Karate conundrum

[eveglass]

It's been about two months since I last attended classes at my new (Shotokan) dojo. I'm trying to decide if I want to go back. On the one hand, if I continue in Shotokan, I'll eventually (probably) get my black belt and my teaching license, and be able to teach. This is a happy-making thought. On the other hand, I'm not particularly crazy about the way the classes are run, and I'm not certain that Shotokan is the right style for me.

Another option I've considered is returning to Sensei Don's (Chito-Ryu) dojo. The more I'm away, the more I realize that I really like the way Don runs his classes, and I always feel that there's more to learn. (A feeling I don't get at the Shotokan dojo, mostly because of the way the classes are structured.) If I ever teach karate, I want to run my classes the way Don runs his. I also think Chito-Ryu's a better fit for me than Shotokan. On the other hand, I'll probably never reach black belt at Don's dojo and I'll probably never teach. One further consideration: while I'm technically a blue belt at Don's dojo, I've forgotten a lot, and even with some intensive practice at home, I'd need to relearn most of the more advanced stuff (i.e. green- and blue-belt techniques) and I can imagine a few awkward moments at the dojo as I'm relearning.

Finally, there's the option of just not going back for a while. As things stand, my Wednesday nights and Friday nights are booked, as are every other Thursday. And if I get a 9-5 job again, I might not be able to get to evening classes anyway. I stopped going regularly to Don's dojo when I started working at Softitler and found myself in the office every day until 6:30, which conflicted with most of the classes.

So... I don't know. I'd really like to start moving again, especially now that Marc's all muscled after his fire season. I just don't know what I should be doing. Anyone want to chime in with their two cents?

Comments

[squidmark.livejournal.com]

What about a third option, and try a new dojo? Is there another Chito-ryu dojo more accessible for you in Montreal? I did a quick Google search and the only one I found was downtown, http://www.debeur.com/dojo_mtl.html: is this Don's dojo? The feeling I get is that you should stick to a style/dojo you have faith in and would feel most comfortable teaching to others. Who knows, maybe there is another style that might be both a good fit for you and provide a real opportunity for teaching down the track? Just doing a quick background check on Chito-ryu, its founder studied under instructors who influenced Goju-ryu, Shorin-ryu, Shito-ryu and other Okinawan styles. Perhaps one of these styles is taught at a dojo nearby? Having said that, maybe you already went through this when you found Shotokan? Or maybe you would find yourself enjoying Shotokan more at a different dojo? In the meantime, why not train at home so you won't feel as much out of practice?

[eveglass.livejournal.com]

Great points, o my namesake. The link you have is not to Don's dojo -- I don't think he has a website. His dojo is teeny-tiny, in Verdun, and not affiliated with the main Chito-Ryu association (something to do with politics a few decades ago).

If I were to start over completely new, I'd probably try to find an aikido dojo. But, the more I think about it, the more I really like the way Don teaches. Assuming I have time, that's probably where I'd go back to.

And, you're right, training at home is definitely the way to go for the next couple of weeks, to jog my memory.

[squidmark.livejournal.com]

Oo, I like teeny-tiny dojos :) If you decide to start looking at aikido, I might be able to offer (very) limited advice/insight, as Leigh and I trained together for a couple of years before he done knocked me up and things got kinda weird at our dojo. Like most martial arts, there are now dozens of different styles of aikido which offer different things depending on what you'd like to focus on. What is attracting you to the style, if I might ask?

I should really practice my kihon dosas... *cough* maybe sometime after the morning sickness fades...*continues to sit on butt, surfing the net*

[eveglass.livejournal.com]

The thing I like about aikido is that it's not strength-on-strength (unlike most of karate). Let's face it, if I'm facing someone Mark Hooper's size, no amount of skill in punching and blocking is going to work for me; he's just too much bigger. On the other hand, aikido uses your opponent's force against him, either by using points of articulation or throws or whatever. It's just an added bonus that I have a low center of gravity because I'm a short woman.

Overall, I just think aikido works better for someone my size and build. Don incorporates some aikido into his karate, which is really nice and one of the reasons I like his dojo so much.

[squidmark.livejournal.com]

That's definitely true; emphasis is placed on technique, not on strength. Are you interested in the spiritual/philosophical aspects of aikido or more in the practicalities? The schools of aikido often branch out according to where O Sensei Ueshiba was at when his students were encouraged to spread the style. For example, Yoshinkai (aka yoshinkan) was at the beginning and deals with the practicalities/physical alone. Later styles like aikikai will incorporate the ki breathing and philosophies as they were developed after Ueshiba had his 'spiritual awakening' (you will hear people often refer to aikido as a religion more than a martial art for this reason; some styles put more emphasis on spirituality than the physical training and outsiders mistakenly believe this is the case for all aikido). Another thing to keep in mind is whether or not you might see yourself in competition. Many styles of aikido are non-competitive, but if you would like to compete, styles like shodukan (no to be confused with your current style of karate :P) might be the best fit. Hope that helps, sorry for the filibustering!

[eveglass.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all the great advice! I had no idea aikido was divided into styles the way karate was. Good to know, and definitely food for thought.