Quote:
Originally posted by Great Sage
Karate like any martial art has it's postives and negatives. Some karate styles are practical while others are not.
Shotokan Karate was among the deadliest of karate styles when it first surfaced. It employed the idea of "one strike, one kill." However, as of late, shotokan hasn't been able to hold its ground against very many martial arts. Today, one strike that doesn't kill can mean you're gonna get killed.
In regards to punching and blocking, karate is not that practical. As a one time Karate practitioner, I noticed that karate strikes and blocks are over-committed. Thus, karate is susceptible to feints and quick jabs, double jabs, fake kicks.
I prefer the principles of boxing when it comes to hand techniques. Less blocking and more moving and punching. Karate punching power, more often than none, comes from the twisting of the waist, not necessarily the hips. In boxing, the hips provide the power, but it's also the drive from your feet. Furthermore, the punch lands before the feet touches the ground when advancing, so that the power is behind the punch, not on the ground.
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Japanese Karate and those derived from it most of the time will be as you discribe, okinawan(shuri) karate will not, stances are higher up, blocks commited just the right way.
Only, okinawan karate is the loooong road. not mch free sparring only Kata(forms) and kumite(pre arranged sparring)
I practiced a couple of styles Wado being the main one, Ashihara also being a big influence both make quick sliding blocks and jab like punches, I know Enshin ryu is based on Ashihara so techniques pretty much the same
Shotokan when it wasn't called that yet had stances like wado but the son of the founder changed all that
He came with the deep routed stances and so one, you startout doing these extremely deep rooted stances and while you progress in theart are suppose to stand higher up, doesn't explain why an 8th degree blackbelt like Kase stands even deeper that karateka with upto 5th dergree BB
I think he also came up with the thought that a form has to end at the same spot as it started ( I know of 1 that forces them to smuggle)
Because this is waxs send around the globe first, people think this how all karate is done but hea some people still call TKD karate
Karate has now become a generic term for a lot of kick and punch art( even though it has grabling and takedowns and even some groundwork)
It is by no means complete but nor is any other art but it's a hell of a base to start from
Several of my student went to another school because it was more tournament oriented and within half a year they were winning medals, so the base I laid was solid, even though Kyokushin and Wado differ a lot
As a teacher I wanted to teach my pupils how to move/use their body, if you know that as well as the limitations of a human body, you will be able to fight because you can actually think of techniques yourself or understand techniques from other styles during crosstraining