Shotokan Karate Of America: Fill & Download for Free

I agree, it's more about the sensei, than the style. Coincidentally, I also studied Shotokan in Hawaii when I was in high school (but, we are many years apart).Based on what you've said, I'm going to guess that you appreciate the traditional methods, rather than let's see how big a trophy I can win in a tournament type dojo.Although I have no personal experience with this school, San Francisco Shotokan seems to fit that bill. Instructors trained under Tsutomo Ohshima (see video), who was taught by Gichin Funakoshi (founder of Shotokan Karate) http://www.sfshotokan.com/Tsutomu Ohshima began studying karate while a student at Waseda University, beginning in 1948, and became captain of the university's karate club in 1952. He trained under Shotokan's founder, Gichin Funakoshi, until 1953. Funakoshi personally awarded Ohshima his sandan (3rd degree black belt) rank in 1952. In 1957 Ohshima received his godan (fifth degree black belt), the highest rank awarded by Funakoshi. This remains the highest rank in SKA. In 1952, Ohshima formalized the judging system used in modern karate tournaments. However, he cautions students that tournaments should not be viewed as an expression of true karate itself.Ohshima left Japan in 1955 to continue his studies at UCLA. He led his first U.S. practice in 1956 and founded the first university karate club in the United States at Caltech in 1957. In 1959 he founded the Southern California Karate Association (SCKA), as additional Shotokan dojos opened. The organization was renamed Shotokan Karate of America in 1969.Interview here. https://sites.google.com/site/maryknollshotokan/nisei-week-karate-exhibition/interview-with-mr-ohshima

For original Japanese Shotokan karate (and still used by Shotokan Karate of America and its affiliates)White Belt (unranked thru 4th kyu)Brown Belt (3d to 1st Kyu)Black (1st Dan thru 5th Dan) 5th dan is the highest rank.

In the US and elsewhere, Kyokushin Karate, a full contact art, was always well respected and continues to be so today. For traditional “controlled contact” styles, Shotokan Karate of America, founded by Master Oshima, one of Funakoshi’s premier students, is also well respected. Both of these are considered to be serious martial arts organizations who are interested in promoting real Okinawan/Japanese “karate.” There are many others, but these are older well respected karate organizations that contributed significantly to the growth of karate outside Japan/Okinawa. And that’s not to say that these styles produce the greatest or most successful fighters. But they do tend to promote very disciplined practitioners who incorporate martial arts into their overall life. There are many other marital arts that derive from other parts of Asia, including Kung Fu, TKD, and MT; but they are not technically “karate,” which is usually used to describe the martial art that developed in Okinawa, and which was brought to mainland Japan near the beginning of the 20th Century.The issue for most serious martial artists with karate (and TKD) is with for profit chain/franchise studios and McDojos that are more intent on making money than promoting legitimate martial arts. And even in that context, there are exceptions. There are certainly small for profit studios with good instructors and teachers who teach a legitimate martial art, but once you get into paying for belts and testing; long term contracts; and other money making schemes, folks start to lose respect. But for many, these studios and McDojo’s are the only game in town and I am not going to say that folks don’t learn something in some studios.At the end of the day, the one dimensional aspect of karate was exposed with the growth of MMA, but there are many successful fighters that started or participated in traditional karate.