Friday, 19 August 2011

Different flowers

A common question which people ask me is “Why are the masters of Shotokan so different?” For example, Asai Sensei, Kanazawa Sensei and Tanaka Sensei… And "do you think your teacher Mr. Asai was the best?"

Let me answer this metaphorically. Think of different flowers in a garden, which you plant in the same soil, and give the same water and nutrients to. Of course they grow differently, even if they are the same types of flowers. Nevertheless, the underlying fundamentals remain the same.

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The JKA masters were all nurtured by Nakayama Sensei, but are all very different. Their technical appeal is dependent on one's preferences, and for the martial artist, this preference is determined by combat effectiveness relevant to oneself.


© André Bertel. Christchurch, New Zealand (2011).

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