#naihanchi kata

[jossujb]

New karate season kickstarted yesterday. So much excitement and expectations... I have my eyes on blue belt 2k25. I think it is fairly realistic, tho executing 6 katas where one of them is Naihanchi is a challenge. Not to mention techniqurs essential to Wado-Ryu like nagashizuki. And I have alreasy picked up some bad habit from doing things too slowly and unsure.

I'd like to continue with kumite, but my main partner busted his knee, and other guys are not super into training with me. I've always been a bit of a third wheel, but I do what I can.

[katabunkai-blog]

Older, martial artists often develop sore joints, especially hips and knees. Ironically, this can actually be made worse by one of the key principles as taught by Japanese and Korean Masters. However, a relatively small adjustment to emphasis moving from the waist (rather than the hips) as the Chinese styles do, can help to relieve hip pain, reduce wear over time, and is actually more powerful!  When you examine the Tekki/Naihanchi kata, one of the older kata's and one if the most central kata's in Karate, we can see that it actually doesn't work very well when we emphasis moving from the hips, but it works much better when we learn to move from the waist.

[cranekarateacademy]

Kata: The Heart of Karate

Many newly developed forms of self-defense / combat sports de-emphasize or outright attack traditional kata’s applicability in modern times. This viewpoint is simply not true and reflects a general lack of understanding of kata, how to practice it, and why we practice it.  

Kata truly is the heart of karate as it teaches us self-discipline, how to breath, functions as a catalog of all of the techniques of the system we practice, gives us an opportunity to practice outside of the dojo, and finally teaches us the lesson of life-long self-improvement and pursuit of mastery.  Kata polishes the mind, spirit, and body all at the same time.  

Kata is not meant to be taken linearly.  As you practice, break down the specific sections and explore how each of the groups of movements can be applied.  Watch videos of MMA bouts and note how often you’ll see the techniques from kata (sloppily) applied - it is often.  There are only so many ways the human body can (or maybe can’t!) bend.

Another thing to consider - having a deep mastery of a few kata is much more important than having limited knowledge of many.  For example, Motobu Chōki famously focused his training on kumite (fighting), makiwara practice, and the Naihanchi kata (though he also taught Wanshu, Seisan, and Passai katas). He had mastered the Naihanchi system and became famous for being one of the finest fighters on Okinawa (and to a degree, Japan).  

Additionally, it is important to know that karate was not created with as many kata as exist in each system today.  Rather, individuals learned and taught a small number of forms that were complimentary.  As students studied under different masters and learned the forms those masters practiced, the number of kata in each system grew.  However many kata you know, you should have 3 forms that you consider your own and work to deeply understand.  These will become the foundation of how you respond to an attack.  Also know that certain kata naturally go together and inherently represent full systems of fighting.  For example, the three Naihanchi kata represent one full system of fighting. Wanshu, Ananku, and Seisan are another full system. And so are the Pinan katas.

In Okinawa’s oral and written history, there are many stories that teach lessons on karate.  I’ve included three here that are particularly poignant and worth reading.

Story 1: In karate, one does not make the first move

The basis of kata is in the concept "Karate ni sente nashi," literally translated, "In karate, one does not make the first move”. All kata begin with defense and end with defense. The kata instills the belief that the true karateka never strikes first, and never strikes in anger.

During the Satsuma occupation of Okinawa, a Japanese samurai, who had lent money to a fisherman, made a trip on collection day to Itoman Province where the fisherman lived. Unable to pay, the poor fisherman fled and tried to hide from the samurai, who was famous for his short temper. The samurai went to the fisherman's home and, not locating him there, made a search of the town. As his search for the fisherman proved fruitless, the samurai grew furious. Finally, at twilight, he came across the fisherman cowering under an overhanging cliff. In anger, he drew his sword. "What do you have to say?" he shouted.

The fisherman replied, "Before you kill me, I want to make a statement. Can you grant me this humble request?”

The samurai said, "You ingrate! I lent you money when you needed it and also gave you a year to pay, and this is how you repay me. Out with it, before I change my mind."

"I'm sorry," the fisherman said. "What I want to say is this. I have just started to learn the art of the empty hand and the first thing I learned was the precept: 'If your hand goes forth, withhold your temper; if your temper goes forth, withhold your hand.

The samurai was astounded to hear this from the lips of this simple fisherman. He put his sword back into its scabbard and said, "Well, you are right. But remember this, I shall be back one year from today, and you had better have the money ready.” Thereupon, he left.

Night had fallen when the samurai returned home and, as was the custom, he was ready to announce his return when he noticed a shaft of light streaming from his bedroom through the door, which was slightly ajar.

He peered intently from where he stood and could see his wife sleeping and the faint outline of someone sleeping next to her. He was startled and exploded in anger as he realized it was a samurai. 

