Shotokai Karate
In 1956, a group of members part of the Shotokan Karate organization broke away and formed a new organization to maintain traditions, led by Master Shigeru Egami and Masters Yoshitaka (Gigo) Funakoshi (please see comment from reader below). This new organization, also considered a different style of Karate, was called Shotokai.
What is Shotokai Karate
Shotokai is translated as the pine (sho) waves (to) group (kai). The methodology of Shotokai Karate preserves the traditions of Shotokan through the rejection of competition. Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan, opposed competition (sparring and tournament fighting) as he considered the practice of forms (kata) and drills as the ultimate way to practice techniques and movements. However, many prominent members of Shotokan Karate disagreed with his philosophy, and competition became a vital aspect of this style of martial art.
The right attitude is essential
Practitioners of Shotokai Karate do not generally participate in tournaments, which are seen as a commercialization of the martial art.
They view Shotokai Karate as truly and only a martial art, in which practitioners develop themselves mentally and physically through the meditative and harmonious qualities of practice. It is typical that practitioners view other styles as a sport, which is what Shotokan Karate can be perceived as.
The proper execution of technique is more important than brute strength. This lies in timing and the exertion of the right amount of strength in each technqiue. As a result, men and women can excel in Shotokai Karate.
Today, there are many organizations devoted to the proliferation of Shotokai Karate around the world.
January 10th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
I believe Yoshitaka (Gigo) Funakoshi died in 1945, over a decade before the founding of the Shotokan Karate organization in 1956. Thus, the first sentence of this article is somewhat misleading, in that it implies he was an active participant in it’s founding in 1956.
January 11th, 2007 at 3:22 am
Thank you for the response. Yes, he did die in 1945 at a young age, well before the formation of Shotokai. However, before his death, he was a primary figure in the development of sparring as a fundamental aspect in what was then, Shotokan Karate. This was against his father’s wishes, who believed in the importance of kata (forms).
As a result, though he had already passed away, he still contributed to the formation of Shotokai. We will add a note in the main text for the benefit of future readers.