What’s the difference between Shotokan and Kyokushin Karate?

When it comes to learning Karate, one of the first things that any prospective Karateka will look at is what form of Karate their local dojo teaches. At first, this can be quite daunting as there are roughly 11 different types of Karate, and even within those types, there are even more variations. Because of this, it’s important to do your research before signing up and making sure your gym suits your own personal preferences. What may be ideal for some, may sound like hell for others.

Anyway, two of the most popular and common styles of Karate are Shotokan and Kyokushin which are both very different. Whilst they still fall under the same umbrella of Karate, it’s also fair to say that they have a lot of differences, as well as their own pros and cons. So, what are the main differences between Shotokan and Kyokushin? Read on to find out more. As a quick disclaimer, it should also be noted that we’re going on generalizations. Obviously, some dojos will buck the trend and each place has its own unique take on Karate. For the record, we’re on about your average Karate schools.

Kata in Shotokan vs Kata in Kyokushin

The Kata found in Shotokan is very different compared to the Kata found in Kyokushin. Basically, Shotokan has a much bigger focus on Kata, so if you turn up at a Shotokan gym, you’re more likely to spend time practicing form. Whilst Kyokushin does do Kata, for the most part this isn’t as heavily involved in their training, meaning as a percentage you’ll spend your time doing other things compared to the Kata percentage found in Shotokan.

A lot of the Shotokan Kata also focuses on long range kicks, and emphasizes on speed and practicing landing one perfect kick, rather than a flurry of strikes. Because of this, some people compare Shotokan Kata with Taekwondo Poomsae as they’re similar. When practicing Kata in Kyokushin, mostly it involves techniques that are more up close and personal, rather than relying on distance. To summarize, if you join a Shotokan dojo, you will spend more time doing Kata and a lot of this is based on speed and distance. On the contrary, Kyokushin focuses less on Kata and the forms it practices will differ.

Shotokan warm ups vs Kyokushin warm ups

Once again, the warm ups of both martial arts differ massively from one and other. In short, a big aspect of Kyokushin involves warming up, and it can almost feel like a boot camp at times. As a result, fitness levels in Kyokushin gyms are high and there’s a lot of strength and conditioning thrown in too. This derives from the idea that if you’re a martial artist, your body should be sharp and disciplined just like your mind. Another common aspect you may see in Kyokushin dojos is the use of hitting a heavy bag to practice punches and kicks against. This is just another form of warming up which will whip you into great shape.

Whilst Shotokan does have a warm up, it’s not nearly as intense or long as those used in Kyokushin. Typically, the Shotokan warm ups involve more stretching and a bit of cardio. That’s not to say that Kyukoshin warm ups don’t involve stretching because they do, but usually Shotokan warm ups aren’t nearly as long or intense. This time is instead spent on practicing Kata.

Cultural differences

Often, Kyokushin is referred to as the hardest type of Karate, which should give you an indication as to what it involves. This meant to be from both a physical and mental perspective. Elsewhere, Shotokan is based more on sports Karate and has a much greater emphasis on competing. This also leads to differing teaching styles, with Shotokan looking towards point fighting and training within certain sports rulesets, whereas Kyokushin is naturally more brutal and often focuses on self defense.

The result of this also spills into the classes and demographics. It’s easy to understand why Shotokan will often cater to kids, women and older people, whereas Kyokushin normally attracts younger men. Ultimately, there’s no wrong or right when looking at these demographics but it does reflect on the culture. This doesn’t mean that Shotokan is soft or watered down either, neither does it mean that Kyokushin is some kind of military fight club.

What is better – Kyokushin or Shotokan?

Ultimately, it depends on your perspective and your goals in life. For instance, a 60 year old man would probably be better suited to Shotokan as their body is more likely to be worn down after years of training. However, a younger man may prefer Kyokushin due to its intensity. Basically, Kyokushin focuses on getting in close to the opponent and landing hard, powerful strikes such as punches and leg kicks. This often means sparring which can be quite hard at times and results in knockdowns.

Alternatively, sparring in Shotokan is more restricted and focuses more on speed and timing from a distance. This means that in Shotokan, there’s usually more of a focus on distance management and trying to work on form and Kata, whereas Kyokushin has more similarities with western boxing. This means that for some life-long Karateka’s, they may begin by focusing on Kyokushin but eventually turn to Shotokan when they get older due to the intensity of Kyokushin. Remember, you don’t have to be loyal to one singular style either. In an ideal world, you’d actually train a mixture of both Kyokushin and Shotokan as they would complement each other nicely.

Is Shotokan effective in real life?

Whilst Kyokushin doesn’t need to answer this question, often Shotokan comes under fire for being too watered down and soft. The reality is, it depends on how you train, and where. For instance, if you rarely do Kumite and focus on sports styles too much, then it may hinder you in a street fight. Still, there are many benefits that Shotokan brings to real fighting. Firstly, your body would be well conditioned, fit, quick, and strong. Regardless of techniques, these are all beneficial when fighting.

Secondly, Shotokan also teaches some very useful kicks from distance. As most fights start with some distance, this could give you a quick victory if you landed a blow to the opponent’s head. Therefore, from this perspective Shotokan is highly effective. Nonetheless, some of the criticisms are valid. For instance, some argue that the stances used in Shotokan don’t work very well outside of sports Karate. This is up for debate, but overall you’d be better off fighting knowing Shotokan, compared to fighting without it – and there’s a number of martial arts that are far less useful when fighting.

Why your sensei matters most

One massively overlooked part of this argument is how important your teacher is when training. Too often, students will focus on styles, which is important but is not the only thing when thinking about what dojo to attend. For example, you could have a great instructor that teaches at a Shotokan school. Alternatively, you could be intent on training at a Kyokushin school that has a lousy teacher. This would mean that for most people, the Shotokan gym would be ideal.

Remember to be cautious when gym-shopping and don’t make a quick decision. Too often, people sign a big contract at a gym, only to realize it’s not for them, or it turns out the gym is a McDojo. Even if the instructor is good at teaching, if they’re a mean person then there’s also little point in training under this person as it would make training miserable.

Summary

Overall, it’s unfair to say that either Shotokan or Kyokushin is better than the other. Instead, a healthier discussion would look at their differences, instead of weaknesses. In short, Shotokan offers Karate for all demographics and its rules are geared towards sports competition. Alternatively, Kyokushin is based more on self defense and involves hard sparring.

This is where the differences lie and ultimately, it’s up to you to chose your gym. Hopefully, this guide has outlined the major differences in training, both on a physical and cultural level. Just remember to look around and take your time. Choosing the correct gym may just change your life.

If you want to learn more about Shotokan Karate, check out The Shotokan Karate Bible book. Or, if you want you can also learn more about Kyokushin Karate with this book instead.