Traditional shotokan karate-do is characterized by long, low stances and aggressive an mindframe. Though the fighting system itself is very aggressive, aggression is not the point of shotokan karate-do. The point of shotokan, to paraphrase Gichin Funakoshi, is to create better people, not better fighters.

There are many different styles of karate but they all have certain stances in common, though they may place emphasis in different places. Shotokan stances are long and low, which provide tremendous stability and strength. Shotokan karate-do is a particularly "hard" form of karate-even it's blocks are attacks. Other styles of martial arts such as aikido are very circular and "soft". They place emphasis on flowing motion in attacking and defending. Not shotokan...

In shotokan the idea behind attacking is that if an opponent is so foolish as to attack you, your defense should be such that he injures himself in the process. The block is so hard and strong that it is, in essence, an attack. In attacking, the shotokan karateka is equally as strong. There is no second-guessing; if you are going to attack or counter-attack, you are committed one hundred percent. This attitude creates an "indomitable spirit" that charicarized the shotokan karateka.