Gichin Funakoshi Might HATE The Shotokan We See Today... 

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Loved the shout out to TKD being rooted in Shotokan. Some TKD organizations ignore this.

The change I regret is that the self defence understanding of kata was to a large extent lost. Because modern karate is mostly driven by sport competition. The research and development done by Iain Abernethy, Pat McCarthy the truth about kata and actual results driven self defence practice.

I started learning a Karate style 'derived' from Shotokan as a child in New Zealand. I travelled to Okinawa to practice Shorinji-ryu for a time in 2016 and this challenged my previous learning of long stances. As some others in this chat have alluded to, long stances make progress to grappling very difficult. Kata like Wanshu, Sesan, Goju shi ho, all have transition points where one can enter into grappling, and are taught to be close-range Kata in Okinawa. I am now learning Japanese jiu-jitsu in parallel with my Karate practice to identify and bring meaning to these transitions. Therefore I like that shorter stances allow faster movement, and I like that close fighting opens up for control grappling (as well as building bravery). If grappling is taken by away from the old Kata there are holes created in the bunkai.

I was taught that the deep stances were primarily to build muscles and stamina. I use deep stances when I practice kata but higher more "natural" stance when practicing kumite. The strength from low stances gives me speed when I'm moving quickly in kumite. It was Funakoshi who once wrote "lower stances for beginners, higher stances for advanced."

I am a shotokan guy but long ago I left a lot of the baggage of Shotokan behind. 1) long stances are impractical in that they inhibit mobility. Mobility, not parrying, is your first defense. You parry only when you can’t get out of the way. 2) Shotokan is known for its wide movements, especially in the parries. These are impractical. Your parries will only work in practical application if they are quick and economical. Think of the way shuto uke is performed, by bringing the parrying hand to the ear before executing the parry. If you did that in an actual fight, you’d get hit before you could parry. The practical parry proceeds from where the hand is at the time you perceive the blow. It is quick and sharp and is brought immediately back to its starting place because to leave it out there, as is done in the kata and so much useless bunkai, leaves you vulnerable to the following strike. 3) Shotokan overemphasizes kime and strength both in parrying and striking. The object, of course, of kime is the development of power. But power is not as important as speed. It doesn’t matter how strongly you strike or parry if the movement is not fast enough to achieve its purpose. Anyway, power comes from speed. Speed comes from relaxing and being fluid. Classical Shotokan is too rigid and tense.

I recently stumbled upon this channel. I studied Shotokan for a couple years, when I was younger. Listening to him talk brings everything flooding back!! It's nice to see a young person have so much respect for history, while recognizing the benefits of modernizing some things. GREAT channel!!

I think the wide stances of "modern" Shotokan are good for training the muscles of the legs, but are actually not really sooo good for kicking in a fight as Gigo Funakoshi might have thought. This might be interesting: If you watch " Karate Combat" this new "full contact league" is dominated by Shotokan practicioners (2nd largest group are from Shito Ryu), but they really have to abandon the deep stances which are done in "WKF Sports Karate". Same thing in Kyokushin and related styles-tourunaments: The wide stances and wide moves may work really good in rulesets of "Pointfighting" to get your "Ippon", but in continous fighting higher or less wider stances are almost mandatory to kick and punch faster in followup techniques.

This video gave me a ride to the past, in the 70's I trained Goju Ryu under a very traditional teacher and very oriented to self defense, he emphasized speed, and above all kicks below the waist with a long list of places. "Do you want to kick the face? kick the legs first" he used to say. I miss him. Thank you for the memories @Karate Dojo waKu

For me, the important point is the one made by Gichin Funakoshi in Karate Do Kyohan. He said something about kata being a training exercise, and not moving like that in a real fight. What Gigo Funakoshi said is quite revealing. I'm not sure I trust someone who discards older wisdom, just because it is old.

Yes. Founder of Taekwon-Do, General Choi Hong Hi was student of Gichin Funakoshi and he created Taekwon-Do which now known as Taekwon-Do ITF.

