Karate Shotokan or Kyokushinkai

[Unsu777]

I agree with the replies posted here. In addition, I would say go to a few dojos of each style (if they are available in your area), read up on the philosophies and histories of both styles, look at several YouTube videos of each style and talk to the students and instructors of each dojo you visit if at all possible. Get the feel for the atmosphere of each dojo and by all means watch all levels of classes. Observe the instructor (and/or instructors) of each dojo and see what you feel is right for you.

From my experience, I may be able to add to what the others have already stated.

Shotokan is a great style for all ages and for both male and female. From my observations, Kyokushin-kai is predominantly popular for and practiced by younger male students.

Shotokan emphasizes kihon (basics), kata (forms) and kumite (sparring) equally. Kyokushin-kai greatly emphasizes kumite, with emphasis on jiyu kumite (free sparring) and allows contact to all parts of the body except for the head. Shotokan teaches and emphasizes kihon kumite (basic kumite) first, with emphasis on control of one's technique.

Kyokushin-kai occasionally emphasizes tamashiwari (board breaking) and other techniques breaking concrete and even glass.

Shotokan does not require competition, yet competition is expected at some point in Kyokushin-kai.

The founder of Shotokan Karate Gichin Funakoshi had his training in Okinawa and passed it on to students who would go on to found groups such as The Japan Karate Association and The Shoto-kai. The founder of Kyokushin-kai Mas Oyama supposedly studied Shotokan at some point in his training. Mas Oyama received training from several teachers and actually founded the Kyokushin-kai style.

And finally, both styles are extremely popular world-wide and you can probably find a dojo to train in in either of these styles anywhere you go in the world.

Good luck!

Osu!

[Dani_001]

When you have a chance, or if there are schools in your area, try Ashihara Karate or Enshin Karate. I am sure that both of them will allow you entry for an introductory class.

Please bear in mind that NIKO Ashihara is run by Hideyuki Ashihara son. At the time of Hideyuki Ashihara's death, his son was a green belt and 2 years later he became 10th dan and created his own organization.

Look for AKI, or Ashihara Karate International.

[sensei8]

When you have a chance, or if there are schools in your area, try Ashihara Karate or Enshin Karate. I am sure that both of them will allow you entry for an introductory class.

Please bear in mind that NIKO Ashihara is run by Hideyuki Ashihara son. At the time of Hideyuki Ashihara's death, his son was a green belt and 2 years later he became 10th dan and created his own organization.

Look for AKI, or Ashihara Karate International.

To the bold type above...

Wait...wait...wait...wait...wait a minute....I'm startled by this because I've a hard time wrapping my head around how a recognized green belt can become Judan in a span of 2 years. And this is an acceptable tenure from his Student Body and his fellow peers?!?!? Creating his own organization allow him to be GRANTED a Judan?!?

Yeah, I'd bear that in mind, if it was me.

[Dani_001]

Same thing happened at the Jundokan and Eiichi Miyazato's son.

[Dani_001]

When you have a chance, or if there are schools in your area, try Ashihara Karate or Enshin Karate. I am sure that both of them will allow you entry for an introductory class.

Please bear in mind that NIKO Ashihara is run by Hideyuki Ashihara son. At the time of Hideyuki Ashihara's death, his son was a green belt and 2 years later he became 10th dan and created his own organization.

Look for AKI, or Ashihara Karate International.

To the bold type above...

Wait...wait...wait...wait...wait a minute....I'm startled by this because I've a hard time wrapping my head around how a recognized green belt can become Judan in a span of 2 years. And this is an acceptable tenure from his Student Body and his fellow peers?!?!? Creating his own organization allow him to be GRANTED a Judan?!?

Yeah, I'd bear that in mind, if it was me.

We all know or seen how it goes. The successor is normally the family member who is a male. Then splinters happen. This was the case with so many Karate bodies and Kaikans. Eiichi Miyazato and the Jundokan and also in this case Ashihara that I mention a few.

