Shokido Karate

[fa_jing]

Hi, I had a pleasant competition with some Shokido guys at a tournament recently. They described their art as an okinawan soft style. Anybody have any more info related to this art?
Thanks.

[Leto]

Never heard of 'shokido'. Okinawan soft style? What did it look like? I have not come across it in practice or researching Okinawan karate do. The internet only yielded one result...a link to a Chicago area university karate club which has an instructor from "shokido karate". It doesn't give any info on the specific style, or the instructor's background. (except that he is a 7th dan) Are you in, or were you in Chicago at this competition? It may be only the name of that specific dojo, or a group of dojos.

[fa_jing]

Yes, that was the school that sent the practicioners I met. They had "Shokido" patches, but maybe that was the name of their club and not the style they practice. All I remember from the form was alot of vertical finger jabs to a low target. I'll catch up with them eventually and ask more questions.

[rogue]

The Loyola University Karate Club (LUKC) meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30PM at Shokido Karate which is located at 6355 N. Broadway (the corner of Broadway and Devon) on the second floor. LUKC is under the mentorship of 7th degree black belt Shihan Pete C. Papachristou, who founded LUKC over 15 years ago. I'm betting dollars to doughnuts that the shihan title means he came up with Shokido.

[Leto]

Shihan just means 'director', someone who runs a school. Every school has got one. Lots of dojos have names that aren't the name of the style...like the shotokan dojo. That was the name of Gichin Funakoshi's school in Japan, in the 1920's. The style learned there came to be known as shotokan by the students, though it was really mostly shorin ryu karate, with some goju ryu/naha te. (of course modern shotokan looks quite different from traditional shorin ryu and goju ryu, due to 'improvements' made by Japanese practicioners, and the inclusion of tournament fighting.)

You'd have to ask the students or the director what style or styles they practice. Maybe, like Funakoshi did, he just tells them it's 'Okinawan karate'. Semantics. It doesn't really matter what they call it.

[rogue]

I'm betting dollars to doughnuts that the shihan title means he came up with Shokido. Clarification:I'm not saying it's bad since I do a stlye that's been modified. He just may have modified a system and renamed it. Find out his lineage, does he produce good students/fighters.

[Former castleva]

Leto,you may very well be right,I´ll just add my fifteen cents.
I know that at least in aikido society,shihan translates into "great teacher" or related.
Usually shihan is 7th dan or above.
Besides all the nidans,shodans and other accurate names of single rank,teachers categories are put in about three different classes,if I remember correctly.
Beginning teachers,
"medium" teachers
advanced teachers
These are not official translations,but just to give an idea.

[Leto]

In most karate schools, the director or head instructor is called 'shihan', no matter what the rank. It means he is the head of the school. The Dai Nippon Bototukai (official all Japan martial arts organization) has three ranks or titles which it awards to practicioners based on ceran criteria...those are Renshi, Kyoshi, and Hanshi. Renshi must be at least yondan, 4th degree, and at least 35 years old. Kyoshi must be at least 7th degree (or maybe it's sixth, I forget), and at least 45 years old (I think)...and Hanshi is awarded only to 9th or 10th degree, at least 55 years old. Renshi is like 'proficient teacher' someone with a masters degree, Kyoshi is like 'professor' someone with a doctorate, and Hanshi is like 'grandmaster', the official inheritor or caretaker of the style. There should only be one Hanshi in any style or branch. I believe a hanshi is allowed to award the lower titles to practicioners of his style. Of course, not everyone who uses one of these titles has an official 'diploma', and I'm sure even official diplomas can be bought. I'm not even sure how or if the Dai Nippon Bototukai is functioning these days. In order to get these titles, the style practiced must be one that the botoukai recognizes as a Japanese martial art...Judo, Kendo, various styles of Karate...and probably some other Budo that I can't think of right now.

[omegapoint]

The Dai Nippon Butokukai is just one of the many organizing bodies for the Budo or Bujutsu arts. They are no more or less reputable or representative of Karate or judo than the nyriad of smaller orgs. which dot the Okinawan and Japanese MAs map. Many non-Japanese styles, i.e. many Okinawan and Korean Karate styles are underrepresented by this governing body. Korea has it's own deal and so do the Okinawan arts for the most part.

I know that a large percentage of legitimate, hardcore Okinawan Hanshi, couldn't care less either, because the Japanese (in their eyes) should never control an Okinawan Art form. Eminent Okinawan Hanshi such as Shigeru Nakamura, Shuguro Nakazato, Morio Higaonna, Hohan Soken etc. were never a part of this org. and never really wanted to be. Karate and other arts such as Judo and Kendo are highly standardized under the Dai Nippon. As far as many Okinawan sensei are concerned, the teachings and qualifications vary from student to student (based on ones abilities and weaknesses) so complete standardization among even one ryuha would really be impossible. In the same breath, even Sensei (Shinshii) of the same style often teach different forms of the same art. In other words, how it was taught to them. Real Okinawan Karate is tailor made, student specific. It is for this reason many Okinawan Masters belong to Ryukyuan based and controlled federations. There are rules and qualifications to be met, but for the most part Okinawans tend to be less regimented than the Japanese.

To add to this confusion, many American Renshi and Kyoshi who themselves trained in Okinawa and once belonged to some Okinawan MAs org., have branched off to form their own federations. So you see, there is no one real universally accepted governing body in the Japanese and Okinawan MAs world. This includes the eminent Dai Nippon Butokukai... Hope this clarifies things.

[shaolinboxer]

This is an interesting and relevant article the the subject of titles.

http://koryu.com/library/wbodiford1.html

[BlueNinja33]

I'm a student of Shokido. It is the name of our dojo.
Here are some links that should answer most of your questions.

http://martialway.blogspot.com/2004/06/philosophy-of-shokido-part-1.html

http://martialway.blogspot.com/2004/06/rank-and-assessments.html

http://www.luc.edu/orgs/phoenix/diversions/november02/1113/features3.html

If you still have questions please email me @ jevers1@luc.edu.