To answer the question of the day: My perspective is that in application stances should be dynamic, the depth and length depending on the situation. My base is typically higher and narrower, however as two examples: If I need a bit more reach I will step out wider, and if I am attacking low or am countering low either striking or felling I will go lower. When just training footwork I try to flow through variations spontaneously. When I am using stances to train internally and externally I start high and sink lower as the body relaxes more. I am finding more and more that there are no cookie cutter stances, as everyone's body is different, there needs to be a training of awareness so each person can personalize it by make the small adjustments needed to avoid strain in the joints. A little wider, a littler narrow, a little higher, a little lower, feet parallel or toes out a bit or a bit more, etc, it all starts with being aware of oneself.

Thank you for asking what we think about such changes. I deeply appreciate this history of Gigo. I began the study of Shotokahn in 1975. My teacher had a third degree black belt in Shito-Ryu and a third degree black belt in Shorin-Ryu and a fifth degree black belt in Shotokahn. His main teacher in Shotokahn was Hidetaka Nishiyama. While teaching me he returned to Japan and earned his sixth degree. The last degree one could earn at the time from the JKA. He began training in 1940. Classes with Master Romano were usually three hours long, held three times a week. About four months into our training shortly before he left for Japan to be tested for his sixth degree. He showed up in class with a book on Karate from a different teacher from a different school. The book was entitled "This is Karate" by Mas Oyama. He praised the work in this book as being very important to all men who love karate. But I and the other student didn't want to look at it at all. When he asked us why? We said that it was because it made us feel disloyal to him, and to Shotokahn. We were young, I was only 16 at the time. He chastised us for being closed minded and encouraged us that day to study everything possible while still maintaining the practices that he shared with us. I've never forgotten that, or any other lesson, from that venerable man. He opened mind while he taught me to discipline my body. I have seen many times over the last 45 years students and teachers alike passing on information and technique which are poorly explained, and poorly understood, and sometimes worthless. Almost entirely based on a misplaced sense of reverence for that which came before. I am currently a teacher of TCMA. My teacher, and his teacher, who are thankfully still with us, have encouraged me since the beginning of my studies with them, to also keep an open mind. To use what is useful to me. To make the art my own. To disregard, not the form, but my ignorance and biases. Changes are good only when they are truly useful to the person learning and or teaching. As we move through the arts our perspective must broaden, and our understanding must deepen. Or our branch of the art will whither and die. I tell my students to teach honestly who they learned from. And to make no changes in forms that they cannot explain, and only then if they are useful in maintaining the kata as canon of information. Is the problem with the students understanding? Or with the kata? Each teacher tries to pass his own understanding down. Easier said than done. Each dedicated student will become the teacher. And we hope this evolution will continue without changing. Karate is a koan. Wishing you all thats good. Laoshr #60 Ching Yi Kung Fu Association

I've read almost all of Gichin's books and seen some photos/film of him in action. It's my belief that the amount of change in shotokan has been overstated by many in the martial arts community. Gichin can be seen doing fairly deep amd athletic stances in kata. For the most part not to the degree that can be seen in modern wkf but certainly not narrow or shallow. And there's at least one instance I've found that is actually quite similar to modern standards. What's more in his books there are several points where he instructs that one should "kick as high as possible" at certain points in forms. He also lists jumping kicks as striking techniques. Footage seemingly from the 20s and photos from his 3rd book (early/mid 30s) show his students doing the same, deep stances and "fancy" kicks, before he had his son and senior students start taking over in leadership roles. I hope this info is of some help to folks looking into Karate's history. I recommend everyone read all the books themselves.

