Hello everyone,

I am currently a 10th-grade high school student. I first started doing Shotokan karate back in the 5th grade. However, at the club I attended back then, I could never really find that deep-rooted, traditional spirit I was looking for. The training revolved entirely around WKF (World Karate Federation) sport karate and point-based tournament systems. There was hardly anything related to Bunkai (kata analysis and applications) or deep Budo philosophy. Because the dojo experience left me unsatisfied, I unfortunately had to quit. And i started judo now.

Despite the time that has passed, my curiosity and passion for karate have never faded. Right now, I am practicing judo, and while I really love the grappling dynamics of judo, my mind still drifts back to karate—specifically its traditional roots. I have a few key questions for the experienced practitioners and martial artists here:

Is Learning at Home Realistic?: Without a physical dojo environment, is it a realistic goal to learn traditional Budo karate (basic techniques, kata details, and Bunkai logic) to a certain degree through solo practice at home? Or is this path a dead end without an instructor's guidance to correct fundamental mistakes?

The Kyokushin Alternative: Since I grew tired of the WKF system and am looking for a full-contact, rigorous, and realistic school, people around me frequently point toward Kyokushin. As I try to escape the sporting nature of WKF, is Kyokushin karate my last resort and most logical path forward, or should I keep searching until I can find a traditional dojo that stays true to the roots of Shotokan?

I would love to hear your thoughts, especially the advice and guidance of anyone who has gone through a similar journey. Thank you in advance!

I was recently cleared to return to sports after tearing my ACL in Judo last year and want to train some Karate. I want something that is more long term sustainable than the MMA/kickboxing I've done in the past, plus I'll own it, I like wearing a gi. I have been to a few schools to see how classes and have four schools in mind:

1. Shorin Ryu Minnesota- $128/month, class M-Th, liked the training, seems pretty legit, the Sensai cross trains, about 20 minute commute

2. Unified Martial Arts- $125/month, class M-Th, Sat, chinese kempo, the class I watched was mixed some stuff was good, some felt meh, and a lot of exercising instead of martial arts, they do some interesting weapons work, about 10 minute commute

3. Peak Performance Shotokan- $75/ month, class T-Th, have not been but looks to be pretty standard shotokan, about 20 minute commute

4. Shinkyokushin of MInnesota- $200/month, class M,W, the class i went to was great, exactly what I expected from kyokushin, 40 minute commute

I can commit to training twice a week, while also practicing Judo.

I really want to love the kyokushin school but the price is steep for twice a week, classes are fairly late, plus it's a long drive without traffic. So unless the Shihan is a famous practitioner it's probably a no-go.

Peak performance I am tempted by the price but with the schedule I can probably only train once a week, and I am not crazy about shotokan. I've trained MMA, Judo, BJJ, and wrestled so I like something a little more hands on, but I am past my hard sparring days.

I am leaning toward the Shorin Ryu school. I feel like it is a good fit with my background, with what I am looking for, and the commute is not too bad.

I would love to hear from anyone who has experience in the area's opinion, and am open to checking out any other places in the east metro, before I commit somewhere.

Hi fellow martial artists,

Thank you for taking the time to help me with this.

I used to do a lot of weight training in my younger days and packed on some weight. Round about 220lbs but with a highish (20%) body fat. No great feat yet it is what it is.

At the ripe age 42 I decided to take up karate which is an art I always wanted to do. A year later I'm really glad I did, however, now I'm starting to wonder what is better for real life application, losing the weight or keeping some focus on strength training and keeping the weight a bit higher.

Thus, my dilemma, which do you guys think is better for real life application and not necessarily sport karate. Im still biased to having some weight on the bones but thats more than likely because I spent many hours weight training. That being said I want to be efficient and effective in the art.

So my question is more about effective bodyweight for real life application. In other sports weight classes exist and for good reason. Its very seldom that those are mixed to avoid the advantages weight brings to the competition. Point is Im not sure how much that carries over to karate. Thus Im asking to get some information on practitioners general experience.

Is there any advice or thoughts you guys can give me with regards to your experience and weight management?

