The short and honest answer is “it might not be” but the best way to find out is to try it.

Shotokan emphasizes fast acceleration, explosive power, straight-in movement, and powerful striking. As students advance, the intensity increases but the focus on continuously refining a relatively small number of fundamental techniques remains the core of our practice. A key principle of Shotokan could be stated that it’s better to develop an exceptional level of skill in a few key techniques than mediocre skills in a larger set of techniques. As such, Shotokan’s repertoire may be relatively narrower than some other styles, but the understanding of each technique goes much, much deeper.

There are a lot of reasons why the Shotokan style of karate appeals to people. Shotokan is a great way to build strength and flexibility throughout the body, particularly in the legs, trunk, and shoulders. Shotokan can be a very simple and devastatingly effective form of self-defense against one or more attackers. The detail, nuance, and depth of study available in Shotokan can keep you challenged for a lifetime – there’s always something new to learn, something to refine further, and something left to discover.

Although we certainly think Shotokan is a wonderful martial art, we realize that some people look for different things in their practice. Some people enjoy the gentler practice of arts like Aikido and Tai Chi, while others look for the extreme intensity of Brazillian Jujutsu or Kickboxing. Tae Kwon Do and Judo have been the only two Asian martial arts in the Olympics and both are strongly focused on the sporting/competitive aspects of performance; Japanese/Okinawan karate will be included in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for the first time. Tang Soo Do is a Korean art that is very similar to Shotokan, but with a greater emphasis on head-level kicking techniques. Kung Fu is very appealing to many people for its long history and status as the original source of all modern striking arts. Arts from the Phillipines, Thailand, and Indonesia provide unique theories of combat that often include practice with weapons as part of their training.  Modern martial arts like Jeet Kun Do and Krav Maga have expertly synthesized theories and techniques from multiple martial disciplines to focus on effective self-defense.

We’re happy to have you try Shotokan with the SKA. If you think you might be better suited to a different martial art, we’ll be equally happy to help you find a qualified instructor in the area. Just make sure you stay in touch and come back to show us what you’ve been learning!