Having trained initially under well known Japanese Karate Master in the modern Shotokan way I understand the venefit of developing strong legs and using tge hips. Hip movement however is not limited due to wider or deeper stances. Years later I met a hugh kevel and one of the higher level black belts of Tsutomu Ohshima, who translated Karate- do Kyohan, and received permission from Master Funikoshi yo teach in the U.S.A. I also trained with Master Ohshima. I then relearned all the kata and movements in tve original Shotokan. way. As you said in this video, Okinawan Karate was focussed on self defense. At the highest level one must be able to move without any prior leaning,moving or sbifti g one's body. In deeper,longer, stances this is made incredibly more diffjcult. Any distance gained by lknger stances is dwarfed by the speed and lack of prior movements of the Old Way. This, kind of movement is actually a principle of Zen and found in earlier philosophy of Chinese martial arts. Unfortunately, thus wsy of moving has almost entirely been lost. The new ways of training emphasizing leg power, was also important prior to more modern tsining methods that are now available. After decades of experience, one can learn that greater power xan be achieved through the earlier form of movement couple with strhctural nidy alignment, and channeling tremendous energy through it directly from the ground through the body into the opponent with a fraction of the physical tension and misalignment seen in the modern Shotokan physical form. There is actually a term for this in Chinese.

I train in Traditional Moo Duk Kwan TKD and I see our long stances and hip movement in the updated old Shotokan style. Also many of our forms are basically Shotokan i.e Bassai

I took shotokan in the early 80's and visited a shotokan club last year in the states. It was almost unrecognizeable and the instructors were openly disparaging the old methods of training as well as berating the specific karate teacher I went to who had passed away a few years ago. The training was so light and toned down that it was alien to me and the karate students at the dojo looked much weaker, less conditioned and less effective and capable of surviving a fight in the real world. I decided to try a different style of karate than Shotokan. It is better to start fresh than have the conflict of what I thought Shotokan was and what the instructor thought it was interfering with my training.

Agree 100%! 34 years Shotokan practitioner! Best regards from Canary Islands, Spain

I like a lower stance if I'm setting myself to counter, but otherwise a nice balanced evenly distributed stance is my preference.

From a teaching stand point the changes making it easier to generate power. I do my block like the old shotokan way with the hip going forward with the block. The block is now more like a strike. But if I were to do a reverse punch there is less power unless you do a double hip movement to generate the power. This is not as fluid and harder to teach. The current way for shotokan you don't have to worry about that.

"Gigo" was the Nickname he was given by his father. Yoshitaka Funakoshi was his full name. He died in Okinawa in 1945. He also introduced two geri-waza into the shotokan, one of them was mawashi geri, if I remember it correctly. Funakoshi Sensei mourns his death in his autobiography book "Karate-Do My way of life". OSSU Sensei!

Before the video starts I think he would look at shotokans current sparring (wkf especially) with disdain.

I like you teaching style. It was very clear and easy to follow. Thank you for that. As a woman, I have a lot more strength and power in the hips and legs so using them more adds to effectiveness in defense. That is a concern when you are practicing this for self defense, as I think most women my age (52) are doing instead of competition. It does get hard on my knees though. Have to find a balance as you say.

Look you must change depending on the situation. I used to train and teach Goju Karate. My Karate changed from what my teachers taught......I think the same may have happened with my former students. This is fine as long as principles and the situation warrant it.

I think the further you get away from original intent the easier it is to lose the true purpose

I'd say the changes are positive. If I have my information correct, Gichin's karate was about character development, not entirely self defense of fighting. Deeper stances are harder to sustain during practice, and they toughen up the spirit of never giving up. Whether or not that was Gigo's intentions, I have no idea. However I think the changes benefit the original idea of Shotokan karate.

I think there are some positive and some negative. He maybe satisfied with how far the art has spread but maybe upset about the politics that have divided the art.

I think it's a plus to have lower stances at specific times. It all depends on application and purpose. Generally, lower means more leg strength, longer reach, and to certain extent, more hip rotation. Too low and the hip rotation goes way down. Higher stances give more mobility, and the ability to switch leads easily. Too high, and you have less hip movement, and get too dependent on the knees for rotational power. Both have their advantages. For example, when we teach Zen kutsudachi at our Dojo, normally the legs are about shoulder width apart, and your forward lunge is approximately 2 of your natural steps forward. This usually gives a good compromise of mobility, hip rotation for power, reach and leg strength training for most people to start from.

Another brilliant video. As a taekwondo (and judo) practitioner myself, I always like it when you show the close relationship between tkd and karate.

