Shotokan vs Okinawan Karate — The Difference Is Brutal

Comments · 487

• ST

  @stevefowler2112 · 3 months ago (edited)

  I earned my brown belt in Okinawan Karate on Okinawa as a U.S. Recon Marine. My sensei on Okinawa used to always yell at us while we were sparring, he'd yell in Japanese; Block, Kick, Punch. It was a brutal martial art form that didn't worry about frills, it was just for destroying your enemy. When I rotated back to the States I joined a Korean Karate Do Jo just because it was just off base so very convenient. The Sensei was a Korean 6th degree with legit dangerous skills, but even other 2nd and 3rd degree black belts were way behind me and the new black belts would have been yellow belts on Okinawa.

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• O1

  @o1egkl · 2 months ago

  I learned Shotokan under master Nishiyama and in fights we never used traditional blocks and never drew hand all the way back. All these technics are used for right body movement and applying strength in the right direction for learner. Fighting like in kata is suicidal. But advanced belts in fights hold both hands like in Okinawa karate, never pulling to the heap. Blocks become taps with open hand, barely moving from your body center and here comes all the "useless technics you learned before" that built your ability to send a strike or block with max body strength behind even from short distance

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• DA

  @DarkDennis1961 · 3 months ago

  Interesting video. I had no idea shotokan could be pronounced so many ways

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• KR

  @kreeba5220 · 3 months ago

  Many of the fights in the beginning of this video are from kyokushin karate.

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• JO

  @josephmeador1529 · 1 month ago

  Started with Shotokan then Greco-Roman wrestling in school, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun / Chi Sao … each one has something to offer. Working in bars for years has put me in more situations than I can count and training in every one of those arts came in handy at one point in time or another.

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• CO

  @cobacaba · 3 months ago (edited)

  This was great video. I would like to add couple things as a practioner from both styles.<br>First, shotokan use low wide stances to muscle developmeting. There is &quot;normal stance&quot;, Kamae, for fight situations.<br>Second. It is not just only what you choose (lets leave that closest dojo out of this), there is also, which suit better for you. I mean, if you have like &quot;fast legs&quot; or/and you can or prefer to keep bigges distance, shotokan is good choise. And vice versa that, you like grappling, okinawan styles maybe suit better for you.<br>Anyhow, karate is great way of life, no matter which style you do.

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• KE

  @Keith-o7m · 3 months ago

  You are very correct about the historic shift. However, Matsumura Soken trained as an Okinawan Samurai called Peichin. There are records of him teaching Japanese fencing as well as karate. &nbsp;We also have records of written permission for Okinawan Samurai to havetheirswords sharpened and polished in Kyushu. Karate was not developed by poor farmers because weapons were banned. <br><br>The video is a pretty good summary of the changes and hints of the intuitive use of kata as a teaching tool. The purpose is not exact interpretation of techniques but of principles. <br><br>I&apos;m fairly impressed that you captured the essence of traditional Okinawan karate. Thank you very much. <br><br>Domo arigato, <br><br>Hanshi Keith Lingenfelter

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• IN

  @indranilchakraborty33 · 3 months ago

  as a student of karate &nbsp;there is no best style. Each style &nbsp;has its pro and cons. Ultimately its the individual Karateka &nbsp;and his skill that matters not the style .

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• QT

  @qtpwqt · 3 months ago

  I have Shodans in both , each has its good points

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• SO

  @socallee · 2 months ago

  Starting at 13 yrs old I studied Goju Kai under sensei Gosei Yamaguchi and Shito Ryu under sensei Fumio Demura. The values and discipline I learned and developed greatly and positively influenced my life.

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• KR

  @krnivoro1972 · 3 months ago

  Forgot to mention Funakoshi practiced &quot;Shorin Ryu&quot; style back in Okinawa, so original Shorin Ryu stayed the same, along with Goju Ryu and others okinawans styles. That means Shotokan is actually the &quot;japanisation&quot; of Shorin Ryu &quot;To-te&quot; and became a style on it´s own.

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• KA

  @karatefella · 3 weeks ago

  I trained - and taught - Shotokan Karate for 42 years, from 1980 to 2022 (I had to stop due to bad knees) One night we had a local Goju Ryu Sensei teach at our club. The session was 3 hours. 2 and a half hours of that was warming up!