He drew his sword and stealthily crept towards the room. He lifted his sword and was ready to charge into the room when the words of the fisherman came to him. "If your hand goes forth, withhold your temper. If your temper goes forth, withhold your hand.”

He went back to the entrance and said in a loud voice, "I have returned." His wife got up, opened the door and came out with his mother to greet him. His mother had his clothes on. She had put on his samurai clothes to frighten away intruders in his absence.

The year passed quickly and, come collection day, the samurai made the long trip again. The fisherman was waiting for him. As the samurai approached his home, the fisherman ran out and said, "I had a good year. Here is what I owe you and interest besides. I don't know how to thank you."

The samurai put his hand on the fisherman's shoulder and said, "Keep the money. You do not owe me anything. I owe you."

Story 2: The morality of karate

After World War Two, during the occupation of Japan, residents of a quiet street in Osaka were startled to hear the cries of men in anger and the anguish of a man in pain. It was early morning.

The people streamed out of their homes to find the source of the commotion. They stopped as they saw seven drunken foreigners beating up a native Japanese. The native was on the ground, bleeding.

"Please help me!" the beaten one yelled.

No one made a move. Japan had just lost the war, and the Osakans were afraid of retaliation from the occupation authorities if they interfered in an altercation involving foreigners. They watched helplessly as the drunks continued the beating.

Suddenly, someone pushed the drunks aside, lifted the badly beaten man, took him to the edge of the crowd and said, "Take this man to a hospital, quickly." Then he turned to face the drunks.

The drunks exploded in frustrated anger and attacked the lone samaritan. They punched and pushed the man around, venting their hostility and outrage on the man they considered a spoilsport. They tried their best to knock the man to the ground in order to kick him, but the man did not go down. He bled from his nose, and a small trickle of blood came out of his mouth. Otherwise, he was unhurt. He stood calmly and watched the seven men pound his body.

"Why doesn't he fight back? It is obvious he can take their blows. They may as well punch an oak tree for all the damage they are doing. They are like children milling around a grown man," the people muttered among themselves.

One by one, the drunks realized that they were not making any headway against this man. They suddenly realized their fun was gone. The man was smiling as if to say, "Now little boys, don't you think the game is over? Go on home.'

The seven stopped punching and slowly backed away from the man. They could not take their eyes off him. Fear set in. They looked at the crowd, suddenly panicked and fled.

The man, who was the recipient of the unprovoked beating by the seven, calmly wiped the trickle of blood from his nose and turned to the crowd. He bowed and calmly left.

In the crowd, a young man who had watched the whole scene, turned to the elderly man who was standing next to him and said, "Sensei, I recognize him. He is a karate sensei. He could have finished up the seven. I wonder why he let them beat on him like that?"

"You saw an example of the morality of karate. He knew the seven would have killed the poor man they were attacking, and he let them beat on him and vent their rage because he could take their blows."

Story 3: Kuwada’s story

The achievement of self-perfection is more important to the martial artist who possesses it than his physical and technical ability.

Kata takes great faith, tenacity and hard work to master. Every time one practices the kata, his first move and his last move remind him of "karate ni sente nashi." It is stressed incessantly. "In karate, there is no advantage in the first attack."

The kata also has another advantage. In sports, there are physical adversaries. Without the adversary, a set of rules, judges and arbitrators, there is no contest.

The kata in itself is a teacher forever. One does not have to go to a dojo except to be under the eye of a sensei whose function is to see that one is going in the right direction.

However, many believe the kata is meaningless, probably because their first exposure to karate was in mere technique and the realm of physical fighting. Where the morality of karate is missing, there is no karate.

There once was such a man. Let us call him Kuwada.

Kuwada had begun martial arts training with the desire of becoming feared by all men. But he soon discovered there was no short-cut to his transformation into a master.

Discouraged by the incessant kata training, Kuwada asked his sensei, "When are we going to learn something else? I've been here for quite some time, and it's kata, kata, kata, every day."

When his sensei gave no reply, Kuwada went to the assistant to the master and made the same inquiry. He was told, "The kata training is to polish your mind. It is better to shave your mind than your head. Understand?"

Kuwada did not understand, and in protest, he left the dojo, embarking on a notorious career as the best street fighter in Shuri. He was tough. No doubt about it. "A fight a night" was Kuwada's motto, and he often bragged, "I'm not afraid of a living man."

One night, Kuwada eyed a stranger walking calmly alongside a stone wall. It irritated Kuwada to see such composure in a person. He ran to the cross section of the road and waited for the man to pass.

When he did, Kuwada jumped out and threw a punch, but the man avoided the blow and grabbed Kuwada's arm. As he pulled Kuwada toward him, the man calmly stared into his eyes. Kuwada tried to pull away, but he could not. For the first time in his life, Kuwada felt a strange emotion-fear of defeat.

