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Post by kensei on Oct 29, 2013 12:53:55 GMT
So, as we all saw recently Andre Bertel, a devoute of Asai Sensei recently jumped over to the JKA and joined the family. It got me to thinking about different approaches to shotokan Karate and how each system seems to look the same but you end up with completely different focuses and emphasis on different ideas.
I have been watching instructors from all over the world with different organizations and the thing that strikes me is how each faction seems to have a different take on Shotokan and what to emphasize or what to dig into more. Put instructors like Okazaki next to Yahara and they look like different styles....never mind the age and physicality of them. The part that makes life interesting in Karate is having so many people that you can watch and find cues from.
I grew up in the ISKF under Yaguchi Sensei and left to be JKA direct. The differences are minor but they are their. The one thing I have noted is in Kihon, we focus much more on the little things in Kihon than we did under the ISKF. Now everything is not just broken down but talked about, which from my understanding is unique even to the JKA. Also, we have many minor changes to the Kata that we had to adapt. Thankfully its been 10 years now and I am used to them.
can anyone let me know what they see different in the styles they have worked in, with in shotokan that is.
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Post by Allan Shepherd on Oct 29, 2013 15:52:04 GMT
Hi James
Your timing with this topic is impeccable!!
Just started to read Mark Groenewold's book "Karate: The Japanese Way" and noticed in the forward by Takao Taniguchi (Terai-machi, Ishikawa-ken, Japan) he points out that although the Karate techniques in the photographs in this book are JKA style they may differ slightly from what a student may learn at the Honbu dojo in Tokyo. The differences not only lie within the different factions but within the original source. Looking forward to reading the rest of the book.
I have trained with Sensei's Kanazawa, Kase, Enoeda, Kawasoe, Asai and Abe to name a few and each one has "approached" the training with their own slant on the subject matter. When you reach a certain level I think "poetic licence" comes with the grade. If you go away from a training session with one aspect that you have never experienced then you are advancing, never look a gift horse in the mouth if they turn up in your neck of the woods to teach!!
Best Regards Allan
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Post by kensei on Oct 30, 2013 13:40:10 GMT
Hi James Your timing with this topic is impeccable!! Just started to read Mark Groenewold's book "Karate: The Japanese Way" and noticed in the forward by Takao Taniguchi (Terai-machi, Ishikawa-ken, Japan) he points out that although the Karate techniques in the photographs in this book are JKA style they may differ slightly from what a student may learn at the Honbu dojo in Tokyo. The differences not only lie within the different factions but within the original source. Looking forward to reading the rest of the book. I have trained with Sensei's Kanazawa, Kase, Enoeda, Kawasoe, Asai and Abe to name a few and each one has "approached" the training with their own slant on the subject matter. When you reach a certain level I think "poetic licence" comes with the grade. If you go away from a training session with one aspect that you have never experienced then you are advancing, never look a gift horse in the mouth if they turn up in your neck of the woods to teach!! Best Regards Allan Hey Allan, I totally Agree that each senior had their own approach, its what makes the training so darn interesting. I find however that some ideas are so far outside of the cookie cutter ideals that we hold as JKA that they simply can not be made out to be JKA anymore but a complete and different system with in Shotokan. Like the ways Asai developed as having a separate system even going as far as creating Kata to show the difference. some would argue that Yahara has also stepped just outside the lines in some ways as well. for me, its all good as long as the training is good and the ideas make my brain itch to get out on the floor!
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Post by Allan Shepherd on Oct 30, 2013 14:26:57 GMT
Hi James
A lot of what has been "added" is simply lateral thinking!!
Have you ever trained with Asai? All that he was doing was thinking outside of the box which is what Funakoshi and later Nakayama and others that followed had done. His many "new" kata were simply working tools to explore the lateral thinking/thinking outside of the box scenario.
Yes, Yahara and in particular Isaka have training methods that to the untrained eye seem ludicrous but they also are working tools to explore and develop Shotokan.
I remember posting some time ago about a Goju Ryu club in my local area that still teach the syllabus that they taught some 30 years ago and some members mentioned how bloody boring would that be not developing what they had at their disposal. Here we have very innovative instructors who are now being crucified for offering something new!! No win situation comes to mind.
Shotokan is sooooooooo diverse depending on instructor, location etc is is up to the individual to decide what is best for them NOT any of the many forums that exist that seem to take great pleasure knocking someone because of their affiliation or possible change of direction in their personal life. It is guaranteed that at some point in our lives we will all have to make that ultimate decision to change our course in life.....applaud their decision....it is ultimately them that have to deal with it whether it was the right decision or not.
Best Regards Allan
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