ok, I am lucky enough to have a choice of two styles of karate in my local area, but I am unsure what to go with. I am a complete beginner to karate so I am after your opinions on which style you prefer from the two and why? The choices of clubs are: Okinawan Goju Ryu karate Shotokan karate I have been along to watch both clubs in action and impressed with each but still unsure what to go with, whats your experience? I look forward to your advice, thanks.
What were the people and the instructors like? Don't forget to look at that kind of thing too as if you follow through to black belt it will be Years of training and you're best off training with an instructor that teaches in a manner that makes it easy for you to learn AND that you get along with enough that you are having fun even when training itself hits a rough patch.
ok.. i am a bit biased, but I would say go for the goju. To be perfectly honest it depends massively on what you wantto learn... and even more on the instructors, I am sure most people would tell you to try them both a few times and get a feel for the class. In general, the shotokan will most likely be sport competition Karate orientated, so lots of WUKO style point scoring. Not my cup of tea, but if you want to compete and enjoy that type of training then go for it, as you very unlikely to get much competitions in goju. Okinawan Goju especially, shys away from competition and sporting applications, but you will probably get a more hollistic martial art, including throing, grappling, clinch work, multiples, weapons training, and heavy contact, close quatrers sparring.
If they both look good, both have good instructors, both produce good fighters and high grades and both seem like clubs you'd enjoy training with then you might as well go with the cheapest!
Ah! A student after my own heart! But seriously... I've done a lot more Shotokan that Goju (my Goju experiance is actually only a few hours) but despite that I really prefer Goju. I was lucky enough to be training under a really good (and I mean one of the best) Goju instructors around so that might have swung things a little...
Thanks for all of your advice, I am leaning towards Shokokan but only for one main reason, the club is colose to home and I can easilly get to it (walking), where as the Goju requires a train trip which means that I won't get home until 10pm and I got to get up for work at 4.30am! The shotokan instructors are 2nd dan where as the goju instructors are 4th dan with alot more experience in other MA's on their CV, including having competed at international level. Really hard decision, what would you do? Would the extra travelling and inconvienience be worth it for the better training and possibly better MA for me?
only problem i see with a long trip to and from the dojo would be that how might convince yourself not to go some night because you don't want to take the train ride or whatever. If you know you'll have the same commitment to do even if the dojo is father than go with the one you like best
I have been in that situation myself. The style that really caught my eye is always the furthest away. You have to follow your heart on this one. If you choose to travel it may become a chore and you will eventually quit. If you accept the closest just through convenience again you may get bored and quit. At the end of the day choose what you will enjoy, what you can afford and what fits in with your lifestyle.
It sounds like Shotokan is the one you want from the distance thing. You'll probably stay a bit more motivated.
Thanks for all of your advice. Well, here's whats happened so far. I sent the shotokan club an email a couple of days before I planned to go along to the first class to start. I received nothing back from them (Usually really quick at replying). Anyway, I thought that I'd just go along and ask to join in on Sunday morning. We turned up only to be told that they aren't teaching that day because they were holding a charity event but we could watch if we paid a donation. At this point we thought that it's fate, it wasn't for us. Everything seems to be pointing towards the goju. We are going along on Thursday evening to start and will let you all know how it goes. Thanks again for your help.
if that is your area and you want some top notch goju try: www.eastpointkarateclub.com run by sensei Kevin Buxey 5th dan - he is really good. His brother Sensei Kurt Buxey, also 5th dan, runs: www.solentgojuryu.com which is also in southampton.
from my understanding (correct me if i am wrong)...shotokan is alot more powerful movements and hard punches.....goju ryu actually means hard/soft style.......you have some hard powerful movements but alot softer movements as well, its a combo of both. i can't suggest one over the other because i have only trained in goju ryu
don't confuse 'hard' and linear with more powerful movements, power generation is a primary aspect of goju, especially within close quarters
ryu te ryu te it is both hard and soft enery movements, both striking and grappling, an the katas are really cool, along with the weapons. but that's my opinion! :Angel:
I went from shotokan to shorin ryu (very similar to goju ryu ) and I like it much better. Seems to have a bit more variety than shotokan with grappling, throws, and weapons. So I would choose the goju in your situation but it really depends on what you want to get out of your training. Kall