[JR 137]

When you have a chance, or if there are schools in your area, try Ashihara Karate or Enshin Karate. I am sure that both of them will allow you entry for an introductory class.

Please bear in mind that NIKO Ashihara is run by Hideyuki Ashihara son. At the time of Hideyuki Ashihara's death, his son was a green belt and 2 years later he became 10th dan and created his own organization.

Look for AKI, or Ashihara Karate International.

To the bold type above...

Wait...wait...wait...wait...wait a minute....I'm startled by this because I've a hard time wrapping my head around how a recognized green belt can become Judan in a span of 2 years. And this is an acceptable tenure from his Student Body and his fellow peers?!?!? Creating his own organization allow him to be GRANTED a Judan?!?

Yeah, I'd bear that in mind, if it was me.

I can understand his son being the heir to the organization. There's nothing wrong with "passing on the family business" to your own son. And perhaps their bylaws state the head of the organization must be 10th dan.

Now getting that out of the way...

There's far better choices that could've been made. He could've been a business leader/CEO type without being the head instructor. He could've been the one calling the administrative shots without being the one who's calling the "on the dojo floor" shots. For example, he could've been the one who's responsible to make sure the organization is heading in the direction his father envisioned. He could've been the one who's making sure the Ashihara brand is being represented according to his father's legacy. He could've oversaw the opening of dojos, appointments of CIs, etc. all the while appointing a chief instructor of the organization as a whole and remaining a student of his green belt rank on the floor. Yes, that's all easier said than done, and yes, he'd need people he can trust. But I'm sure they were enough high ranking students that someone would've been qualified to be the instructional successor while he was the administrative successor.

Probably overly simplistic and ideal. The real world always throws curveballs at you.

[Dani_001]

When you have a chance, or if there are schools in your area, try Ashihara Karate or Enshin Karate. I am sure that both of them will allow you entry for an introductory class.

Please bear in mind that NIKO Ashihara is run by Hideyuki Ashihara son. At the time of Hideyuki Ashihara's death, his son was a green belt and 2 years later he became 10th dan and created his own organization.

Look for AKI, or Ashihara Karate International.

To the bold type above...

Wait...wait...wait...wait...wait a minute....I'm startled by this because I've a hard time wrapping my head around how a recognized green belt can become Judan in a span of 2 years. And this is an acceptable tenure from his Student Body and his fellow peers?!?!? Creating his own organization allow him to be GRANTED a Judan?!?

Yeah, I'd bear that in mind, if it was me.

I can understand his son being the heir to the organization. There's nothing wrong with "passing on the family business" to your own son. And perhaps their bylaws state the head of the organization must be 10th dan.

Now getting that out of the way...

There's far better choices that could've been made. He could've been a business leader/CEO type without being the head instructor. He could've been the one calling the administrative shots without being the one who's calling the "on the dojo floor" shots. For example, he could've been the one who's responsible to make sure the organization is heading in the direction his father envisioned. He could've been the one who's making sure the Ashihara brand is being represented according to his father's legacy. He could've oversaw the opening of dojos, appointments of CIs, etc. all the while appointing a chief instructor of the organization as a whole and remaining a student of his green belt rank on the floor. Yes, that's all easier said than done, and yes, he'd need people he can trust. But I'm sure they were enough high ranking students that someone would've been qualified to be the instructional successor while he was the administrative successor.

Probably overly simplistic and ideal. The real world always throws curveballs at you.

On point. If he appointed the highest ranking member at the time of his father's death, he could've at least learnt a lot under the auspices of such an individual. For all we know, maybe that is happening right now and I'm okay with that. What I'm not okay with is first appointing yourself, then learning the road.

He could've appointed an interim and studied his life under such until such a time comes that he is reappointed as head of Ashihara Karate. This is the noble thing to do.

For all we know, maybe this was the reason that Enshin was started.