The changes of the things mentioned in the video are a natural progression in all of Karate. I have been training for almost 50 years and the way things were done when I started have in fact gone through numerous changes over that time. Most changes are restricted to general form and kata. The importance of a solid library of textbooks cannot be stressed enough. The beautiful part is within the spirit of the practitioner and the enthusiasm of the instructors and masters. They are key in carrying on the way. Inflection of individual technical things like stance length and fine points are, over a lifetime of training less and less critical. Think of it like a musician. In the beginning everything is very technical and strict. But when one masters his instrument and has gold records and world tours. All the precision that was drilled in at the infancy is- while essential and had its place is now a means to an end of self confidence, self control, discipline and individual expression of the art.

Personally, I believe that the best approach to martial arts is through self discovery. The more modern style might work well for some and the older style might work better for others. I personally draw from both and try to help my students find what works for them by informing them about the pros and cons of both.

Like Shorin-ryu has Shotokan, my Goju-ryu also has a bastardized version called Kyokushinkai. :)

These videos are exceptional in the depth of analysis of techniques, the detailed historical accounts of styles, and the input and influence of various practitioners, both known and obscure. It is always a pleasure to see that a new video has been published. Domo arigato gozaimasu!

I personally like the older version but appreciate the newer updates.

The main change was due to misunderstanding the moves and therefore, shotokan embraced harder, faster, stronger, not correct usage. One example is the jump in pinan godan. Not there.in matsubayashi ryu. If you look at shoshin nagamine, or toshihiro oshiro, there is no jump.

Changes are sometimes necessary, also martial artists individually, will change or slightly alter something to suit their individual, physical characteristics, body types, speed, strength and particular strength ability. As Bruce Lee used to say take what is useful, discard what is useless, but always have an open mind, Osu!🥋🇲🇽🇦🇺

Would love to hear your opinion on the 'other' Shoto style... Shotokai? Malleable , dynamic and expansive

I started training in Shotokan in the mid 80s and I remember many thought that “modern Shotokan” had Masatoshi Nakayama to thank as much as Funakoshi.

Very interesting! Many thanks :) Personally, I prefer the old stuff, however I can see your point re certain modern improvements :)

I think there are pluses and minuses to the changes. I’ve made changes to my practice, raising my stances a little, doing more open handed techniques, relaxing my hands in Shuto-Uke to facilitate grabbing, punching before the hips stop, etc..

I think the modernization of karate sparked many positive developments we can profit from today, for example long range kicks, the blitz movements for closing the distance, all those things that are beneficial in long range fighting. However, in the process of the modernization, many aspects of the old karate that we find in kata were taken out of context, which was close range fighting. Therefore, a great of knowledge has been lost. I propose, as karate practitioners of the present day, we ought to rediscover the methods of the old karate, while cherishing the useful additions the modernization has brought to the art.

Very nice! Would be nice if you can have a video to compare original shotokan karate and then show the changes until you get to the shotokan karat that we have today.

Arigato for sharing your Karate knowledge Nagano Sensei :D I think much of the modern changes made to Karate were negative, because it focuses itself in perfecting forms, postures and not in the essential part of martial arts that is self defense and self improvement. During years practicing when i was younger I've never been taught to meditate or control my emotions, instead they tend to teach Kata and two kicks for more than half a class and years. Karate needs to look at the past and to Okinawa in order to look into a brighter future

Great content, thanks. if you dig deeper on the history of shotokan and cover some of Nakayama, it seems like also him was responsable in how Shotokan is seing and practiced today.

I love the stances (though it hurts the knees 😂)but never been impressed with the high kicks in my humble opinion i think its kinda dangerous in a fight hence the old karate favouring lower kicks ..

"Times change, the world changes, so the martial arts must change too." - Gichin Funakoshi I think the changes are positive.

What I will love it’s a real explanation of the katas , the karate nerd I think he does a good job but I can’t know it for sure .

I appreciate the thoughts and knowledge shared and the respectful nature of the sharing.

I like the deep stances and open hips for blocks. It's good exercise, and good art. I am mindful, however, of the need to cross-train (e.g., with kick-boxing) to bridge the gap with the less enlongated positions needed for more realistic practice. People will say that training that doesn't emulate combat should be dispensed with, but to me, it's not all about combat.

