What style of Karate is the most practical.?

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TRISTON

New member
there are 3 styles where i live its Goju-ryu(or something) Shotokan and Kyokushin which one of these styles should i take? im leaning towards lots of sparring and more towards a 50=50 art of punches and kicks.
 
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jon

Member
Kyokushin!

Kyokushin is awesone!

Here is a show called, "Fight Quest." Two guys go around the world and try out different martial arts. One of them they tried was, Kyokushin Karate, in Japan. It is several episodes long but it's worth it to understand & like Kyokushin Karate. After I watched I wanted to do Kyokushin. But, sadly, there is no Kyokushin Karte schools around in my are, you are lucky. Anyway here is the link to the first episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVAHJp7YfGo

The other Karate styles aren't bad but Kyokushin is more practical. It also fits exactly what you want: lots of sparring and 50/50 punches & kicks.

Have you see Kyokushin competitions? You fight full-contact. The blows are above the waist. You cannot punch to the face. So, there is a lot of body blows. The K.O.'s come mainly from head kicks. It is brutal. If you can survive that then you can survive a lot of attacks.

The other styles won't have sparring & competitions like that. They will mainly do point-sparring (light contact) and katas. It won't be as practical.

Take Kyokushin!
 
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sketch30

New member
Shotokan is much more practicle. You learn locks, brakes, and other thing you just could use in full contact sparring.

And it's from Japan, not Okinawa.
 
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WongSifu

New member
Kyokushin Kai Karate.

It is a combination of Goju and Sotokan, but it is a full contact system.

Some of the traditional Okinawan Goju Ryu do no sparring at all but the Japanese Goju Ryu does.

Sotokan is semi-contact and no contact sparring, depending on the school and the instructor.

All three/four system are good, but according to what you wrote, Kyokushin Kai fits your needs.

Hope this could help you....and good luck!
 
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JohnD

Member
If you want LOTS of sparring then you want Kyokushin as one of it's principles is a lot of full contact sparring. As for which should you take, they are all linear hard arts, visit each dojo and take a free class. This will come down to which SCHOOL are you most comfortable with as I would rate all the systems equally against each other. Keep in mind what you learn is not a style but a tool bag and how to use the tools. How much you use which tool and when you use it is really what you practice for. I will bet all three of those schools will employ sparring, and equal kicks and punches.

Good luck and enjoy!
 
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SenseiScandal

Member
Not all the Okinawan styles exclude sparring.

Understand that Okinawan Arts teach principles that are instilled into the student to the point where sparring is not really necessary.

These principles teach you how to destroy the attack.

My school did sparring in every class. This did not make our skill any more proficient. Sparring does not allow for the usage of these principles unless you are taught to understand them.

These is no such thing as "50=50" hands and feet. Karate is not a punching and kicking art. It is a full body art. When you step, turn, bend a knee, etc - you are executing leg grappling techniques, breaks, etc. When your wrists come together in a cross - someone is getting f---ed up.

There are people with 20 , 30 and even 40 years in their art that do not know this. It's a sad thing that the majority of the karate being taught today - even in Okinawa - is not complete.

Hohan Soken was a Master who left Okinawa for Argentina while the Koryu Arts were still being practiced. When he returned after almost 25 years, he was disappointed in what he saw. He was told that everyone was teaching the new way and Koryu Arts don't retain students.

He rejected the new way and developed some great pupils of Matsumura Seito Shorin Ryu.

One on one point sparring is useless to me and I don't allow it in my class. I have everyone "spar" against multiple attackers. No one on one. That's just the way I do things. If you want one on one point sparring learn from someone else.

This is how you give yourself the privilege of going home and sitting down at the dinner table with your family. Not by pretending.

Many explain kata as an imaginary fight. This makes me cringe. Tell that to Oyata Sensei.
 
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brooklynslider

New member
You want Kyokushin
kyokushin is a hard hitting karate. They do alot of sparring and its pretty bad ass, nothing like the stupid taekwando sparring.
Kyokushin in the muay thai of karate
 
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