Tweet
I think you should worry less about style and find the best instructor for what your goals are. If you want to compete in tournaments, or are you more interested in self-defense, or a cultural experience or just exercise. These are all more school/instructor dependent than style dependent .
I know when I studied Wado we were very much into tournaments and concentrated allot on that aspect. We didn’t spend allot of time on self-defense. I don’t think my instructor would know what to do if attacked on the street but damn could he compete in kuminte and perform a flawless kata.
I’ll try to break down the styles that I've studied much like Toudiyama did.
Wado: The word wado literally means the way of harmony or peace and harmony. It is softer than the Shotokan style, from which it was born; Wado incorporates less kata, kumite, and basic technique and more jujutsu holds and locks. and kendo. Toudiyama says it sucks for self-defense but I don’t think its any better or worse than any other style of karate for self-defense. However for point karate tournaments it’s one of the best.
Shito: You better like to do kata if you do this style; this style has way too many damn katas. You’ll be doing Kata all day long. It’s softer than shotokan but I believe it’s harder than wado. It’s a cross breed of goju and shorin ryu karate and is most known for it’s square-on stances and linear strikes. Traditional Okinawan weapons are also taught in the Shito.
Uechi: “All is in sanchin” Uechi is a Chinese-Okinawan self-defense system founded by Kanbun Uechi from Okinawa. It is very strongly influenced by Chinese martial art called Pangainoon kung-fu. Pangainoon means half hard and half soft, referring to Uechi-ryu hard strikes and thrusts, as well as its sliding or redirecting soft blocks. Uechi is most widely known as an infighting system. It has some off the wall stuff like the one knuckle punch (the phoenix punch) as there prime punch and using the toes to kick with instead of the ball of the foot when doing the front kick.
Shotokan: This is the Karate that I am currently doing at this time. Shotokan is a blend of two styles of Okinawan Karate most noted for its deep stances (which I dislike allot) and its linear movements. There are little circular movements that you see in other Okinawan karate’s. It is a hard style implementing hard blocks that are also used to damage the opponents striking arm or leg. It is best summed up as sport karate.
Out of these Wado is my favorite. I guess it’s because it was my first martial art and I began it at a young and impressionable age (I was 12 y/o). I also identify better with its philosophies better than other Karate styles.
My over all favorite MA that I have trained in is Muay Thai it beats the hell out of all the rest. I practice karate because there is nothing else where I live and I am a close personal friend of the shotokan instructor.
I hope I have shed some light on this for you. Good luck in your search.
I know when I studied Wado we were very much into tournaments and concentrated allot on that aspect. We didn’t spend allot of time on self-defense. I don’t think my instructor would know what to do if attacked on the street but damn could he compete in kuminte and perform a flawless kata.
I’ll try to break down the styles that I've studied much like Toudiyama did.
Wado: The word wado literally means the way of harmony or peace and harmony. It is softer than the Shotokan style, from which it was born; Wado incorporates less kata, kumite, and basic technique and more jujutsu holds and locks. and kendo. Toudiyama says it sucks for self-defense but I don’t think its any better or worse than any other style of karate for self-defense. However for point karate tournaments it’s one of the best.
Shito: You better like to do kata if you do this style; this style has way too many damn katas. You’ll be doing Kata all day long. It’s softer than shotokan but I believe it’s harder than wado. It’s a cross breed of goju and shorin ryu karate and is most known for it’s square-on stances and linear strikes. Traditional Okinawan weapons are also taught in the Shito.
Uechi: “All is in sanchin” Uechi is a Chinese-Okinawan self-defense system founded by Kanbun Uechi from Okinawa. It is very strongly influenced by Chinese martial art called Pangainoon kung-fu. Pangainoon means half hard and half soft, referring to Uechi-ryu hard strikes and thrusts, as well as its sliding or redirecting soft blocks. Uechi is most widely known as an infighting system. It has some off the wall stuff like the one knuckle punch (the phoenix punch) as there prime punch and using the toes to kick with instead of the ball of the foot when doing the front kick.
Shotokan: This is the Karate that I am currently doing at this time. Shotokan is a blend of two styles of Okinawan Karate most noted for its deep stances (which I dislike allot) and its linear movements. There are little circular movements that you see in other Okinawan karate’s. It is a hard style implementing hard blocks that are also used to damage the opponents striking arm or leg. It is best summed up as sport karate.
Out of these Wado is my favorite. I guess it’s because it was my first martial art and I began it at a young and impressionable age (I was 12 y/o). I also identify better with its philosophies better than other Karate styles.
My over all favorite MA that I have trained in is Muay Thai it beats the hell out of all the rest. I practice karate because there is nothing else where I live and I am a close personal friend of the shotokan instructor.
I hope I have shed some light on this for you. Good luck in your search.
Isshinryu, eight kata not counting the weapons. 
Comment