Shotokan Karate

[ErikZ]

Hi, I live in Sao Paulo (Brazil) and I have recently started Shotokan Karate as a MARTIAL ART, and NOT as a sport. Thus, the focus of the lessons are self defense, and to improve fitness, agility, reflexes etc etc... and NOT to participate in championships.

My Sensei is an 8th dan Japanese guy... (There are 10 dans in the Karate Black Belt (also known as Shodan) and he is 8)...

I would like to know what you guys think of karate (taking in consideration that the karate I am talking about is the traditional martial art, Shotokan Karate, and not Karate as a sport)

Thank You guys in advance

Cheers

and Keep Training

 

[ErikZ]

Up?

 

[ErikZ]

Can someone help me?

 

[saint808]

it's best for short stalky type guys.... i have been taking private lessons andlet me tell you big shoulders really help.

 

[ErikZ]

it's best for short stalky type guys.... i have been taking private lessons andlet me tell you big shoulders really help.

I am that kind of guy... 1.75 with broad shoulders...

So, do you think some of the moves in Shotokan Karate can provide a good self defense?

Thank you for replying man

 

[saint808]

I am that kind of guy... 1.75 with broad shoulders...

So, do you think some of the moves in Shotokan Karate can provide a good self defense?

Thank you for replying man

definately... it's very power based... i think you will like it.

 

[ErikZ]

Yeah... thanx dude

 

[digger]

It's a classic style, of course; looks impressive as hell if done right and very satisfying. You'll be expected to put in a lot of hours (relative to some other schools) to get to advanced rank and techniques.

There's a book done by an MD who was also a karateka, "The Medical Implications of Karate Blows." I'm pretty sure he was a shotokan student. Perhaps he flatters himself, but for each technique, he gives the ultimate outcome as "death." Well, yeah, if the guy stands there like the heavy bag... but even then, a skull does not break the same way as a half-inch of dry pine. I remember being very disappointed the first time I did light-contact sparring at an ishin-ryu school; caught my opponent with a perfect sidekick, and he didn't fall down and die. Then again, neither did I when he caught me in return. It was a most educational experience.)

 

[LARGELI]

watch the early UFC's and if youre from Brazil then you should know that karate is not usefull for self defense.
you say several times that you are not in it for sport, well the first UFC's and Vale Tudo events were not for sport either......Helio Gracie challenged common street thugs, and local tough guys to fight him to prove that BJJ works in a real street fight self defense situation, not for sport. The UFC's and Vale Tudo were a place for people to test their style of martial art to see which was superior, and karate only proved that its worthless in a real fight.
you also mentioned the traditional aspect of karate.....tradition means that it does not change or evolve, and therefore can not become better.
Karate promotes you to different belt colors based on how long youve trained instead of how much youve improved. When you see a 10 year old kid walk out of a dojo with a black belt around his waist then you tend to think of that martial art as a joke!

I think you know all this already because youre from Brazil, and i honestly think you are just posting this for fun. Theres no way someone from Brazil could consider karate for self defense.

 

[ErikZ]

watch the early UFC's and if youre from Brazil then you should know that karate is not usefull for self defense.
you say several times that you are not in it for sport, well the first UFC's and Vale Tudo events were not for sport either......Helio Gracie challenged common street thugs, and local tough guys to fight him to prove that BJJ works in a real street fight self defense situation, not for sport. The UFC's and Vale Tudo were a place for people to test their style of martial art to see which was superior, and karate only proved that its worthless in a real fight.
you also mentioned the traditional aspect of karate.....tradition means that it does not change or evolve, and therefore can not become better.
Karate promotes you to different belt colors based on how long youve trained instead of how much youve improved. When you see a 10 year old kid walk out of a dojo with a black belt around his waist then you tend to think of that martial art as a joke!

I think you know all this already because youre from Brazil, and i honestly think you are just posting this for fun. Theres no way someone from Brazil could consider karate for self defense.

Dude, I am not doing this for fun...
If you watch the K9 Martial Arts Tournament, there was one edition that a BRAZILIAN KARATEKA (1.95m, 100kg) won...

Vale Tudo you can easily learn on the streets... for as the name implies "everything goes"...