Shotokan karate

Eye of the Tiger · Purple Belt

Why is it that shotokan karate is so popular. Is it that it is the 'Father of Karate' or its simplicity and its huge basis on basic technique and kata.

I actually attended a shotokan class a few weeks back and was surprised at how low their stances actually go. One of the stances had the knee bent while the leg at the back was straight so he was almost doing the splits. He looked so unbalenced, well most of the stances I saw them perform looked pretty unbalenced, yet their style of fighting is to 'unbalance' the oppenant by throwing strikes and at the same time sweeping them. I can't see how you can sweep someone from such a low stance.

My organisation incooperates the longer stances from shotokan, but none of them are that low. I do like the fact that they practiced one particular strike throughout the whole class becasuse a few people where getting it wrong.

G95champ · Black Belt

Yeah we are big on low stances. More than anything that low stance is to make you strong. BTW you have good balance because the stance should be as wide as it is long.

When confronted by a problem and 2 possible answers are there its more likely the more simple is correct. (Auctmon (sp) Razor) that is sort of the idea behind shotokan.

K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid

Thus the early part of our training only consists of about 10 or 12 basic strikes as we go up in rank we add in more but it alwasy comes back to doin hundreds of reps of those basic few each class.

With that said what you saw was a traditional shotokan class. As I have recently told Spinninggumby and Karatekid1975 I don't focus on that low stance as much as a true shotokan school does but we do use it.

You would be shocked at how well some people can move from such a low stance.

_________________
(General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."

[ This Message was edited by: G95champ on 2002-07-04 17:36 ]

Eye of the Tiger · Purple Belt

Are stance is a shotokan stance with both your lesgs slightly bent one foot in front of the other and the back foot being about 3ft away and to the side, one of you hands is tucked by your hip with a fist facing uo and the other hand is in front of you. This gives me some kind of strengh that a short stance doesn't. I( cant explain it, it just gives you a sence of power.

spinninggumby · Purple Belt

Yea, back when I was still training at a traditional kung fu kwoon, we always emphasized stances that went as low as possible in order to condition the legs. In real or practical self-defense/combat situations, your stances would obviously be a bit higher and not so defined, but your stability would be that much stronger due to the everyday training that you had received.

The idea behind practical combat training is to push yourself and make yourself go through a harder and more sweat-inducing time than you ever would in the chance that you actually came upon a real life situation, so that when it actually happens, it will be cake (or hopefully, LOL).

_________________
'Conviction is a luxury for those on the sidelines'

William Parcher, 'A BEAUTIFUL MIND'

G95champ · Black Belt

Front Stance - Lead leg is bent and back leg is more or less locked out. about 75% of your weight is on the front leg. This is used to rush and is a very strong stance.

Back Stance - You feet will make and L shape. About 60% maybe a bit more on you back leg. It is used to go back and shift to the side. Another strong stance.

Horse or side stance - Feet facing to the side. Butt down knees out. Weight shoudl be 50-50 you move side to side in. (The reason you work this stance a lot is because it is practice for the guard)

Sochin Stance - The Imovable stance is a mix of the front and back stances. Sounds like the one you were talking about. Both legs are slightly bent.

Cat Stance - Basically and upright stance with very little weight on the lead foot. Only its toes are on the ground. Used to shift and retreat.

Those are the basic stances yes there are more but those 5 will consist of 95% of your shotokan training.

_________________
(General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."

:-)-: · Blue Belt

Besides the well-defined footwork, Shotokan is popular because it incorporates a good number of kicks, punches, and throws, and is well balanced. Oh, and also because Funakoshi worked his a** off popularizing it

Oh, and if you think Shotokan's stances are low, check out a Goju-Ryu class. Do we have any Goju guys in here who can provide a link or something?

_________________
d-:-O->img src="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif" alt="">->img src="images/smiles/icon_frown.gif" alt="">-:-O-:-p

hobbitbob · Purple Belt

Read this moth's Dragon Times for an article on how the JKA viewed the international Karate situation in the '70s and '80s. Dave Hooper talks about how Nakayama sensei's goal was to send instructors throughout the world. HArry Cook also discusses this in his book. The other styles just weren't as aggressive as JKA shotokan. In Wado the only instructors that I can think of off the top of my head are Kurobane Sensei in Denver, and Ajari Sensei in San Francisco. With Goju, Yamakura Sensei in the midwest, and the two sons of Shihan Yamaguchi came to the US in the early days, and I think Chinen Sensei came to Spokane in the early '60s as well. Shotokan, by contrast, sent a plethora of instructors everywhere!

The_Clubbers_Mythology · White Belt

I do Shotokan Karate and our stances are quite low. the dimenstions are 1 shoulder width wide by 2 shoulder widths long with the back leg locked out and the front knee parallel with your foot.

try it. it is pretty deep. but that is Basics and kata. Kumite is a different matter.

Jamesttuk · White Belt

In Shotokan, the stances are the foundation of the training, its known that Shotokan is known as "Statue Karate", but as with other styles different aspects are concentrated in various orders, all moving towards other aspects, like speed, technique and inner strength, so at a basic level longer stances are set whereas higher up fluidity and speed are more highlighted

Kensai · Black Belt

Shotokan has NO throws. As I have the Funakoshi's teachings right here in front of me.

I dont know why it is the father of modern karate, as many styles were around before it.

But Sensei Gichin did travel alot to popularise it. Perhaps that is why. Also because it appeals to the Western mind of external strength.

Be Well
Train Well

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