SHOTOKAN KARATE ACADEMY

SHOTOKAN KATAS
W.S.K.F. ( WORLD SHOTOKAN KARATE - DO - FEDERATION )

katas
Name Kanji Meaning
Taikyoku shodan (aka Kihon) Great Beginning
Heian shodan Peaceful Mind, One
Heian nidan Peaceful Mind, Two
Heian sandan Peaceful Mind, Three
Heian yondan Peaceful Mind, Four
Heian godan Peaceful Mind, Five
Tekki shodan Iron Horse, One
Bassai dai To Penetrate a Fortress (Major)
Jion Jion is the name of a temple, and also the name of a buddhist saint
Empi Flight of the swallow
Kanku dai To Look At the Sky (Major)
Hangetsu Half-moon
Jitte Ten hands
Gankaku Crane on a rock
Tekki nidan Iron Horse, Two
Tekki sandan Iron Horse, Three
Nijushiho Twenty-four Steps
Chinte Unusual Hands (Also rare hands or crazy hands)
Sochin Tranquil Force
Meikyo Bright Mirror
Unsu Hands in a Cloud
Bassai sho To Penetrate a Fortress (Minor)
Kanku sho To Look at the Sky (Minor)
Wankan King's crown
Gojushiho sho Fifty-four Steps (Minor)
Gojushiho dai Fifty-four Steps (Major)
Ji'in Love of Truth (Also the name of a buddhist saint)

Been learning Karate Shotokan kata for some time? Tired of practicing kata without understanding it's meaning is usefulness? How does practicing Karate kata makes you a powerful Karateka?
Meaning and bunkai (applications) of Karate kata, and the original purpose it was created for, ie. close quarter fighting, though you may call it self defense or self protection in modern day context. Although there are at least 26 Karate Shotokan kata, this website will focus on only a chosen few, which have many of the most deadly Karate bunkai. Not many Karateka spend a lot of time actually "studying" Karate Shotokan kata, preferring to spend time on developing their physical presentation instead of discovering the cryptic meaning (bunkai) behind the complex arm and legs movements taught by these forms.
Techniques, including pressure points strikes or the art of kyusho jutsu. I hope the information here will reaffirm the usefulness of Karate Shotokan kata for a Karateka to learn deadly fighting techniques.

Since the original purpose of Karate is for fighting or self defense, there is also a page on Karate women and Street Karate, because Karate give women the skills and confidence to overcome dangers from those with strong criminal intention.

Karate, like any other form of martial arts, should evolve with times. And you should always have a few layers of self protection capability, eg. primary, secondary and backup. So, there is a page on choosing a self defense product which you can use to augment your self protection capability. Knowing a powerful empty hand combat skill like Karate will definitely give you the extra edge should you decide to carry a weapon for self protection, with both complementing each other quite well.

KUMITE



Kumite Main article: Kumite or sparring, is the practical application of kata to real opponents. While the techniques used in sparring are only slightly different than kihon, the formalities of kumite in Shotokan karate were first instituted by Masatoshi Nakayama wherein basic, intermediate, and advanced sparring techniques and rules were formalized.[7] Shotokan practitioners first learn how to apply the techniques taught in kata to "hypothetical" opponents by way of kata bunkai. Kata bunkai then matures into controlled kumite.[8] Kumite is the third part of the Shotokan triumvirate of Kihon-Kata-Kumite. Kumite is taught in ever increasing complexity from beginner through low grade blackbelt (1st - 2nd) to intermediate (3rd - 4th) and advanced (5th onwards) level practitioners. Beginners first learn kumite through basic drills, of 1, 3 or 5 attacks to the head (jodan) or body (chudan) with the defender stepping backwards whilst blocking and only countering on the last defence. These drills use basic (kihon) techniques and develop a sense of timing and distance in defence against a known attack. At around purple belt level karateka learn one-step sparring (ippon kumite). Though there is only one step involved, rather than three or five, this exercise is more advanced because it involves a greater variety of attacks and blocks usually the defenders own choice.[9] It also requires the defender to execute a counter-attack faster than in the earlier types of sparring. Counter-attacks may be almost anything, including strikes, grapples, and take-down manoeuvres. Some schools prescribe the defences, most notable the Kase-ha Shotokan Ryu which uses an 8 step, three directional blocking and attacking pattern which develops from yellow belt level right through to advanced level. The next level of kumite is freestyle one-step sparring (jiyu ippon kumite). This type of kumite, and its successor—free sparring, have been documented extensively by Nakayama