Will you consider doing an episode of Chito-ryu? It’s such an under-discussed style, with roots firmly planted in Okinawa yet considered a “Japanese” style because it was speed to Tokyo. Fascinating history and lots of little technique quirks.

I practice Goju-Ryu but I use to practiced an American flavor of Karate with a heavy Shotokan influnce . I think if you are flexible and able to perfect the high kicks , the Gigos changes were good . If your not flexible but want to have great Martial skill then Okinawan styles of Karate are for you . I think its based off the fighter .

Good video. I like the longer stances for most things and shotokan has become more dynamic with more leg movements!

I was told that Gigo Funakoshi was told to make Shotokan more modern, popular, and aestherically pleasing. Hence, the bigger and dynamic movements. I was also told that later some of the JKA members studied body movements and changed certain aspects of karate to fit the body mechanics.

Very accurate what you say about Giko. To complete your historical look into how Karate developed from the original Okinawan styles, check out the Wado Ryu style founded by Hironori Otsuka. Mr Otsuka had studied under Gichin Funakoshi and Kenua Mabuni founder of Shito Ryu and incorporated all his knowledge along with that of Jiu Jitsu in which he was a master to formulate his own style Wado Ryu. So Wado Ryu in effect has elements of the original teachings of Gichin and Mabuni and more modern elements which Otsuka introduced.

I recall learning that the deep stances are also to build up strength as they are shortened in kumite.

I hold a first-degree black belt and shotokan this was something I did not know thank you for sharing.

I believe the lower stance emphasize the use of gravity and pressure on the floor allied to center of gravity movement to increase the power of punchs and kicks. Less upper body muscle power to whole body movement

Hm. I think the changes to Shotokan you've described are positive from the standpoint of promoting certain kinds of athleticism, especially flexibility, leg dexterity, and explosiveness, and sporting application, but maybe negative from the standpoint of promoting practical self-defense instruction and damage resistance. Oldschool Okinawan styles seem to emphasize infighting and raw toughness in a way that's not as present in Shotokan and its offshoots. No single style can be everything for everyone, though, so it's a good thing we can all cross-train, right?

You are WELL- MANNERED

The change over time is natural. Nothing stays the same. As knowledge - through experience - evolves, so should the style. Else a style becomes ossified and is eventually surpassed.

I love this video. I practiced as a young man in Shotokan. I’ve also studied Fumiro Demura, Shito-Ryo

I see it as mostly negative, because it killed close combat, it's almost impossible to learn basic standing grappling in karate now and the fact that the wide stance is so rigid (no one teaches you to transition into a more close stance the closer you are to your opponent, which is pretty obvious and helps avoid takedowns and increases power; see kyoukushin as an example of this. I think Funakoshi wouldn't like this, he himself said that there should be one Karate and not a bazillion styles which is what we see now, it should constantly evolve and not diverge, it's not evolving, it's overspecialising in a negative way and it does not resemble actual combat at all, karate should be global and focus in sharpness and control to stop a fight quickly at any range.

I practice WT -taekwondo from a very old grand master so my experience and knowledge stems from a more traditional way of thinking more similar to older shotokan than modern shotokan .m i also have read numerous books and watched tons of videos . modern shotokan's way of moving is very elongated , which is great for testing yourself pushing your limits the self discipline the drive the determination. all that is great things to practice . it lends itself to life lessons u can learn. also good for strength conditioning and lots of other benefits ive watched Olympic sparing and a few channels sparing and spared versus lots of styles in my life time so this next point ill be rom personal experience . if i see elongated stances i instinctively know you wont be able to move dynamically enough in a fight . Why? because the telegraphing you do when you go in and out of the stances its much easier to read intentions. AND the time it takes you to enter and come out of the stances are longer . makes you more predictable to read what your planning . . As close as i can get to a fight are ufc when people use karate. its not in the super elongated stances. its not the main focus of any strategy.

I think change is inevitable In everything. My opinion is that all of us are made differently and have strengths and weaknesses of our own. It's important to pay attention to one's own practice and follow what our own body tells us. Having said that, I enjoy your videos and will continue watching.

