Shotokan’s Gankaku is an advanced kata practiced mainly by black belts. The original name for Gankaku is Chinto. Stories are told of a Chinese sailor named Chinto, who was shipwrecked off the coast of Okinawa. To survive, Chinto stole from the crops of the local Okinawan people. Sokon Matsumura, a Karate master, was sent... more »
The kata Garyu, is not taken from traditional Okinawan karate but was created by Oyama and named after his pen name (Garyu = reclining dragon), which is the Japanese pronunciation of the characters 臥龍, the name of the village (Il Loong) in Korea where he was born. In Japanese philosophy, a great man who remains... more »
Gedan barai is a karate technique mainly used for blocking an attack. The approximate English meaning is ‘low level sweep’. Standing in natural stance, and in a yoi (ready) position, bend left forearm up until fist reaches near the right ear while the right arm moves slightly in to the middle. The left elbow... more »
Gekisai dai is the first of the two Gekisai katas, The word “Gekisai” means conquer and occupy. The name is derived from the characters Geki, meaning attack or conquer, and Sai, meaning fortress or stronghold (literally translated as “closed”, “shut” or “covered”). The word Gekisai can also mean demolish, destroy or pulverize. The kata teach... more »
Gekisai means “attack and destroy”. These kata were created around 1940 by Chojun Miyagi and Nagamine Shoshin as beginners’ kata, to introduce the basic forms of karate (kihon) to middle school students in Okinawa, to help bring about the standardization of karate, and to teach a basic set of techniques for self-defense. Gekisai kata... more »
Gekisai means “attack and destroy”. These kata were created around 1940 by Chojun Miyagi and Nagamine Shoshin as beginners’ kata, to introduce the basic forms of karate (kihon) to middle school students in Okinawa, to help bring about the standardization of karate, and to teach a basic set of techniques for self-defense. Gekisai kata... more »
Gekisai sho is the second of the two Gekisai katas, The word “Gekisai” means conquer and occupy. The name is derived from the characters Geki, meaning attack or conquer, and Sai, meaning fortress or stronghold (literally translated as “closed”, “shut” or “covered”). The word Gekisai can also mean demolish, destroy or pulverize. The kata teach... more »
Gichin Funakoshi (November 10, 1868 – April 26, 1957) was the creator of Shotokan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is attributed as being the ‘father of modern karate.’ As a boy, he was trained by two famous masters of that time. Each trained him in a different Okinawan martial... more »
Goju Ryu (Japanese for “hard-soft style”) is one of the main traditional Okinawan styles of karate, featuring a combination of hard and soft techniques. Both principles, hard and soft, come from the famous martial arts book Bubishi (Chinese: wu bei ji), used by Okinawan masters during the 19th and 20th centuries. Go which means... more »
Gojūshiho (lit. 54 steps) is a kata practiced in karate. In some styles of karate, there are two versions of this kata — Gojūshiho Shō and Gojūshiho Dai. An advantage of the two versions of the kata is to better master the difficult techniques presented therein, but not without facing some confusion, for many... more »
Gojūshiho (lit. 54 steps) is a kata practiced in karate. In some styles of karate, there are two versions of this kata — Gojūshiho Shō and Gojūshiho Dai. An advantage of the two versions of the kata is to better master the difficult techniques presented therein, but not without facing some confusion, for many... more »
Gojushiho is an old kata that is mentioned in the Bubishi (Old Chinese martial arts text). The name means “Fifty four steps” and is referred to in the Bubishi as “Fifty-four Steps of the Black Tiger”. The kata really shows the Chinese influences with it’s many circular hand movements, finger striking techniques and fluid... more »
In some styles of karate, there are two versions of this kata — Gojūshiho Shō and Gojūshiho Dai. An advantage of the two versions of the kata is to better master the difficult techniques presented therein, but not without facing some confusion, for many sequences are the same and others only slightly different. The... more »
In some styles of karate, there are two versions of this kata — Gojūshiho Shō and Gojūshiho Dai. An advantage of the two versions of the kata is to better master the difficult techniques presented therein, but not without facing some confusion, for many sequences are the same and others only slightly different. The... more »
A gyaku tsuki or gyaku zuki is a karate technique. It involves a punch executed by the back arm. A gyaku tsuuki is sometimes called a “reverse punch”. It is also executed better if you use the hips to push it forward. It is one of the most used and effective punches used in... more »
Originally Learned by Master Mabuni Kenwa from Chinese Master Go Kenki. Master Go kenki made this kata thinking about the moves of a White Crane. The style of this kata is knwon as “Hakkutsuru Style” and it’s considered by many experts as the forgotten style of... more »
Hangetsu (Japanese: “Half Moon”) is an advanced kata practiced in Shotokan karate. It originates from the Naha-te school. The first part is executed slowly with strong breathing, stressing the development of the hara. This sequence shares a strong similarity with sanchin. The second part of the kata is more dynamic in its execution, with... more »