When the man let him go, Kuwada ran, but he glanced back to see the man calmly walk away as if nothing had happened. Kuwada later discovered the man was a master of kata; a martial artist who had never engaged in a fight in his life.

He who conquers himself is the greatest warrior. This is the highest of platitudes for the karate master.

[mikeoliveri]

Comparing Naihanchi/Tekki: Wado-ryu and Shotokan.

[pretidev]

The key to understanding the technical construction of authentic empty-hand two-man forms lies in the Eighteen-Monk Boxing or the Eighteen Buddha Hands of the Shaolin Temple. Nai Fuan Chin, meaning “internal divided conflict” in Chinese and also known as Nai Han Chi in Hogen Okinawan dialect, is, in fact, a two-man form. According to existing ideas on Budo, Nai Fuan Chin was longly and erroneously considered to be a ballistic form, when teachers persistently tried to use this wisdom of holding, gripping, twisting, subduing or tumbling techniques as a basis for trying to block and counter punches and kicks. Yasutsune Itosu was nicknamed “Ankho” or “Iron Horse” for his enthusiasm in practicing the Nai Fuan Chin form and for his ability to root himself firmly in the Nai Fuan Chin stance. There’s much to learn from this mind-blowing Kata... #naifuanchin #naihanchi #tekki #kata #shaolin #eighteenmonk #eighteenbuddha #shaolintemple #twomanform #yasutsuneitosu #ankhoitosu #ankohitosu #ironhorse #ironhorsestance #kibadachi #kibadachinokata #nahate #shorinryu #okinawate #okinawa #kungchido #karate #karatedo #kungfu #taichi #taichichuan #pretidev #pretidevramdawon #mauritius🇲🇺 (at Flic En Flac BEACH) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCoxOoalihB/?igshid=ulfigjtlxpmb

[reticentshugyosha]

Remembering My Early Training

I feel really quite fortunate to have stumbled into classical martial arts when I was a kid. As opposed to the more generic and significantly less exciting forms of kick-punch arts out there, my experience of Ryukyu Kempo was infinitely more colorful and arguably deep, if not at times in unintended and unexpected ways.

The first several weeks of training in Ryukyu Kempo consisted of wearing normal clothes to a class of black (yes black) dogi clad students practicing an array of empty handed kata, alongside kobujutsu, and distinct grappling maneuvers called tuite. I, however (like most new students at the time) was slated to make my way to the edge of the training area to watch class, and more importantly, to make friends with “Mr. Suburito.”

A suburito is an extra large, weighted wooden training sword. Despite its already bulky nature, the more senior students of the school would bore out holes along the blade of the veritable branch and fill them with lead for extra difficulty. My adult-sized, but not otherwise modified “Mr. Suburito” was quite enough for me to handle in awkwardly learning how to carry and draw him, so as to perform a great many downward, centerline cuts subsequently. I mean wooden swords are cool and all, but it was admittedly a little curious way to begin training in what I expected to be generically open handed karate art. Fast forward 20+ years later and I’m still discovering the nuance of that particular exercise in reference to my open handed skill set (including both striking and grappling) and my practice of kobujutsu at large.

After a few weeks of learning to relate to Mr. Suburito, I was introduced to Naihanchi Shodan as my first kata (solo exercise), rather than a taikyoku or kihon (typically low block and middle punch) manner of pattern.

The instruction given for the seemingly arcane Naihanchi kata was that the interestingly venerated Master Choki Motobu famously noted it was the only thing needed to gain a complete knowledge of karate. Beyond that, according to the Guiding Principles of our school “in the past a single master studied a single Kata for more than ten years…” and that if we just wholeheartedly threw ourselves into the practice of the kata (which follows a single horizontal, line enbusen [floor pattern] that sees the student moving left and right in a side-oriented kiba dachi [horse stance], while performing 27 duplicated movements at the left, right and center of the body, including two seeming ritualized double handed “salutes”) we would be well on our way to becoming truly skilled and wise practitioners of the art.

All of these things about the Naihanchi Kata were of course true, and after quite literally hundreds of thousands of repetitions of that particular 27-movement form over the course of more than two decades, I still cannot pretend to fully grok the contents and blueprints contained within that one archetypal form. Nonetheless, the unspoken fact was too that Mr. Suburito and the arcane Naihanchi Kata (despite the realities of the respective, intentionally subtle and skillful physical conditioning technologies contained within them) were really about slowly introducing a potential new member of the dojo into the actual training methods of the style and school without revealing anything too obviously dangerous, should the new recruit to prove to not be of the “good moral character” demanded by the Dojo Kun. Should that be the case, and should such a recruit find themselves to have worn out their welcome, the public was nominally protected, and the secrets of the school were further safeguarded by those deemed trustworthy enough to receive them. To return again to an examination of the Guiding Principles ��the eagle with the sharpest talons hides them.”