[JR 137]

Enshin was founded in 1988, 7 years before Ashihara's death in 1995, according to a quick Google search (I'm not that good with dates).

[Dani_001]

My apologies.

[sensei8]

When you have a chance, or if there are schools in your area, try Ashihara Karate or Enshin Karate. I am sure that both of them will allow you entry for an introductory class.

Please bear in mind that NIKO Ashihara is run by Hideyuki Ashihara son. At the time of Hideyuki Ashihara's death, his son was a green belt and 2 years later he became 10th dan and created his own organization.

Look for AKI, or Ashihara Karate International.

To the bold type above...

Wait...wait...wait...wait...wait a minute....I'm startled by this because I've a hard time wrapping my head around how a recognized green belt can become Judan in a span of 2 years. And this is an acceptable tenure from his Student Body and his fellow peers?!?!? Creating his own organization allow him to be GRANTED a Judan?!?

Yeah, I'd bear that in mind, if it was me.

I can understand his son being the heir to the organization. There's nothing wrong with "passing on the family business" to your own son. And perhaps their bylaws state the head of the organization must be 10th dan.

Now getting that out of the way...

There's far better choices that could've been made. He could've been a business leader/CEO type without being the head instructor. He could've been the one calling the administrative shots without being the one who's calling the "on the dojo floor" shots. For example, he could've been the one who's responsible to make sure the organization is heading in the direction his father envisioned. He could've been the one who's making sure the Ashihara brand is being represented according to his father's legacy. He could've oversaw the opening of dojos, appointments of CIs, etc. all the while appointing a chief instructor of the organization as a whole and remaining a student of his green belt rank on the floor. Yes, that's all easier said than done, and yes, he'd need people he can trust. But I'm sure they were enough high ranking students that someone would've been qualified to be the instructional successor while he was the administrative successor.

Probably overly simplistic and ideal. The real world always throws curveballs at you.

To the bold type above...

There's something very familiar about that for me!! :shudders:

Being the head of the organization is one thing, but, for me, going from green belt to Judan in 2 years is another thing, imho!! He could've just been the head of their governing body without assuming a rank he's not worthy of. Yes, I did say "not worthy of" because a green belt isn't worthy of Judan in just 2 years. Be the Kaicho [President] of that governing body as a green belt, and earn up to, and including senior rank the hard and old fashioned way...blood...sweat...tears...fail...pass!!

Just why, nowadays, don't students of the MA want to EARN rank anymore??

The SKKA By-Laws STILL demand that the Kaicho be a Kudan, just by the proprietary fact of being Kaicho. HOWEVER, NO ONE CAN ASSUME THAT POSITION WITHOUT HAVING ALREADY EARNED A SENIOR DAN!!

I fought and fought and fought, for years against that By-Law; I felt then, and I feel that now, and I'll feel that in the future, that being promoted to Judan simply by appointment kills the integrity of rank. The more I fought against the Higher Hierarchy, the more I believed that what I was resisting was the right thing to do. Yet, they still attacked me...insisting...threatening...pleading...plotting...until my resolve finally weakened them. That's when I insisted that they had to TEST me for Kudan, and that I will never assume Kudan without being tested for it. Not just any test, but a test that would rival the seriousness of both Soke and Dai-Soke...and they did just that.

Then, and only then, did I accept the rank of Kudan once I passed their test!! Albeit, I had already earned my Hachidan many years before this, and this is what I'm trying to get at...I was much closer to Kudan by being an already Hachidan than a green belt being promoted to Judan!!

I'll NEVER EVER accept Judan because I'm not worthy of it, imho!! Soke and Dai-Soke, and as much as this pains me to say this, San Dai-Soke [iwao Takahashi], were worthy of Judan...but NOT ME!! Besides, the SKKA done away with the Sokeship at its reorganization many years ago!!

Ok...going back to my corner, sorry for the rant!!