As of recently, Dragon Ball fans seem to be much more critical of Goku as much as they are excited and fond of him as a character. Whether it be because of his recent portrayal when compared to his appearance in Dragon Ball Z or his more keen abilities in Dragon Ball, such as the magic pole, and even his martial arts prowess. One such topic of constant debate and misunderstanding is whether Goku is stealing the techniques from all the masters he sought out or not.
Many fans constantly remark that Goku has been stealing techniques and never making his own original techniques, making him a less skilled martial artist than he could be. However, is he truly just stealing techniques, or simply refining them in response to learning them? After all, there can be various multiple applications and extensions of one technique. Some could say he has improved their original purpose, and that his ability to improve the techniques is what makes him a skilled martial artist.
Goku's Refinement
Son Goku is no doubt a martial artist who has honed his skills to the point of being one of the strongest characters in Dragon Ball. Even so, it's reasonably a misunderstanding to think that all Goku does is steal techniques from his masters. Whether it be from Master Roshi, Korin, King Kai, or even techniques from another school of martial arts, Goku has indeed used techniques from the Kamehameha, Solar Flare, Spirit Bomb, and the Kaioken as well as the Instant Transmission. While it may not help his case as a martial artist due to the fact that these techniques weren't created from Goku but his masters; Goku doesn't exactly only steal and claim them to be his own techniques, but rather adapts them to his own fighting style. After all, a martial artist passes down their techniques from one generation of students and pupils to another generation. Master Roshi and King Kai in particular are still important valuable teachers to Goku's growth, and to state that he's been stealing their techniques is a gross misunderstanding.
Goku's usage of the Kamehameha technique is by far the most iconic technique when someone thinks of Goku using a technique that belonged to Master Roshi. The Kamehameha wave is as simple as what it's portrayed to be, a focused ball of Ki that is expelled outwards into a wave attack that has the potential to topple buildings, and even defeat the opponent if it is landed directly. However, despite this technique being a simple usage when in the hands of Master Roshi, the destructive potential and capabilities that the Kamehameha wave poses is further explored when Goku starts putting in more Ki into the technique. The result becomes what many have dubbed as the Super Kamehameha, a stronger variant, if also pretty destructive version of the same Kamehameha wave.
Of course, this is merely only one example of a technique that Goku's refined through practice and application. Of course, then there is also the Instant Transmission; a technique taught to Goku by the Yardratians in-between the Frieza and Android Saga. This technique in particular became a staple in Goku's arsenal as a long-range transport technique that allows him to cross entire planets if he has a Ki signature to lock onto. The Instant Transmission has also been used in the midst of battle against Cell by Goku, albeit in the midst of him charging up a Kamehameha to catch Cell off guard. This ability requires more focus than any technique that Goku has used before, especially without putting his fingers to his forehead to focus. Even so, his mastery over the technique is still in the middle of becoming more growth oriented in the future.
The Misunderstanding
With the examples above being presented, it's plain to see that while Goku has adapted multiple techniques into his arsenal, it isn't fair to call it 'stealing' of any kind or shape or form. After all, the understanding when Goku learned these techniques was that he would be the next one to use them to their full potential. If Goku didn't use these techniques that he supposedly 'stole' then many fans would have missed the opportunity to be able to witness the Spirit Bomb's power against Frieza and Kid Buu, and Goku would struggle even more against Vegeta during the Saiyan Saga, as the Kaioken itself was a key component to Goku's victory over the Saiyan prince. These techniques are not stolen, but passed down to Goku as a means of forwarding the plot while showing Goku's progress as a martial artist who is able to learn techniques and apply them to his own skills and fighting style.
In that sense, Goku has achieved what many Shōnen protagonists rarely ever do; Goku has remained fresh and quick on his feet without over-relying on any one technique to save him when faced with dire straits. After all, a wide arsenal of techniques has allowed Goku to rise above expectations all the way to where he is now as a person as well as a protagonist in the eyes of many fans. Dragon Ball for all its faults and tendency to use Goku as a central character for every arc, doesn't fail to remind us that Goku as a martial artist has always paid his respects to the masters that have taught him useful techniques.
Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super are available to stream on Crunchyroll.