Shotokan

Shotokan is a traditional Okinawan school of Karate, originated by Gichin Funakoshi. We call ourselves Shotokan because we can trace our lineage from Senei to Sensei, back to Master Funakoshi.

When people find out that I teach Karate, they often ask questions, chief among them “Why would I want to learn this?” Even folks who are interested in learning Karate (and a lot of people seem to consider it at one time or another) find that they can’t justify the time, effort, and expense necessary to do it. “When would I ever have a use for Karate?” is another common question along these lines. Here are a few of my thoughts on the matter.
We are bombarded with messages urging us to “get in shape” and most of us agree that we should. But we never get around to it. Such messages are mostly geared to play on vanity, and that's not enough of a motivation. I invite you to think more in terms of simply being effective.
It's often claimed that Martial Arts were invented as a method to condition Chinese monks so that they could endure the rigors of monastic life and meditation. This is probably just legend, but it points to the following truths: it’s easy to sit for a long time, but hard to get up afterward, and it is difficult to concentrate when we are fatigued or in pain.
Karate provides a system for keeping the body in tune in a series of progressively more difficult formal exercises called Kata. Kata practice requires no special equipment or setting, and can be performed more or less strenuously as the occasion warrants. It develops strength, balance, flexibility, good posture, and good breathing, all of which will help get us back up, and make us less prone to fatigue and pain which can lead to errors in judgment.
Karate skills are practical because they allow us to better avoid all manner of harm. Strength, posture, and control make us less prone to accident and more resilient overall. Outward awareness lets us see and avoid harmful situations. Should a danger become unavoidable, a practitioner of Karate has the skills and reflexes to improvise an effective response.
Karate is not simple calisthenics, though. Kata are practiced in order to learn a set of skills, and are quite subtle. Careful attention is required in the beginning when we are learning the fundamentals. Even more careful attention is required as we strive to refine our skills. Such attention is a skill in itself; we improve our concentration with practice. And the ability to tell our bodies exactly what to do and have them perform can save us a lot of grief.
Over a period of time, with consistent practice, Kata begin to become second nature and inward concentration and awareness is no longer always required. We begin to turn our attention outward, to our surroundings. We can consider our situation and possible responses. Instead of having to control every motion, reflexes can be allowed to take over and we can devote our attention to directing the next move. We can consider and improvise.