Just my own experience with Shotokan: My father was a 5th Dan in Shotokan & learned the style in it’s traditional non-sport form, which was very hard, serious with alot of conditioning. My father was an ex-SEAL & was later a combat instructor for something special forces related (possibly the SEALS, but I am not sure, I was a kid then & cared more about riding my bike with friends). He also, from old photos I have found & from speaking with my mother, also ran his own dojo for a time in this art (obviously I was too young to remember). Anyway, all I can tell you is that I remember my father stressing ALOT of conditioning. I remember clearly a solid steel plate (about 12″ x 12″), about 1/2″ to an 1″ thick hanging in the garage. My father used to spend time every night, in some kind of stance, punching “full power” that steel plate! I remember when he was trying to get me interested in it, he would show me his hands and they looked different, “conditioned” is the word, I guess. Not deformed, keep in mind, but “conditioned”. Big Calouses I think is what was on his knuckes. I remember he used to have me do things in the backyard, like holding a long pole (staff, I guess) and through forward towards his face and other body parts as fast as I could and as hard as I could, while he blocked the attacks full strength. He also did this kind of stuff with various people who would come over and train with him. I remember him telling me that Shotokan was not about any kind of fancy bull, just straight forward. I remember he had a military friend trained in Hapkido (and I am not bashing this art) come over for the evening to share ideas, etc. I was in the garage hanging out. The guy always had some kind of maneuver for a take-down when the arm was extended, or a punch was thrown, but my father simply said, even the blocks are attacks. So if a punch was thrown, the block not only blocks the punch, but INJURES the opponents arm. Stuff like that. I am just taking from memory. I just remember it being a very hard, serious art, and I was a laid back kid that wanted to play on the Commodore 64 and Atari. So I had no interest. I remember one time witnessing my father use his art. My family (dad, mom, sister and me) had gone out to Pizza and Round Table Pizza. Upon leaving, my father was backing out of his space and apparently almost hit a guy walking to the restaurant with his girlfriend, wife etc. The guy slammed his hand or fist into the Blazer my dad was driving. My dad put it in park, stepped out, and I watched from the window as the guy attacked my dad, and from what I remember it was over VERY quickly. A block, a solid punch to the mid area somewhere on the guy, and he was on the ground, not moving, from what I remember. My father walked back to the Blazer, and drove off. TRUE STORY. So anyway, I am not writing this to claim Shotokan is the best, matter of fact, I had no interest in learning it growing up and still don’t today. I just remember it was effective, witnessed my father use it first hand once, and I remember “real” Shotokan training involved heavy conditioning.
So anyway, back to researching Wing Chun & Aikido, two martial arts that I have actually found to be interesting after not caring for so long. I don’t train in them yet, but I am researching so I can make a decision with my limited time (meaning I must choose one, but have lot’s of time to develop & learn).

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