Shotokan Karate

[Bret Hinds]

I am trying to find out if a instructor has a real black belt in Shotokan or his he just a fake that read a book or whatched a dvd? I live in OKLAHOMA. Any help in this matter would be helpful! All the best in the arts

 

[Chris Parker]

Hi, Bret.

Might I suggest this question is better suited to the Karate forum? You'll probably find the most knowledgable people on this subject there...

And a few details about the instructor in question may help get some answers as well...

 

[Bret Hinds]

Thank You , I have visited the Shotokan web site and did not find the person I was looking for they also said that they have never even have a listing under that name. All the best in the arts

 

[jim777]

Shotokan is an extremely popular style, if not the most popular Japanese karate style. I would think if you were simply going to fake a BlackBelt or other advanced degree in a style you would be better served with one that is quite a bit more obscure.

Have you visited the class, seen the instructor and students in action?

 

[dancingalone]

I am trying to find out if a instructor has a real black belt in Shotokan or his he just a fake that read a book or whatched a dvd? I live in OKLAHOMA. Any help in this matter would be helpful! All the best in the arts

Depends on what you mean by a real shotokan black belt. Certainly there are associations like JKA or SKIF that are certifying bodies for shotokan. However, I don't think they are the end all. You probably know, Bret, that black belts aren't at all analogous to college degrees in the US, where accreditation by a regional body means everything.

 

[Bret Hinds]

I was hoping to find a member of the Shotokan Line to confront this guy. I am pretty sure he is a fake, giving the martials arts in the area a bad name. I am not a student of Shotokan, I am a instructor of Tae Kwon Do in a different town. Thanks to all !!! All the best in the arts

 

[Tensei85]

So then basically your saying you want to start trouble and get rid of your competition at the same time then? ; ) just kidding! Yea, I've seen a lot of fakes in the last 10 years. Its a shame if that is the case, because its ripping off a lot of people in the process.

 

[RoninSoul]

I suggest you raise the question, plant the seed in your local M.A. community. He'll be flushed out. Upon entering a local tournement perhaps. Suspicious officials might ask of his credentials?! I practice Shotokan BTW, so thank you!

 

[pgsmith]

Hey Bret,
Shotokan karate is not under any single governing body. I think you would be much better served by posting the fellow's name and asking about him openly rather than hinting about and trying to find someone to 'confront' the guy as you put it. By not openly posting your concerns and asking for opinions on him, it makes it look like you're engaged in a witch hunt against the competition in the area rather than being concerned about a fraudulent instructor.

Just my two cents from the outside.

 

[repz]

My very first style was a mixture of shotokan and kickboxing. His studies into shotokan i always doubted, since my cousin took tma shotokan and his knifehand block was different. He was also never really into perfection of form and kata, so that raised flags. But, what he taught helped me beat a lot of top students from every style, and i have left many schools due to comparsion to my old teacher.

Now that I am in tma shotokan, i see a huge difference. And as i look back, i just assume my old instructor didnt care much about his karate anymore, and was more into kickboxing, and since they had their own small organisation, he could do whatever he wanted. So the guy can be legit, even if he changes things and isnt under a franchise org.

 

[Blade96]

I did research into my association's lineage and the senseis when i joined. and also by watching, observing. I know their lineage, and info about them that would surprise if i told them I know about it ("How do you know that" "Um, I have spies" lol.) Read up on shotokan. read moves, kata, etc. and pay attention in classes like i did. Read up on tactics of mcdojo and mcdojo instructors, too. btw trust your instinct. I may not have known anything about MA when i first joined, but sixth sense and research can tell you a lot. From being in shotokan 5 months and all this I said, I know for a fact ours is legit.

Good luck!

 

[blindsage]

Why do you care about someone else's school? Train your own people and train them well, and don't come to forums under false pretenses to stir up s***. The latter part just makes you look like a ****.

 

[seasoned]

In the old days we just went over to his DoJo and ask him if he wanted to spar. Usually got our answer right away.

 

[Tez3]

If he's in a different town and teaches a different style I can't see how it matters to you? does he cause you any bother, slander or libel you? Or do you just think you'll put him out of business anyway by posting innuendos.
If you were a prospective student it would be a different matter but as it is , posting like that does look as if you are trying to discredit someone for no reason.
The importance of lineage is vastly inflated, I'd never heard of it until I started talking to Americans who I was told here on MT take it far more seriously than any others. If your instructor is a good one, he doesn't rip you off, teaches you to defend yourself, to fight and you are happy in the class who cares whether his teacher, teacher's teacher was from Japan/Korea etc etc. The proof is in the instructor and his teaching not his lineage, all that means is that a particular style has been taught for a while, not even necessarily well.

 

[blindsage]

It's also a ***** move to neg rep somebody and not sign it, whoever you are. Yes, "It's ok to question a fraud in the community." What's not ok is what I said. Don't come on a forum under false pretenses. And if the "fraud" really isn't doing anything to you, get over it.

 

[Tez3]

It's also a b**** move to neg rep somebody and not sign it, whoever you are.

It's cowardly! Anyway hope a pos rep from me will balance it out!