Now, obviously, we are going to have a difference of opinion, the main thing is can we come up with some facts, or at least opinions so well grounded, that there is a clear winner? I believe we can.
First, there is sport versus art. In a sport one fights somebody else. In an art, one is in conflict (attempting to resolve conflict) with oneself.
A proper karate stance should be a perfect mix between mobility and solidity. Mobiity is when one can launch their body quickly. Solidity is when one can grip the ground with their feet and not be moved.
In the Shotokan kokutsu dachi stance, however, the mix between mobile and solid has been unbalanced. If you study the legs you will see that they are angling more than 90 degrees apart. This means the stance is more solid than mobile.
I want to make a point here…and I can only do that by asking you one specific question. Where, during your punch, do your arms bear the most weight? The answer is obvious, they bear it at the end of the punch, when the arm is nearly extended.
So why do you need to work your arm across the whole range of motion? Being strong at the beginning or middle of the push up is not where you need the strength. Concentrating your work out through the whole range of motion of the arm is not putting energy into the impact part of the punch where you need it.
But, there is a certain science that has proven true in the martial arts. This is the science of how to use geometrical energy potentials. I discovered this field while reading a series of books called the Lensmen Series.
I suppose the first time it hit me was when the author, E. E. Smith, described people fighting on the hull of a space ship. They were hooking their feet under hand grips so they would not fly into space from the reverse force of their strikes. They were anchoring themselves so they could apply force, and not be the effect of their own force.