The basic and fundamental concept in Shotokai is that the body must be relaxed, the movements must be soft and project the energy further than oneself. The mind must be clear, clean and receptive. The techniques will be done in a natural way, avoiding rigidity and tension.
One must be careful not to confuse softness with slowness, the movement must be soft when it begins and maintain itself that way during all the trajectory, without roughness. This type of movement is done, either slowly or very rapidly.
One of the objectives to strive for is attaining maximum speed in the movements even though the practice can also search for softness in slow movements. Softness and fluidity can be united; this consists in not blocking the techniques, uniting them in a continuous manner with the next technique. When executing the techniques, the arm movements begin and end together with the rest of the body. Attack and defense techniques are not stopped when they supposedly have reached the objective, rather the movement prolongs itself to the limit of their possibilities.
In Kata, these characteristics are applied to attain a fluid execution. Movements follow each other in a continuous way, accommodating them to the logical rhythm of the Kata. It is also a common practice, as a method of enhancing the fluidity, to avoid the use of kiai during the Kata.
In Kumite as the blows are not stopped, all the training is oriented towards the art of evasion and avoiding the partners attacks. In Shotokai the is no sports combat nor sports oriented practice. All the emphasis is placed on the practice of Yakuzoku Ippon Kumite and Ju Ippon Kumite.
Shotokai Karate Budo, Shotokai Encyclopedia on Karate-do Japanese Martial Arts
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