What is Shotokai Karate?
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Historically neither Shotokai nor Shotokan were in fact styles of Karate. During the period modern Karate was developed (by Gichin FUNAKOSHIin Japan) there was only one style: the one practised by Funakoshi and it had no name. "Shotokai" was just the name of the association launched by Funakoshi's students, and "Shotokan" the name of its Dojo, "Shoto" being the pseudonym by which Funakoshi used to sign his poems.
At the Master’s death, his students split into two factions: on one side the group that became the Shotokan, and on the other the Shotokai association which remained faithful to the Master's teachings. One of the stumbling blocks between the two groups was the question, whether competitions were to be introduced or not; Funakoshi always forbade competitions whereas some of his students wanted to organize such events.
Therefore, although Shotokai was originally the name of an association, we can say that it became a style when Master EGAMI defined the broad outlines of the new way of practising he developed after having, in a number of tests, stated the inefficiency of the Karate way of attacking at that time.
After years of research, Master Egami found an efficient way of striking by executing the movement in a relaxed state of mind and body. This is the basis of Shotokai. It is suppleness and relaxation and not tenseness that generate force. Elaborating this basic idea, he suggested new forms of techniques and a new way of practising.
Faithful to Master Funakoshi's teachings, Master Egami always kept the Shotokai group out of the Sports Karate movement which is predominant until today. Rather, his spiritual evolution made him search for harmony with his partner. Master Egami wrote: "First of all, we must practise Karate like a combat technique and then, with time and experience, we will be able to understand a certain state of soul and will be able to open ourselves to the horizons of "Jita-ittai" (the union of one with the other) which lay beyond fighting. This is the principle of coexistence which enables us to live together in prosperity.“
Yet Shotokai is not a uniform style like other clearly codified technical systems can be. I still remember my amazement during a first trip to Japan. I expected to see the same kind of Shotokai we were practising but done by Japanese, therefore better. It is true that our only reference was Master Egami’s book and what Master Murakami had taught us which was practically the same.
I felt very disappointed discovering the central Dojo's style to be very different from ours, and then the following day finding yet another style at that same central Dojo with yet another teacher. Why didn’t they all practise the way Master EGAMI had taught?
Time, Master Murakami’s death and experience have enabled me to understand the reason for it. In fact there are as many kinds of Shotokaï Karate as there are teachers. These can be very similar if they work according to one and the same source or different from each other if this source has disappeared, the way it happened in Japan and now happens in Europe after the death of Master Murakami. To top this, the methods of transmission which were used in traditional schools are no longer suitable to the new structures which have developed with the tremendous increase in the popularity of the martial arts. Summing it all up, there is not one Shotokai style but many. Thus I also have developed my own style, even if I share it with other people. It reflects my evolution and its limits.
However, in all of these personal styles we should be able to find some permanent features which are the fundamentals of Shotokai Karate. Taking up again what I have called the “founding act of Shotokai“, can serve as a sound basis to build on. Technically, Shotokai is the search for efficiency by working in a supple way. Here we have the definition of a goal and the designation of the way to reach it.
This technique must then allow students to develop at every level, physically, mentally and spiritually. The teacher only has to find a technique and a teaching method focused on these goals if he or she wants to claim practising Shotokai Karate.
In this Shotokai has, right from the beginning, cleary made its point and taken a different course from the one Competition Karate or even Combat Karate chose where one fights for winning over an opponent.
What is sought for in Shotokai is victory over one's self and harmony with others. Sports Karate contributes to the inflation of its champions‘ egos, whereas we try to reduce ours and hope to get to know our true personality. These two ways of thinking and practising rule each other out.
This pertains to the techniques as well. While in one approach maximum strength is used, in the other maximum relaxation will be sought for. Instead of being jerky, the Shotokaï movements will be fluid. And this goes for every other aspect of the two approaches.
Shotokai is therefore a very original style, certainly the most subtle of all Karate styles which makes it the most suitable for women's practise. But it will not please those who seek short-term efficiency or Sports Karate.
