Self Taught in Shotokan: Is he ready

That will be because the whole idea is completely preposterous. There's only one way to do Shotokan Karate, and that's under the tutelage of a Shotokan teacher. Anything that is completely self-taught, no matter how good or bad it is, is simply not Shotokan.

Lets look at it another way. I practice a few escrima techniques that I've learnt either from books or other people. But I don't 'do' escrima - I've never had a period of training with a proper escrima teacher. Its as simple as that.

Mike

Mike

 

His "style" could be at most based on/influenced by concepts found in Shotokan. Much like JKD is based on/influenced by concepts of Boxing. You can't learn a style without learning THAT style. And if he's self taught why doesn't he just make himself 2,000,000,000th degree grandmaster like everyone else?

 

Think he's ready ... Errr, NO!

I think you'll find that the reactions are spurred by the fact that many MAPers (I'm not the most active member but I do read it lots) have worked long and hard to attain their grades let alone Black Belts. Most train for at least four years under very experienced Senseis to attain Shodan and a damn-site longer to attain higher Dan grades, ...

[Just taking a breath from ranting]

... so when you come and comment on a 'bud' of your who is 'self-taught' for a year in a martial art which many of us (and our respective Senseis) have dedicated a tremendous amount of time (14 years), effort (hours and hours each week), blood (a few pints) and sweat (bucket loads) in, going for a Shodan grade I personally think you/he are trying to get a reaction OR are somewhat nieve.

... discuss ...

 

Does this mean that most Black belts do not deserve there ranking?

-Sean

 

Sorry to hear that the thread was not what you wished to hear but I would say listen to what everyone has said, i`ve asked for advice and such in the past month or so and everybit has been correct and couldnt of been more helpful! ( i thank you all ) So, take into consideration what has been said and show your friend the posts, honesty is the best policy.

-Sean

he he he, sorry I could not help myself but to laugh

 

They deserve it in their Organisational/Association structure or on the basis that they started their own Org/Assoc. and ranked themselves.

It takes an amount of experience to decide for yourself as to what's good and what's not, but purely based on experience of my own within Shotokan I would rate the JKA, JKS and KUGB for example as overall producers of a good standard of dan grades. Although it's entirely possible that there are dan grades within those groups who some may debate do not 'deserve' them or deserve them more than others.

A verifiable minefield of a subject!

* Train for yourself not the belt.
* Ensure you have well rounded experience of the Martial Art you choose to practice.
* Decide for yourself what's good and what's not from experience, don't ask a Forum.

I think there is probably another thread (or numerous) on this topic somewhere though.

Cheers

 

I guess the only way to actually find out if you are truely ready is to compose a time machine and travel back to its origins and ask the Grand master if she/he is ready . Although I have suspisions that this is slightly impossible if not impracticle .

-Sean

 

Just one small little problem i see here WHO THE HELL CORRECTED HIS MISTAKES?

YOU CANNOT LEARN THIS ON YOUR OWN, IM SORRY BUT THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE,
has he ever attened a dojo class for extra aguidance?

Im SORRY TO SAY THIS BUT UNLESS HE IS TAUGHT HE WILL NEVER BE WORTH A YELLOW BELT I CANT BELEIVE YOU ARE EVEN ASKING PEOPLE ABOUT BLACK BELT And in a year maybe in 50

 

I think something that should be considered is that a Traditional Martial Art, like Shotokan, is more than just the fighting skills. (I train and teach Taekwondo and Hapkido). Part of the evaluation for the rank of black belt is made through the long term observations of the master instructors, other instructors, and by the other students. We watch to see how well they know the techniques, how they function as a member of the group (teaching, holding, partnering), how they treat their seniors and juniors, how they handle wins and how they handle losses and how they handle pressure. He may be very good, but without a long term evaluation by a master instructor, I don't see him earning a black belt.

If he "just wants to be a fighter", then his street fight experience, prior skills, and conditioning will serve him well. If he wants to rank in Shotokan, he needs to meet all of the requirements in the system. There are people out there who are great fighters, tournament winners, good people, but who do not have the experience, insight, and maturity to be a "black belt". In TMA, a black belt has lots of other meanings. Some styles cut those from the system and dwell less on an established heirarchy. That's just another way to do it, but it doesn't make them "black belts".

 

I never said I didn't want to hear it, but there's no need for you guys to go saying stuff like, "Did he learn Aikido off Amazon too?" He learned Aikido from a well repected Sensei and is going back to him soon, fyi.

You can lock this thread, I'm tired of this. I got the response I was looking for so there's no need for this tread to go on.

 

It would be too bad if you were scared away by some of the responses. I think some posters took the question at face value, and when you didn't follow up with any answers to the questions that were brought forward, many people just wrote it off.

Regardless of how it turns out, I hope you stick around and share you views at MAP.

 

Self Taught, in Shotokan? impossible!

Self taught in shotokan? impossible. IMPOSSIBLE MY @$$, look guys if you dont like the thought of me being self taught, then you can kiss it. Ive came this far, and I aint stopping. Plus how can you be self taught in any thing?.
You have to be taught by some one My teacher is a 2nd degree BB in the art. so there for I am learning Shotokan. And if Im not. Than there is a new Martial art on the way. Just as Bruce Lee took an art and made it into Jeet Kune Do. Mabe I can do the same.

 

just for clarity, are you the guy who is being discussed on this thread?

 

Shotokan: If your teacher is a 2nd degree BB then youre not self taught.

***No offense to the younger people on here that do actually contribute, and are not so silly****

The fact that youre 15 and thinking you can be a BB in a style that you taught yourself for a year is even more far fetched. Many styles won't even award actual black belts to people your age. I had an incredibly skilled friend who was only 15 ( he had trained for 6 years ) and he only recieved his "junior" black belt.

 

Mrs Owt.... maybe you ought to read your own signature....

Jamie Thomson.... hold off man, settle down and breathe. If someone might quite possibly be gifted enough or analytical enough to teach himself then, so be it, no need to go off on some rediculous rage and rant. Uncalled for. Some of us HAVE workeed VERY hard to obtain what we have for a decent amount of time,... and some of us aren't going and flaming people who aspire to do things.


Umm.. also... confused about the self tuaght thing... Lol. If you have a teacher, how are you self taught? Like I don't understand, like are you a fighter that was self taught turned karateka, or what? NOt being mean, I jsut don't understand how you are defining self taught with a teacher?

 

What are you talking about.

Ive been traing for about a year and a little more than a half, in an art that only takes about 2 years to obtain Shodan. Like I said. I am very dedicated, I train practically day, and night, and I get this stuff easily. And my sensai even thinks Im ready.

 

Okay, done. Don't you like it?

 

Lay off Mrs Owt or I'll have to cyber tackle your butt.