Classical, traditional, and the future

[smuraix1]

However over the years there’s been changes to the rules, and I think there will still be more rule changes in the future, and as karateka begin training specifically for KC i think the WKF resemblance will slowly die out.

That will take years, and likely require ammy promotions under KC rules before that truly happens, or they begin recruiting more and more karateka from. MMA and KB promotions to break their fighters out of that WKF looking fighting style.

I agree with the blueprint you presented.

I'm hoping it takes on a life of its own and integrates more traditional Karate elements (especially bunkai..any bunkai for goodness sake)

I don't want KC to become WKA, but I do want them to dress differently (not that WKA is bad)

"So it's MMA without grappling...nice.." is a common comment on KC YT videos.

[LionsDen]

However over the years there’s been changes to the rules, and I think there will still be more rule changes in the future, and as karateka begin training specifically for KC i think the WKF resemblance will slowly die out.

That will take years, and likely require ammy promotions under KC rules before that truly happens, or they begin recruiting more and more karateka from. MMA and KB promotions to break their fighters out of that WKF looking fighting style.

I agree with the blueprint you presented.

I'm hoping it takes on a life of its own and integrates more traditional Karate elements (especially bunkai..any bunkai for goodness sake)

I don't want KC to become WKA, but I do want them to dress differently (not that WKA is bad)

"So it's MMA without grappling...nice.." is a common comment on KC YT videos.

it is integrating bunkai.

Bunkai just means to break apart and analyze. Bunkai is just interpretation of kata. Stating a punch is a punch is bunkai, stating a kick is a kick is bunkai.

If you’re looking for them to start doing fancy combos and catching fists/wrists, then I think you’ll be seriously disappointed.

[smuraix1]

reasonable enough, and I suppose the expectations from the beginning would be more acceptable for MMA, which allows for more standup grappling.

Tuite/kyoshu jutsu techniques were used in a lot of the Bunkai I've seen from Okinawan styles.

It would be fascinating to watch those techniques (when timed well) performed on someone actively engaged.

[RW]

interesting question.

In a way, karate has already evolved, and it became something other than karate.

Full contact karate practitioners like Thundefoot Wallace and Joe Lewis took their karate and engaged in full contact fights with less rules, and on time this karate became kickboxing. By kickboxing I mean the original American Kickboxing of the 70s. In the end this ended looking more like boxing with karate kicks than karate. Then American Kickboxing evolved too to include clinch, leg kicks, etc nd now it looks a lot like muay thai.

karate combat is an effort to bring full contact fights to karate while also keeping it like karate, so it has a very specific ruleset. In a way, this is also an evolution of karate, and who knows how karate combat will look 10 years from now.

so the original karate styles, such as shotokan, will stay traditional, because that's what differentiates them from things such as kickboxing.

I'd say the original styles will also evolve, while staying highly traditional. How many schools in the west still use the old school workout gear used by the okinawans? (like those jugs they would lift, or those cement spheres with a metallic tube in the middle)? Would any sensei recommend not using a punching bag and using the makiwara only? This is in its own way, evolution