It will, on the other hand, suit people who try and find in the martial arts a way of personal development and those who are ready to continually question their knowledge in order to steadily progress in a fascinating and exciting pursuit of technical refinement.
© Copyright Patrick Herbert, Technical director of Shotokai Europe, May 2003
At the Master’s death, his students split into two factions: on one side the group that became the Shotokan, and on the other the Shotokai association which remained faithful to the Master's teachings. One of the stumbling blocks between the two groups was the question, whether competitions were to be introduced or not; Funakoshi always forbade competitions whereas some of his students wanted to organize such events.
Therefore, although Shotokai was originally the name of an association, we can say that it became a style when Master EGAMI defined the broad outlines of the new way of practising he developed after having, in a number of tests, stated the inefficiency of the Karate way of attacking at that time.
After years of research, Master Egami found an efficient way of striking by executing the movement in a relaxed state of mind and body. This is the basis of Shotokai. It is suppleness and relaxation and not tenseness that generate force. Elaborating this basic idea, he suggested new forms of techniques and a new way of practising.
Faithful to Master Funakoshi's teachings, Master Egami always kept the Shotokai group out of the Sports Karate movement which is predominant until today. Rather, his spiritual evolution made him search for harmony with his partner. Master Egami wrote: "First of all, we must practise Karate like a combat technique and then, with time and experience, we will be able to understand a certain state of soul and will be able to open ourselves to the horizons of "Jita-ittai" (the union of one with the other) which lay beyond fighting. This is the principle of coexistence which enables us to live together in prosperity.“
Yet Shotokai is not a uniform style like other clearly codified technical systems can be. I still remember my amazement during a first trip to Japan. I expected to see the same kind of Shotokai we were practising but done by Japanese, therefore better. It is true that our only reference was Master Egami’s book and what Master Murakami had taught us which was practically the same.
I felt very disappointed discovering the central Dojo's style to be very different from ours, and then the following day finding yet another style at that same central Dojo with yet another teacher. Why didn’t they all practise the way Master EGAMI had taught?
Time, Master Murakami’s death and experience have enabled me to understand the reason for it. In fact there are as many kinds of Shotokaï Karate as there are teachers. These can be very similar if they work according to one and the same source or different from each other if this source has disappeared, the way it happened in Japan and now happens in Europe after the death of Master Murakami. To top this, the methods of transmission which were used in traditional schools are no longer suitable to the new structures which have developed with the tremendous increase in the popularity of the martial arts. Summing it all up, there is not one Shotokai style but many. Thus I also have developed my own style, even if I share it with other people. It reflects my evolution and its limits.
However, in all of these personal styles we should be able to find some permanent features which are the fundamentals of Shotokai Karate. Taking up again what I have called the “founding act of Shotokai“, can serve as a sound basis to build on. Technically, Shotokai is the search for efficiency by working in a supple way. Here we have the definition of a goal and the designation of the way to reach it.
This technique must then allow students to develop at every level, physically, mentally and spiritually. The teacher only has to find a technique and a teaching method focused on these goals if he or she wants to claim practising Shotokai Karate.
In this Shotokai has, right from the beginning, cleary made its point and taken a different course from the one Competition Karate or even Combat Karate chose where one fights for winning over an opponent.
What is sought for in Shotokai is victory over one's self and harmony with others. Sports Karate contributes to the inflation of its champions‘ egos, whereas we try to reduce ours and hope to get to know our true personality. These two ways of thinking and practising rule each other out.
This pertains to the techniques as well. While in one approach maximum strength is used, in the other maximum relaxation will be sought for. Instead of being jerky, the Shotokaï movements will be fluid. And this goes for every other aspect of the two approaches.
Shotokai is therefore a very original style, certainly the most subtle of all Karate styles which makes it the most suitable for women's practise. But it will not please those who seek short-term efficiency or Sports Karate.
It will, on the other hand, suit people who try and find in the martial arts a way of personal development and those who are ready to continually question their knowledge in order to steadily progress in a fascinating and exciting pursuit of technical refinement.
© Copyright Patrick Herbert, Technical director of Shotokai Europe, May 2003