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 »
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 »
Heian means “peaceful mind”. This kata is the first of five introductory kata, developed by Yasutsune Itosu (one of Gichin Funakoshi’s instructors). Although scholars do not agree on how the Heian kata were created, it is commonly stated that all are derived in some part from the higher level kata, Kanku‐dai (In addition to... more »
Juni No Kata is a variation of the Taikyoku katas developed by Gichin Funakoshi sensei, they were developed as basic kata to prepare karate ka for the Pinan katas, there are three versions of the kata in Shito-Ryu Juni no Ichi, Juni no Ni and Juni no San all follow the same embusen with... more »
Juni No Kata is a variation of the Taikyoku katas developed by Gichin Funakoshi sensei, they were developed as basic kata to prepare karate ka for the Pinan katas, there are three versions of the kata in Shito-Ryu Juni no Ichi, Juni no Ni and Juni no San all follow the same embusen with the differences being in... more »
Juni No Kata is a variation of the Taikyoku katas developed by Gichin Funakoshi sensei, they were developed as basic kata to prepare karate ka for the Pinan katas, there are three versions of the kata in Shito-Ryu Juni no Ichi, Juni no Ni and Juni no San all follow the same embusen with the differences being in... more »
Kanku Dai is one of the most important kata in the Shotokan Karate Syllabus. This is, despite being an advanced kata, quite basic, but is a very long kata. Under the WKF rules, this is one of the Shitei kata alongside Jion, and is fundamentally both challenging and enjoyable to perform. This kata is famous... more »
Koshokun Dai is the Shito Ryu version of Kanku-Dai a popular kata in many schools of Karate descended from the Shorin style of karate practiced on Okinawa. The name, “Kosokun/Kusanku”, refers to the name of the Chinese diplomat from Fukien who is believed to have traveled to Okinawa and taught his system of fighting... more »
Pinan godan is the fifth and last of the five Pinan Katas. This Kata utilizes double-handed techniques demonstrating both complimentary forces and contradicting forces. Additionally, we also see demonstration of other two-handed tactics and elements not already obvious in the previous Pinan katas. The Pinan kata are a series of five empty hand forms taught... more »
The Pinan kata are a series of five empty hand forms taught in many karate styles. The Pinan kata originated in Okinawa and were adapted by Anko Itosu from older kata such as Kushanku and Gojushiho into forms suitable for teaching karate to young students. When Gichin Funakoshi brought karate to Japan, he renamed the... more »
Pinan Sandan is the third of the five Pinan Katas. This Kata introduces a number of new techniques, including double forearm block and elbow block. The Pinan kata are a series of five empty hand forms taught in many karate styles. The Pinan kata originated in Okinawa and were adapted by Anko Itosu from... more »
Pinan Yondan is the fourth of the five Pinan Katas. This Kata introduces a number of new techniques, including cross blocks, double punches (ren tsuki), side kicks and more. The Pinan kata are a series of five empty hand forms taught in many karate styles. The Pinan kata originated in Okinawa and were adapted... more »
Pinan Yondan is the fourth of the five Pinan Katas. This Kata introduces a number of new techniques, including cross blocks, double punches (ren tsuki), side kicks and more. The Pinan kata are a series of five empty hand forms taught in many karate styles. The Pinan kata originated in Okinawa and were adapted... more »
Shotokan is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs. Shotokan is one of the... more »
The name Wadō-ryū has three parts: Wa, dō, and ryū. Wa means “harmony,” dō means “way,” and ryū means “style.” Harmony should not be interpreted as pacifism; it is simply the acknowledgment that yielding is sometimes more effective than brute strength. From one point of view, Wadō-ryū might be considered a style of jūjutsu... more »
Yoseikan Budo may be classified as a sogo budo form (lit. “composite” or “comprehensive” martial art), but is used here to indicate a martial art into which various martial ways have been integrated. It is probably most widely known for its connection to a pre-war style of Aikido; however, it has important connections to... more »