I'm not a karate practitioner though I have studied martial arts. And as a person with scoliosis I've found that wider and longer stances are harder for me to do. So it comes down to personal preference. And also what the purpose is.

3:07 I would like to point out that turning your body makes your block a "soft" fencing motion, in which you have a greater distance opportunity to adjust your blocking hand for grabbing or poking. Also, it makes it easier to punch harder with the other hand, since your hips and shoulders are in position for full-motion. Not turning your body makes your block a "hard" motion. Altough your shoulders are locked in place it still makes sense if your strikes are caused by gravitational drop (see Kyoshi Arakaki). All in all, I think each aspect of your martial art should be in harmony with each other.

Oh, one part that's omitted has been emotions. Where there's heated rage. Then consider someone naturally fast, agile and aggressive, where there's also intent! Not firing one shot, but relative hard fast blows that penetrate just as far as they'll go.

Us around the world would love a shotokan style or influenced yoga and stretch workout for power and to decrease body stress during studying shotokan.

Excellent Video! In Karate especially and in Martial Arts in general there is no good or bad style. The question is only if it works for the purpose you are looking for. That is my experience after 47 years of training.

I've taken shotokan karate, I like the style the reason I stopped because I do kendo and iaido I'm a black belt in judo so I went back to judo to catch up on my judo prowess.

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back in the '70's i trained a bit with shotokan guys. Very low stances and a "macho" attitude. In shotokan tournaments they were not allowed to sidestep an attack, they had to meet it head on. I was told that this was a ""me samurai! me no move!" idea. (I suspect samurai actually moved a lot, considering they were fighting with swords and spears) But i must say the Shotokan guys could PUNCH! I ws studying Goju ryu , which relies far more on maneuver and rapid fire striking. later i studied Okinawan shuri ryu, which sort of splits the difference, more power-oriented than goju, more speed-oriented than shotokan.

Very educative and interesting!! Thank you for sharing of your knowledge!

This is yet another very useful video! For the history lessons, can you please state your sources? Thank you.

I believe finding the right distance for the right application should be considered. If you have too long of a stance in a circumstance you may over commit. Too short of stance in some circumstances you may be underpowered or out of range.

I've watched alot of Shotokan videos I am a white belt my Dojo teaches Shotokan karate.im starting late in life.because I never had money for classes now I do.they train with katas.and they say they implement some attributes some attributes what does this mean.I'm in my 50s Is this a good thing. love your channel always a like and I learn so much from your Channel much respect.

I trained Shotokan for many years and in the formative years overemphasised the length of my stances. This paid dividends in later years. By that I mean when training, and, I stress training in longer stances, when I shortened my stances for kumite I moved so much faster. The way I trained had built up my lower body strength. When training in kumite I found I could attack at a very fast speed with a basic technique such as oi tsuki or sanbon tsuki. As a side note, I visited Sueyoshi Park, near Naha, Okinawa, where there are two memorial pillars amongst pine trees dedicated each to Gichin Funakoshi & Gigo. It was a very peaceful moment, my wife & I duly paid our respects.

maybe one can use wide stance for training and flexibility; and in sparring or self defense fighting use the narrow stance for faster movement of the feet. The wide stance training will enhance narrow stance movement.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!! I really enjoy your channel. Thank you!

I learned a lot of this info from Jessie Enkamp's blog, but I really like your video. Apparently the Mawashi-geri is taken from French Savate, according to Jessie's video. Makes sense as we don't have the roundhouse kick in any katas. Main thing to take away is that karate has always involved and that's a good thing, my style of karate added elements from BJJ and kyokushin, but kept all the shotokan katas. More to learn and more fun to keep you going through the years.

Funakoshi hated the idea of styles and limiting oneself like this, karate today is a far cry from how it should actually be, especially since Shotokan seemed to basically ditch grappling and clinches

Practiced Shotokan when I was younger; whenever we would advance in rank a man from Okinawa would be present, flew in to the US. To him; it was a whole different ball game…he meant business, as he intimidated us all. He didn’t play around and emphasized that honor was his reason for being there making sure we had been instructed correctly.

