Shotokan has many children

JKA Karate Unsu Kata-Team


The style of shotokan karate has fostered, partly formed or is an integral part of many different main stream martial arts.

Some of the major styles of martial arts it has helped to form and develop are,

1. Wado ryu - shotokan & jujitsu.
2. Kyokushin - shotokan, goju and others.
3. Tae kwon do – shotokan, taekkyon.
4. Tang so do – shotokan, taekkyon, and others.
5. Chito ryu – shotokan, Goju and others.
6. Shotokai – shotokan.
7. Shindo Jinen ryu – shotokan, shito, aikido, jujitsu.
8. Penjak silat – kung fu, shotokan, kalarippayattu, judo, aikido,jujitsu and others.

Whether all the above said main stream martial arts have maintained the finer points of the shotokan parts that go into forming the style is impossible to tell without having trained in the particular art in question, not to mention the myriad of little corner shops around the world that adopt shotokan katas and then happily place themselves under the shotokan banner.

Shotokan karate imo is the most basic mainstream style of karate that exists today, learning the basic movements can be achieved in a matter of a few months and the individual movements of the techniques themselves are so basic almost anything can be blended into them, including grappling, clinching, throwing, weapons or even parts of other striking arts.

Because most shotokan organisations showcase shobu ippon kumite (point fighting) as the competition side of shotokan, to the layman or even those that have trained in shotokan for a short time having only superficial knowledge, the art of shotokan may seem a sporting art or the sports side of karate.

Shotokan if trained correctly in the right environment and with the right attitude is much more than point sparring and imo is a very efficient and effective art of self defence, in the stand up game its right up there with muay thai and boxing.

The one disadvantage of shotokan karate is that it will take anywhere from one to three years of training depending upon the type of person, their attitude, the type of training and how much they train during that time to be used with any kind of efficiency in a self defence situation.

Classical shotokan demonstration


Some of the better known international shotokan karate organisations,

1.   JKA      - Japan Karate Association
2.   ITKF     - International Traditional Karate Federation
3.   SKIF     - Shotokan Karate-do International Federation
4.   ISKF     - International Shotokan Karate Federation
5.   JKS       - Japan Karate Shotorenmei
6.   JSKA     - Japan Shotokan Karate Association
7.   KWF      - Karatenomichi World Federation
8.   SKA      - Shotokan Karate of America
9.   KUGB     - Karate Union of Great Britain


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