I'm not new to the martial arts by any means, but I'm thinking of takeing a shotokan karate class, I'm not sure if I need to do this or just want to do this. I've been takeing a hybrid Karate class for about a year and a half now, I've learned a lot about striking technique and gained some self-defense skills and I don't intend on quitting my current club. I moved about thirty minutes away from where my home gym is located and last week I discovered there is a shotokan club here in town and from what I can see their doing Gracie combative s as well. What will practicing a traditional MA give me. Hope to hear from experienced tma's, thank you.
Get down there and try it out never done shotokan or hybrid karate so can't say about it on a technical level but it's worth a look surely. If it's good then you can learn a different flavour of karate and if it sucks then you've lost one evening of your life. The gracie combatives is a bit of a franchise thing and often isn't all that great but again might be worth a look The gracie combatives material is good I'm sure but I have heard some horror stories about the training. Non competitive training, blue belts in very short time frames and online video based learning to name a few things but that said I'm sure there are some solid gyms under that banner. I'd say try it once if it interests you but bear in mind that 'Gracie' doesn't mean that much in bjj these days.
If you had been taking a hybrid, you may fond the Shotokan is more rigid. The stances, postures, methods will seem "robotic". (But in the long run, it helps on foundation) I suggest to go and try it, but have a "open mind" Last note: Shotokan was my first "Karate"