The changes between the three does not bother me at all. All I see is an opportunity to learn all three ways. To me, all that truly matters is the application. The journey just got even more interesting. Thank you.

I would say, whatever style the practitioner is in. They have to find themselves within their art and make it their own. I know now that I am older, I cannot get into the deeper longer stances. I am now more of a stand-up fighter, but I admire the longer deeper stances even though I cannot do them. And I realize that all Arts evolve so it all depends on what the practitioner prefers or what they can do. I would not be good at taekwondo, I don't have the legs, but in my particular style we are more stand up so it's good for me. But I do respect my fellow martial artist and whatever they do. Shorin Ryu Domo arigato gozaimas

Really enjoy all that you do ! (low stances lots of power less mobility.. definite trade off., comes down to what your seeking & who you might be fighting, all good all worthy !!

I didn't know Shotokan was a school name before it was a style name.

I think the wide stance is good for some situation, and the original too good for some other situation. the wide stance is good for fight in dangerous situation like against a bladed weapon, or fighting someone bigger than you, or if you want to fight someone but actually planning to look for open chance to get away from the fight. the original stance is good if you want to finish your opponent quickly. I think it is good if a karateka mastering both stances, but I am not a karate practitcioner, so I dont know if it is possible or not

I learned Shotokan way back in the day and I still remember some of the katas.

It is not negative nor positive. Its only different. Lower stances mean extra power, which is specially important for people with lighter mass. However it comes with a cost: It will make harder to move and therefore in most cases, reduce your speed or agility. So, in the end, its a choice like any other.

Changes to any fighting art/style are situational. Short movements for tighter spaces, longer movements for more open spaces, as well as, to cover distances in a more expedient manner.

The style will evolve and changes will be made.The karate that I practiced 30 years ago under the JKA banner is different in subtle ways today.

Lower stances should be utilized at the end of the technique, the moment of impact, in this case you are the most solid and have the best connection to the ground, once impact has take place adjust your stance

thank you Sensei for this video my guess all changes are good and according to your thoughts everything is change... and I say it is positive all the changes arigato gozaimas Im from san luis potosi, mexico i practice shotokan style here in mexico

Love this type of content

My understanding is that low, elongated front stands and low wide horse stance had several purposes. Build students leg strength; understand and distinguish weight distribution between back and front legs; understand connection between hip thrusts and legs and so on. Also through slower, elongated movements, students can focus and deep learn mechanics of movement. This is a process and as student progresses further in their study, stands become shorter and movements much faster. If you watch high level Shotokan practitioners (yodan, godan), their stands are very similar to old school karate in Okinawa. Those that have direct connection to Funakoshi, not the BS styles invented here in America... Just as some people have suggested, I do regret not practicing complete old school Okinawan Katas. Funakoshi and others created Tekkis and Heians to make easier learning longer, complicated katas. But I was never told that or taught how it might all come together.

Funakoshi taught a watered down version to the Japanese. The system became very popular but it is watered down and lacks what true karate is. Then the Japanese govt promoted him to fifth dan. And none of them even knew karate. They still do this today and its wrong

Great historic lesson here. My Sensei says to shorten my stance due to a foot sweep, so a shorter stance it is. I myself like the longer stance. :)

I remember going through this transition as well especially when I started to compete in tournaments. I noticed that the kata’s were more emphasize and more dramatic. For a competitor what better way to impress the judges. However I believe it’s important for a student to learn the proper fundamentals of Shotokan especially on a early stage. If a student has a good understanding of Shotokan he or she can differentiate the transition especially when it’s necessary or not. I see it as a positive thing. I believe Shotokan is evolving on the right path but I can’t stress the importance of understanding the proper technique the proper stance without sacrificing good posture. Specially for those who are still green and have a lot to learn. As for the Karate aficionados they have a keen eye for what they want to see. The combination of power speed wider stands and crisp movements.

ya, modern shotokan looks more dinamycs & powerfull, but the long stances need more energy & power, so it is better for long time of periods of training & for young people.

For me, it's important to know what was, and what is. That way we have the entire range of choices to study.