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Shotokan Karate

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There are many Shotokan karate schools around the world that are all different, but each one was greatly influenced by Gichin Funakoshi and his son, Gigo, Funakoshi. They are credited with greatly expanding public awareness about karate by holding a number of public demonstrations and promoting the formation of many new schools.

Funakoshi never gave his style a name, he merely called it karate. He did have a pen name which he wrote poetry with. It was Shoto, which means “the movement of pine needles as the wind blows through them”. “Kan” is literally translates to “house”, so Shotokan karate really just references Funakoshi’s home, where he trained many students. It was his students that coined the name, and after his death in 1957 many separate shotokan schools were established teaching similar lessons and movements.

Shotokan karate emphasizes strength and power before fluidity. It is not until a student becomes a brown and black belt that the movements become fluid and graceful. Beginners are taught basic stances that are stable and build muscle. That allows for more powerful moves, which are a characteristic of this style.

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