[QUOTE]Originally posted by Victor Smith:
Dr. K.,
I belive it is a vast over-simplification to qualify that Shotokan is just for kids and PE. I'm not a Shotokan stylist, but have had enough trianing with some that I believe it is very bad focus to simply write their efforts off.
Regardless the original texts by Funakoshi Ginchin were describing the art he transmitted originally from Okinawa (hence the modern Karate Jutsu terminology).
In fact a competent technician can do as much with a reverse punch as anyone can do with any other technique.
Pleasantly,
Victor Smith
Bushi No Te Isshinryu www.funkydragon.com/bushi [/QUOTE]
Don't get me wrong. All that hard sparring and training and the 28 kata or so practiced by Shotokan stylists makes them some of the best Japanese BuDO-ka out there. You being an Isshin stylist understand the need for K.I.S.S.. Most Japanese karate is complicated and regimented. This makes for cookie cutter practitioners, with enduring journeyman skills. No creativity and no Okinawan "tailor-fit" ti.
I tend to think of Isshin as Shotokan if it were done right. Very direct, and straight to the point. Shotokan and other Japanese styles are also lacking in kobudo techs. This adds a 'yudansha' level of understanding to your "gyaku-tsuki", which btw is not real Okinawan karate technique, just beginner striking and kumite stuff. You know this man!
Nishiyama and others after reaching BB in Shotokan, went to train in China and Okinawa. When they broke away from the JKA, they introduced a "modernized" Shotokan which is ironic because in actuality they were reintroducing those techs and principles omitted from Funakoshi's original karate. Talk about reverse engineering!
It is essential for all Japanese practitioners to go back to the essence in order for them to understand what made Okinawan karate an effective SD art. Heck, Itosu and others showed what real karate could do to even highly trained old-school Kodokan Judo/JJ guys.
So we can agree to disagree. Anyway, have you written any articles lately which deal with the older vs. newer fist forms and punching methods? I remember our brief correspondence concerning the "old-fist" form that is seen in "KarateJutsu" and styles such as Matsumura Orthodox.
Sincerely,
Me
[This message has been edited by Dr. Krunkenstein (edited 10-08-2003).]