lot of other Karate styles and martial arts, notably Shotokan (since 2005, currenlty Nidan), Kendo, Aikido, Uechi Ryu, Kobudo, BJJ, Arnis Escrima, with various color belts etc.. but none of those fit me like Goju Ryu: It's core strategy of very close fighting suits me best and I like the grappling aspects that are part of our lineage.

[Montana]

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?

I've only trained in one system, and that is Okinawan Shorin Ryu Matsumura Kenpo Karate and Kobudo. I find it's about as complete a system as there is (in my opinion of course) for what I looked for in a martial art.

Why did I start in Shorin Ryu instead of another system? I've told this before on this forum, but in a nutshell, there were only 3 different martial arts available in small town Montana back in 1975. The TKD and Hawaiian Kenpo instructors were well known bullies and bar room brawlers that went looking for fights frequently, and encouraged their students to do the same. That, IMO, was not what I thought the arts were all about.

Then I found, thru a friend, a Shorin Ryu Sensei in town that was fresh out of a tour in the Navy on the island of Okinawa. I loved the philosophy, found the techniques to be practical and make sense, and the longer I was in it, the more my love for the art grew.

[sensei8]

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.

Thank you for your kind words, Doomed!!

To the bold type above...

Shindokan Saitou-ryu is Shuri-te and Okinwaw-te based. 85% hands and 15% feet; all kicks are waist down. Shindokan is Tuite, and Tuite is Shindokan; heavy laden, and in that, our brand of Tuite is best described...if you've seen Seido's Master Toma, then you've a glimpse in our brand of Tuite; our brand of Tuite has to be experienced. Shindokan trains heavily in Kyusho jitsu and grappling as well.

This is in a nutshell.