Going from Full Contact to traditional.

[wingchun100]

In Judo...well, we didn't have punches, but we DID have to be in contact in order to throw people, do arm bars, joint locks, or chokes. In Wing Chun, the most we did was Chi Sao, which as they say is "not fighting." It wasn't until I got into sparring in this last year that I realized what a huge part of my game was missing.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

From what my instructor tells me about Karate in general, not just Shotokan, that in the 80's it was all full contact. I noticed you're an Englishman, there are a lot of great English Shotokan guys like Frank Brennan and Elwyn Hall who were 80's-90's Karateka from your country, who are absolutely amazing!

You're spot on that Tez is "English", but off by a bit with the "man".

 

[jobo]

From what my instructor tells me about Karate in general, not just Shotokan, that in the 80's it was all full contact. I noticed you're an Englishman, there are a lot of great English Shotokan guys like Frank Brennan and Elwyn Hall who were 80's-90's Karateka from your country, who are absolutely amazing!

It's was full contact since they invented it, it's the watering down to fit the expectations of 21 st century westoners that's the issue, the market they have are people who just want to Bob around with little pain or eBen DANger t of pain. They should call it Karate lite or Some such to stop people thinking that's how it's supposed to be, I've had grown men winging as I've kick the pad to hard, and hurt their wrist , the founder will be turning in his grave

 

[axelb]

my Dad did Shotokan in the UK, in the late 60s up to 80s, the kumite was always hard and I think that's part of the reason he stopped as he got older.
All the clubs I've seen over the last 20 years have been light/no contact kumite only

 

[jobo]

my Dad did Shotokan in the UK, in the late 60s up to 80s, the kumite was always hard and I think that's part of the reason he stopped as he got older.
All the clubs I've seen over the last 20 years have been light/no contact kumite only

I think a lot of the hard men have migrated to mMa n or tb, Etc so they have to cater to the beta males or go out of business, I'm fell out with my club over this very issue, one of the lad told be to throw a REAL punch at him for him to block , so I did and knocked him over, blood pouring out of his nose, got told off for being to rough and he was still complaining about it a month later, just coz his nose was a bit bent, what's up with these people

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I don't think Shotokan is any more "traditional" than Muay Thai or Boxing. It's certainly not older.

It sounds like you've moved from sparring hard contact to sparring light contact. In my experience, light contact sparring can be useful - but much more so for practitioners who already have experience with harder contact. At schools where no one ever gets past light contact, there's a tendency for students to have bad habits with regards to proper range and body mechanics.

 

[Tez3]

All the clubs I've seen over the last 20 years have been light/no contact kumite only

Most of the ones I've been to or been with on seminars etc here have been hard sparring. it will depend I think on who you know in your circle of karateka.

 

[chrissyp]

It's was full contact since they invented it, it's the watering down to fit the expectations of 21 st century westoners that's the issue, the market they have are people who just want to Bob around with little pain or eBen DANger t of pain. They should call it Karate lite or Some such to stop people thinking that's how it's supposed to be, I've had grown men winging as I've kick the pad to hard, and hurt their wrist , the founder will be turning in his grave

I wish it was like that here in the states! I'd love have a full contact karate match under Shotokan rules! whats your opinion of the new Karate Combat organization?

 

[JR 137]

I don't think Shotokan is any more "traditional" than Muay Thai or Boxing. It's certainly not older.

It sounds like you've moved from sparring hard contact to sparring light contact. In my experience, light contact sparring can be useful - but much more so for practitioners who already have experience with harder contact. At schools where no one ever gets past light contact, there's a tendency for students to have bad habits with regards to proper range and body mechanics.

I trained in a system that was Kyokushin in pretty much all but it’s name. The level of contact in my current dojo overall is significantly less, but there’s a few of us who’ll mix it up from time to time. You just have to gauge who you’re partnered with.

Had it not been for my previous training and wrestling, which also reinforces the mentality of working through quite a bit of pain, I honestly don’t know how effective my training would be. Most people who haven’t done hard contact don’t truly understand getting hit. Take just about anyone on their first hard contact sparring session and watch them - it’s like the world is going to end when they get that first side kick buried into their stomach, that first solid roundhouse kick right across their thigh, or that first punch hard at their chest or ribs. They usually at the very least buckle over go into a fetal position. If not, they’re typically on the floor. Get hit like that a few times and it’s not a big deal anymore, even though it still hurts like hell. And you realize that you’ve actually got to keep your hands up and block; up until then most people have a false sense of confidence and think they can take a punch far better than they actually can.

Once you’ve truly learned that lesson, you can ease up a bit.

 

[_Simon_]

I trained in a system that was Kyokushin in pretty much all but it’s name. The level of contact in my current dojo overall is significantly less, but there’s a few of us who’ll mix it up from time to time. You just have to gauge who you’re partnered with.

Had it not been for my previous training and wrestling, which also reinforces the mentality of working through quite a bit of pain, I honestly don’t know how effective my training would be. Most people who haven’t done hard contact don’t truly understand getting hit. Take just about anyone on their first hard contact sparring session and watch them - it’s like the world is going to end when they get that first side kick buried into their stomach, that first solid roundhouse kick right across their thigh, or that first punch hard at their chest or ribs. They usually at the very least buckle over go into a fetal position. If not, they’re typically on the floor. Get hit like that a few times and it’s not a big deal anymore, even though it still hurts like hell. And you realize that you’ve actually got to keep your hands up and block; up until then most people have a false sense of confidence and think they can take a punch far better than they actually can.

Once you’ve truly learned that lesson, you can ease up a bit.

Amen to that brother so true hey..