Have heard a lot about the Shotokan school of karate and was looking forward to trying it out. Last night got the chance when Sionnagh and I attended a senior class of the Coastal Shotokan club in Port Kennedy, WA. I had absolutely no idea what to expect, my only prior exposure being the alleged 'shotokan influence' of gkr and posts here.

Being a bit nervous walking into someone elses class I was struck how friendly and welcoming the students were to someone they'd never seen and had no idea what was doing there. This was a great start to an excellent experience.

The class consisted of 3rd kyu up to I believe nidan, and was conducted by Sensei Chris Hoath, Yondan.
After a very thorough warm up we practiced what I only realised were basics later, having blended seamlessly in with the prior activity. Quite similar techniques but no sign of the quarter inch adjustments I had gotten used to being frustrated by. Lots of emphasis on speed, whilst in moving zenkutsu dachi the idea being to practice moving the entire body quickly into the strike. This however only after each technique had been practiced slowly with appropriate tension and relaxation.

Next some kata and a detailed analysis of empi. Although movements very similar to the gkr version I am familiar with, it felt like a different kata. There was still an emphasis on performance and looking good, but (and I really wish I could put this properly into words), it seemed appropriate, like there was a reason for it. Keep the back straight to promote stability, the open palm technique tense and strong for reasons of power and development of the appropriate muscles. A comment I heard more than once when comparing was "that way is fine and still works in application, but this way looks better and is more effective because...." Somehow someone who truly knows the kata just manages to convey the point a whole lot better.

I was then fortunate to be allowed to join the dan grades in Nijushiho. Again, emphasis on technique, application stances and performance all intertwined to give kata more depth. The class seemed to understand that techniques in kata are different from techniques in application and more importantly, why this is so.

Some combinations to work on explosive power , then finished up with an excellent cool down that in my ignorance I would consider along the lines of tai chi. From the website it appears they have tai chi gradings, so maybe this was a lucky guess. Regardless, it was an amazing routine that finished the class off in a perfect way.

I would recommend it to anyone. gkr students would feel a comfortable familiarity with techniques but would also realise there truly is a very finite amount that can be gained from standing in line punching ten-hard-and-fast-kiai-on-ju class after class after class.
A massive thank you to Sensei Chris for a fantastic class and his students for being so welcoming. People in the Rockingham/Warnbro Sound/Port Kennedy area should consider checking out their website on http://users.bigpond.com/cjhoath/index.html.

Don't want to say "I told you so", but...

Shotokan has changed a lot since the Seventies.When I started it was very similar to GKR with us standing in line for at least an hour punching thin air.After a twenty year break from Shotokan I attended a class and was very surprised by what I saw.Gone was the regimented drill and pointless combinations to be replaced by realistic bunkai and more close quarter work.THey also practiced sticky hands and did some taichi type exercises.

GKR's main problem is that bob Sullivan did most of his learning in the early seventies and it seems this is his only knowledge base.What he is teaching is outdated.Most Shotokan associations saw the problems and did work to rectify them.

Thanks mat I know stuff-all about what Shotokan is really about and I may just look them up in south adelaide to see if I can check out a class.

Highly recommend it.
Since Ive been tarting myself about to clubs all over town Ive really begun enjoying training again

WOW.......

well......

I too have now taken the plunge and joined Mick on one of his trecks down to secret harbour/port kennedy for one of these classes with that club.

I was pleasantly surprised.

This class was a regular class (not senior training class) including white belts and children but the children went off with another instructor for their class separate to the adults.

We also started off with a very elaborate warm up including many exercises to incorporate speed into the muscle movements of the arms and the legs.

From here we moved on to a combination type drill which was simple to remember and allowed everyone to work on the techniques with in the movements... These were done at a relaxed level, with moderate speed and finally into a more natural and useable pace... It was here that some very simple errors were pointed out to me that in my opinion should have been ironed out years ago... such simple changes have allowed those techniques to be so much more effective...

We then partnered up and worked on the combination drills with a partner to target against. We continued on with this kind of activity going through more and more combinations with each one leading on from the last...

While working through these drills we were hearing a lot of informative bits and pieces as the drills were explained to us. Things that made SOOOO much sense the moment I heard them and was able to implement the changes immediately...... but had never heard them before. Things that after 5 years of training I should have heard several times from the beginning im guessing...

between each combination set we did a breathing activity not too unlike the Chi Kung exercises I've been learning in my Kung Fu classes, to regain normal breathing and heart rate...

after about 5 combination drills we went through heian shodan. This wasnt too hard to follow on with. Was almost identical to pinan nidan.

we then broke into two groups. coloured belts went off to run through heian sandan with one of the balck belt students while brown belts and higher went through Bassai Dai briefly. This version of Bassai Dai was very similar to one taught in GKR classes but seemed..... more sensible. even without eplanation... the subtle differences just made the kata make more sense.

A couple of harder drills came up next followed by some light free sparring with no protective gear (i suppose if its light no one should get urt so you dont need protective gear at all)...

unfortunately we had run out of time then and the class was joined back together (except the children as their class had ended earlier on) to finish off with the tai chi exercise Matt has mentioned... exercises in breathing, stretching and (what did he call it Mick????) dynamics?????

Anyway. the class was over before we knew it and so many of the students had asked if we'd enjoyed the class and some even said "SO... will we see you next week?"


Would I go again???? If Mick will let me....
Would i recommend it to others? Definately.... especially to those from classes like GKR where the ground work is there giving you a good standard of technique but you're finding you are at the end of the line and not learning any more..... There is so much more to learn about how to punch without having to do 1000's of them in the air... The little bits and pieces I walked away with will probably stay with my training and have given me more to think about and work towards...

Not exactly a first experience, as I`ve trained there before once, but I`d just like to say thanks to Coastal Shotokan for being so welcoming to Me, Mick, Matt and Kathie last night.
I doubt i`ll get the chance to train with them for a while, and I hope to see some of them at training at Jandakot tomorrow evening.

I think it`s good the two very different classes can learn from each other - maybe a joint seminar one day Mick?

Ditto. Even if I didn't train I did enjoy watching the class, and they were a great bunch of peple.

There has been some talk of this on a Perth-wide basis, some sort of getting-together-to-train with someone different running the session each month or couple of months. The problem is, as always, organising it and then getting people to come.


Mick