Shotokan karate or Tae Kwon Do...which style is less commercial?

Question

I'm wanting to start back into the martial arts, but I'm wanting to train in a style that's more about the art itself. I thought about Tae Kwon Do, but it's so commercialized, so a friend mentioned Shotokan karate. The only thing is, Shotokan schools are few, far and in-between in the city I live in. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

I have trained in shotokan. a majority are commerciallized.  why don't you look for other styles of karate like kyokushinkai, Seido or Ashihara.   Trust me , this style aren't for little kitties !

Answer 2

it depends on the school and the organization, not the style.

Answer 3

I prefer TKD - I will have to say that it is commercialized but it's still a great sport.

Answer 4

Both styles suck!

Learn MMA it is the ONLY fighting style that covers EVERY phase of a fight!

MMA=Mixed Martial Arts.

Answer 5

seeing as you have only given 2 options i would say shotokan.

Answer 6

Shotokan karate was the first style I learned.  I trained for a year and a half, and I didn't know the first thing about fighting or footwork.

Take a little boxing or kickboxing.  Learn to fight through lots of trial and error, not by lining up and punching in unison.

Get some actual fighting experience, then turn around and see what you think of those Taekwando and karate classes.

Shotokan karate is almost as commercial as Taekwando, but at least in Taekwando they spar a lot.  You'll get good with your feet, but you won't get a good hand game or ground game.

You learn pretty quick what actually works and what doesn't work if you compete (unless it's point sparring competition).

I am not an MMA stylist.  I do Chinese kung-fu.  But all of the kung-fu and karate (except maybe kyoku-shin kai) is so far removed from learning to fight that I would recommend you listen tp the MMA guys.

I do a traditional style of martial art.  But most traditional martial arts I see are an exercise in ego and self-deception.  I recommend you look into boxing, kickboxing, Judo, Brazilian Ju-jitsu first.  You'll never learn to overcome violence if you don't experience it.

After a year or two, if you're still interested in learning a traditional style, you'll be able to tell more easily if the teacher's the real deal or just another joker living in kungfu fantasy land.

Answer 7

Shotokan is the largest style of Karate, so standards vary greatly.   I really don't like the WTF Olympic sparring rules of TKD, because it is way too dependent on kicks.  I practice Kyokushin Karate and it is way more hardcord than either, however I have been impressed with some of the Shotokan karateka I have sparred, but really wanted to laugh at most.  

I personelly I would prefer a style like Kyokushin (and its variants like Shidokan) or Muay Thai, mostly because they are known for hard core and standards are more consistent.  Another option are the Wado styles, they are similar to Shotokan, but are known for incorporating some Jujutsu.  Shidokan also incorporates some Jujutsu.

In general if you don't have alot of choices try all, but whatever you do, don't sign a yearly contract.  A good school will let you go month to month and even let you try a few classes for free.

Answer 8

More into the art itself?Shoto kan most likely or similar shorin or goju or isshin ryu or wado .I just expanded your options.As far as defence against criminal type attacks there is no organized style that adequately teaches proper defences as everything in an organized art be it traditional or mma  or BJJ or kyokushinkai is geared to set matches or sport type sparring.

Any style can teach you what to do in a "face off" a "lets get it on" situation.The real thing requires another kind of specialized training.

Answer 9

Though I have to agree in principal with Jay 101, that isn't what you asked.

So... school's are commercial, not styles.  You can be a sell out in Shotokan, and you can be hardcore TKD.  It all depends on the teacher.

That being said, Shotokan tends to be more traditional, so I'd look to that.  TKD has better kicks though.