Hi, How many different stles are there in Karate?
Which is the best one to practise.?

Would be pleased for some comment on Styles.

There are quite a lot of Karate styles: Shotokan, Shotokai, Shukokai, Wado-Ryu, Goju-ryu to name a few. Most are off shoots of Shotokan. Then we have the so called Sport Karate who do use the style names and this can confuse the general public.

Character is like a tree, and reputation like it’s shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
Abraham Lincoln.

Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.
Chinese proverb

Something of interest.

The Students of Funakoshi never referred to the karate-Do that they practiced as Shotokan. They only used the word karate-do to refer to their art of Karate. It was the people outside of Funakoshi’s group who referred to his system as Shotokan.

To add to Japanese Dude's interesting point - the term Karate Do has changed over the years. The grammar of the Do has slightly changed (see Japanese speakers for more info) however, from a Westerner's point of view it has changed Karate from a noun, to a verb - therefore making it something we do, or, follows of the way.

Also Shotokan was Funakoshi's pen name (poetry). The karate style is named after that in the 1920's/30s (I think), hence orginal Okinawan students would use Shotokan as the the name of karate.

Just keeps getting more interesting!!!

How true.

There are no bad styles. Only bad practitoners.
Everone is different and different styles suit different personalities.
The best style to practise is the one that suits you best and the one that you feel most comfortable with.

This is also true, like every thing in life.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all

Why learn or take the time to practice what does not work? Very hard to find a School that practice good Karate. All say they are good, so how can the averge person know, what is or is not good? We now have a lot of leaflets pushed through our letter boxes, promising all, the best Self -Defence in the world and so on, but some of know this is not so, only to make money. Just take a look at the Tribute to Kancho Sullivan and the GKR Karate, and you will see how these kind of people can fool such a lot of people, like the old saying "The bigger the lie"

Has anyone looked at Kancho Sullivan and the GKR Karate again? if you want a laugh, but seriously this is so sad, how easly some are fooled.

I have looked at the GKR site for the very first time today after reading Sylvester's post. Being new to Karate, I don't understand the ridiculing of this person or his website. Could someone please explain, cheers

Just look at the videos! They also knock on doors to get students. You also have to pay by direct debit. Low belts teaching.