Styles of karate... whats the difference?

[Niko]

Im taking Karate , and the type is Shotokan, whats the difference with all the other types of styles?

[WhiteBelt]

There are different ways to teach, and different ways to do the same things you know. ie, Kyokushin does full contact sparring. There are different kata, and different ways of doing the same kata too. Everything will feel similar but at the same time different between styles.

[Pacificshore]

Well Shotokan is a hard style which emphasize power. Then if you look at Goju-ryu, it is considered both a hard/soft style, meaning it contains powerful moves along with flowing type techniques.

[hobz]

It's basically what it says, style. Some involve throwing, some involve more kicking then punching, some involve more punching then kicking. Also principles are a big factor in it, philosphies and ideas etc.

[Kirves]

Styles have different focuses. Some focus on sparring, others on studying kata bunkai for self defence. Training methods vary also from noncontact sparring, to full contact sparring, to mostly kata bunkai drilling.

 

*)Kata bunkai means taking a part of a kata and drilling the move (usually a block followed by punch, followed by a takedown and finished with a control hold) with a partner.

[Tigerspirit]

Some styles can also range by hand movements. shotokan has a lot of closed fist and also uses power strikes. while other styles may have more open hand teq and powerpoints are pressed not striked.

[BKJ1216]

It's all about style. Like my style for instance. I'm pretty sure in shotokan your back foot is suposed to poing to the right of you in zenkutsu dachi. In my style both feet are pointed the same way.

 

There is also the debate between hard and soft. Hard could mean using force against force to block. Soft meaning using give to absorb inpact. I can't really name any soft styles besides goju -ryu but goju-ryu is known as a mix of both. That is what go ju means, hard soft.

[fireka]

i heard about hard and soft when i was in shotokan, now that im an isshinryu student, am istuding ahard art?

[hogwan]

I think the only difference in styles has to do with how they are now taught.

 

All styles originated in dealing with self protection.

 

There is so much debate on this style or that style. That's meaningless really. We have 2 arms, 2 legs, we can move left, right, forward, retreat.

 

Not that much difference is there?

 

Most forms do address the majority of attacks be it striking, grappling, evasive movements etc.

 

The reall difference IMHO is how they are taught now.

 

If you train with a specialist in a niche area (grappling for example) you WILL see applications from your own form if you disect it.

 

My experience is with 14 years of Karate (Uechi-Ryu) and now I train in TKD here in Korea.

 

My coach is Trusuoka-Do while my Kata instructor is Uechi. My TKD master is ROK special forces.

 

Style conflicts? Not at all. I stand and deliver in every way.

 

My form is NOT affected by who I am training with, just who opens my eyes to what. And no matter who/what I am training with I can follow the ideas with any of the forms I am using. The principles are the same.

[Tigerspirit]

It's all about style. Like my style for instance. I'm pretty sure in shotokan your back foot is suposed to poing to the right of you in zenkutsu dachi. In my style both feet are pointed the same way.

 

This is not true. in shotokan both feet must be poing forward in zenkustsu dachi people often take ta lazy approach and leave it to the right. Although when u r teach beginners u wouldn't stress it to much.