Thanks

Hi,

I've been training for around 1.5 years, and have reached 2nd kyu, with consistent training for the most part, some time off here and there due to injuries and illnesses, but mostly consistent. Training twice a week up until 3rd kyu, now three times a week. One thing I've had little progress in is my body conditioning and overall athleticism. We don't do conditioning work every session, but when we do we're asked to do things like 40 pushups, 50 abs crunches, long plank holds, etc, but I find I'm still not able to do anywhere near the volume sensei asks of us, and even those exercises aside I feel I'm still quite weak and slow, and I'd also like to be able to do the jumps in kata, aswell as the jumping kicks we're asked to do on rare occasions.

At the moment I can do about 20 pushups at a push, maybe about 13 lying leg raises, and can't do ab crunches. I can't do pull ups either, and can't skip, and both are things I'd like to improve. I've started adding plyometrics to my external training regime but haven't seen any improvement to my leg explosiveness or jump speed yet. I've got what feels like a fairly decent stretching routine, albeit it's all static holds, but I've seen some improvement in that area, currently feel a bit stuck regarding getting the splits, but I feel close at the same time. I do cardio on the treadmill three times a week, doing interval work, with a rest speed of 7km/h and a working speed of 10.6 km/h, 1 minute rest 30s working, for just over 10 mins, with the aim of increasing the working speed over time and eventually reaching sprinting speeds. I also can't currently balance for long, and can't keep my kicks up for more than a few seconds even when I'm able to balance well. I also lift weights three times a week, doing full body, and lift 13kg per hand for most exercises. The exercises are bench press, bent over rows, lateral raises, overhead tricep extensions (with one dumbell), bicep curls, reverse lunges, deep squats, and SLD's (Straight Leg Deadlifts). Essentially I'd like any advice on how to better condition myself, if there's something I need to do more of, or in a different way, any recommendations on how to get from here to where I want to be. I do make sure to get sufficient protein, and I've gained some fat in that time, so I don't thinkbul I'm undereating.

Oss!

diabetic skin and full contact aren’t a very good match…

Hey everyone from hungary budapest!

When I was a kid in elementary school, I did karate for about 4 years. I reached 8th kyu (blue belt), but I eventually quit because I started weightlifting/bodybuilding. I’m 21 now, and honestly, I’m starting to burn out on the gym. However, I definitely don't want to stop exercising, doing something some sport completely. BUT

A few weeks ago, my dad was cleaning up and found my old budo pass (karate ID). Seeing it brought back so many amazing memories: the community, my old instructors, the summer camps, tournaments, and my training partners. I really miss that lifestyle and the movement itself.

I’m strongly considering starting again, but I’m facing a major dilemma. If I return, do I have to start all over again from white belt, or can I continue from my blue belt?

Ideally, I’d love to keep my blue belt but practically start from the basics again—even training with the lower ranks/younger students for a few months until I get back into shape and remember the techniques. Honestly, if I have to start from scratch with a white belt, I might think twice about coming back at all.

How does this usually work in your experience?

I could really use some motivation right now. If the comments here give me that final push, I’m planning to visit a local dojo sometime this week.

Osu!

Hi,

I have a question about switching styles.

I currently practice Shotokan, but I’m interested in switching to Kyokushinkai. I simply want to gain more practical experience and do more actual sparring.

What were your experiences when switching? What should I look out for? And—a bit of a silly question...

I hold a 1st Dan. Do I start over with a white belt when I switch styles? (I don’t have a problem with that; I just want to know.)

OG video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaJnzbpJgLz/?igsh=c3JqbGNleDMyaGhj

So many people hate on Shotokan karate because of point fighting but I‘d like to keep an open mind.

the combat I’m talking about is a broad term for a continuous kickboxing fight/sparring

what do you guys think?

OG Video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Da-oV5mSorQ/?igsh=MW41ZmdiZXA2dmp6bA==

Is there anything I can find in order to learn Kata from all styles? Including bunkai, foot positioning, transitioning, hand placement etc.

I get out daily into a park in Alameda to do a routine to stretch and wake up my body. This is a clip from the end of a practice where I do an open hand, free form kata, inspired by #Tenshingoso, from the #Shintaido branch of #Shotokan #Karate. I was a teacher many years ago, now I just let the forms #flow. Sometimes I use a #woodensword, and sometimes just #openhand. Music is from #EastForest

I'm curious what elements of karate you think TKD should include, or if any karate specialists see certain elements in TKD that are very karate? It's a a broad question, and then you get into Okinawan vs. Shotokan vs. Kyokishin.... compared to ITF vs. WTF. etc. etc....

