shotokan a combative martial art?

[Ripper]

I learned more useable fighting skills in a one-hour self defence tape than in six years of twice a week Shotokan.

 

Agreed. Shotokan is very, if not too, ellaborate for combat training. If you want combat training do Krav Maga or something like that. Don't do Shotokan.

Also thanks to Shotokan I have degenerative arthritis at age 14.

I hope this was a joke, because otherwise it would mean that everyone that does Shotokan will get arthritis. I still haven't.

[wing chun kuen man]

You are correct in saying that shotokan is elaborate for combat training, however in my opinion this matters in the short term, because the more you train the more the elaborate side of this style will become an asset instead of a liability. Eventhough it is a"watered down" style, Shotokan karate still contains numerous fighting techniques that when mastered can be used in effective combat. It just takes quiete bit longer to become effective in this style then lets say Krave Maga or kick boxing. The above is true for many kung fu styles as well, arts that are super effective, but take a longer time to master and in many cases much longer than Shotokan.

 

Wing Chun Kuen Man

[Drunken Monkey]

i wouldn't say shotokan is a watered down style.

 

i see it as 'restructured for a different purpose'.

 

as such, it's emphasis has shifted but the core techniques are still there.

 

it might not teach you to kill your opponent as the original arts from which it was derived from did

 

but i'm pretty sure the basic idea of 'not get hit, hit back' is still there.

[wing chun kuen man]

Drunken Monkey,

 

I think that both definitions are correct. If Shotokan is not as "deadly" as the original arts from which it was derived, then it is watered down. But then you are right because this occurred when Shotokan was "restructured for a different purpose". Just my opinion.

 

I still think that Shotokan is an effective and even deadly style of karate if the practitioner spends the time and the effort to master it and search for its martial essence. And obviously he or she has to do that in a good dojo with a real shotokan sensei who knows his stuff.

 

Wing Chun Kuen Man

[Red Triangle student]

In my opinion, Shotokan Karate is sort of lesser in deadliness in than other Karate Styles. But I also think that it is much greater than the other arts of Karate in many ways.

 

For example, I think that it highers the chance of getting into a fight with a better state of mind than the other styles of Karate. I also think that the techniques of Karate are better than any of the others(I do not know this for a fact)

 

As I said before, I think that Shotokan highers the chance of getting into a fight with the right attitude. This attitude comes from the common Principals of Shotokan Karate: The Code of Karate-Do.