Where I'm coming from is my school is primarily ITF TKD forms/kicks/blocks, but emphasizing Shotokan power and deep stances. The "founders" of our style didn't differentiate between what elements came from which style, but all I know is that the TKD slowly took over more and more or the decades.

Hey everyone,

I need some advice on my current situation. When I was younger, I trained in traditional Okinawan Shorin-Ryu (Oshukai lineage) in a small town in southern France. I absolutely loved it the traditional vibe, the natural stances, the katas (Pinan), and the friend I made.

Fast forward to today: I moved far away in order to study, and I really want to get back into karate. The problem? It is an absolute Shotokan monopoly here. I really, don’t want to do Shotokan. No disrespect to the style, but it frustrates me to think that it will be "karate" but completly different from the karate I know, and basically relearn all my katas (switching from Pinan to Heian, etc.) well I don't want....

I did some research and figured that Shito-Ryu or Wado-Ryu might be a much better fit for me, as they are closer to shorin ryu ? (higher stances, keeping the original kata names and bunkai for Shito) that's what I saw on internet, if someone can confirm this please !

Here is the catch: The closest Shito-Ryu or Wado-Ryu dojos are at least a 30-minute drive away, whereas I have a local Shotokan club (in a laid-back community center) just 10 minutes from my place.

So, my questions for you guys are:

• Would you make the 30+ minute commute each way just to train in a style (Shito/Wado) that feels closer to what u did ?
• Or should I just swallow my pride, go to the local Shotokan club 10 minutes away, and treat it as a completely new martial art?
• Are there any other styles I should be looking out for that might bridge the gap?

Also my dad tell me to look at Yoseikan budo, he tells me that he did a lot when he was young, and he prefers this over shotokan. The only close club is located at 25 minute from my place

Thanks in advance for your answer !

I noticed there has been a big push for school to register themselves under JKA. My style is goju-ryu and my original dojo was a direct okinawan lineage. But even then they chose to register themselves under JKA as well as the Okinawan school.

Have you noticed anything like that happening?

Edit: Sorry I meant JKF

I recently made a biography of Mas Oyama. I hope you find it of interest.

A short video from karate Club showing students of different ages taking their belt exams and celebrating the end of the 2025/2026 training season. I’d be grateful for any feedback on the video!

We may be a small Club, but every student brings passion, commitment, and a genuine desire to improve. For us, karate is not only about earning the next belt, it is about discipline, perseverance, and growing together. Anyone who has ever tried to build a Club probably knows how difficult it can be. Creating a community whose members trust one another and are willing to contribute their own small part takes a lot of time and effort.

This video is one example of that involvement, just one of the parents decided to record it for Club. I do not know how things work in your communities, but for us every step forward matters, whether it is improving our social media, organizing trips to competitions, supporting our students or developing the Club in any other way. Every small achievement brings us genuine joy.

I wish all of you all strong communities in real life and many more milestones in the development of your Clubs. Warm greetings to the entire karate community, Osu.

Hello everyone. I'm a 1st dan in a karate style(won't disclose which style as it could reveal my identity). i had some issues with my instructor who lashed out on me because i didn't want to participate in a competition and the whole thing turned sour . I've been trying to mentally detached myself (taking some time as i've known them for years). I have several question for you all other people who train like me:

Did you ever experience a similar scenario and how did you deal with it?

Did you consider training by yourself at home?(I'm thinking about doing that as i'm pretty much his best student and i get absolutely no benefit training with the current student. Only benefit is for them, the student which i have no problem sharing my knowledge with)

Would you consider joining another martial art club from a different style?(Note that i plan to leave my country in 2 to 5 years and teach the style that i'm doing because it's my way of life and I would like to guide people and promote the style i'm doing)

If more details are needed so you can help me, please ask away.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pz7QOU8Vsfg

What does he mean at 20 seconds when he says the three moves don't have any application? I thought the point of kata was to pass down applications.

Also, at 40 seconds he does an open handed technique to the face. Is that meant to attack the opponent's eyes? Are there any forms of Naihanchi or another kata that does this technique?

Might be a weird question to ask. But has anyone here tried to like add the flashy Tkd techniques onto their karate skillset?? like Tornado kicks etc??. yk seeing karate with the flashy kicks would be so cool asf

Apesar de ser famoso em Santos o estilo Shorin-ryu eu estou precurando pessoas da baixada santista que praticam essa arte. Alguém com conhecimento pode me informar.