As you can imagine, the onboarding process was a little more lengthy than that at a typical karate school. I recall distinctly having to memorize and be able to recite on command the five statements of the Dojo Kun (school code) and the ten paragraphs comprising the Guiding Principles (about a typed page and a half combined) before being able to progress beyond Mr. Suburito’s lone company.

After Naihanchi Shodan was sufficiently committed to mental and physical memory, and an exercise or two beyond simple striking sets with Mr. Suburito, two more similarly single, horizontal line enbusen comprised Naihanchi Kata (Nidan and Sandan) would follow, before I (the student) would actually be introduced to anything clearly resembling combat in posture, gesture, or movement in the truly unique “Tomari” Seisan (which is in fact a rather intricate white crane form, as opposed to most other forms sharing its name). For me this took about a year (without receiving or testing for a single belt rank along the way; curiously even the black belts didn’t wear rank belts, only a unique form of pantaloons called nobakhama, with but a couple of students who had here-and-there tested for a colored belt donning one).

However, it’s notable that within three or so weeks I (who hadn’t been yet taught how to do a simple block or strike in the manner of the system) would suddenly find myself introduced to the chizikun bo, a type of paired koppo (6” sticks with leather finger loops drilled through their centers, used as weapons, which are placed over the middle fingers of both hands). As it turns out a 7th Dan Kyoshi (Master) of the art would be teaching a rare form for the weapon at an even rarer full weekend training camp alongside a river at a distant and rural campsite.

You see, Kyoshi was always on the verge or “retiring,” and taking his still undivulged body of genuinely unique knowledge with him. Kyoshi never could quite get a successful dojo up and running himself (in fact the dojo was quite transient and moved or closed at least once a year) but nonetheless he (due to a mixture of actual skill and cowboy charisma) kept a pretty dedicated band of students within his orbit.

Whenever Kyoshi was strapped for cash a special training called a “Spirit Class” (a four+ hour day of Mr. Suburito and Naihanchi-esque kiba dachi chudan tsuki [horse stance middle punches]) could be scheduled for a nominal fee, inclusive of a custom screen printed t-shirt. If the bank was really coming to task though, a new, and somehow legitimately rare kobujutsu kata could be transmitted, replete with a custom printed t-shirt (for one low price) over the course of a weekend, and all hands were to be on deck. At no extra cost came the knowledge that if you open the advanced chizi kata the wrong way it “looks like you guys are trying to tear your peckers off” (LMAO, seriously) and that if you want to shower at a rural campsite you should stop and get quarters first, and that when you stop and get quarters first you should make sure that the item you’re buying to break cash into change with costs an appropriate amount so as to retrieve quarters in change. Twelve and thirteen year olds have to learn this stuff sometime! 😉

At this point I feel it worthwhile to note that Kyoshi did eventually retire and move out of state and out of touch, with some yet untaught and authentically rare and valuable skills in tow. I still practice that kata, or what I think I was taught at the time, and I’ve met very few people that know the “advanced chizi kata.”

Picking back up in week five of my training (and far beyond) Naihanchi Nidan and Sandan were gradually learned, and suddenly I had been indoctrinated and inducted properly into the tradition. By then I practiced my kata and exercises single mindedly while lusting over a copy of the Grandmaster’s newly self-published textbook. The textbook was sold only by a single school in his association for what was then (and now, but then especially) a very steep price of $65 (and a far cry from the $15 cost of his senior student’s very useful introductory manual sold in the same venue).

Speaking of those students and that venue, it was around this time that I recall that I began to realize that our faction of the art was no longer in the good graces of the Grandmaster’s association, and that there existed some really bad juju between the two camps. But regardless, we were all agreed that we were far superior to, and would not associate ourselves with, the third group of people accused of having stolen some of the secrets of the Grandmaster’s art at a few generous public seminars.

But I digress. For us, our “classical” system (as opposed to “traditional,” or the even more anathema “modern” styles) of karate was supreme (and admittedly the older I get the more my bias does swing that way among Japanese and Okinawan striking arts). Labeled sell-outs like Gichen Funakoshi of Shotokan fame were but “shamisen players with silver tongues who only ever learned the outside of karate” (or so said that curious younger Master Motobu again…the older Master Motobu was quite more refined in manners and skill). In short, if you wanted to real deal, you had to come to us.

My early life experience in Ryukyu Kempo introduced me to some of the most wonderful and valued friends and mentors in my life who I have been blessed to have cherished relationships with for decades now. Too, it broke (early on, in life and in training) many of my romantic conceptions of humanity, while also providing me an all but stereotypicalized idyllic training milieu. I really couldn’t have had it better anywhere else.

~Sunyananda

[artesmarcialessblog]

KATA : Forma

Antes de introducirnos en los Katas utilizaremos una definición sobre estos, definición que ha expresado la Japan Karate Association en su buena y gran colección de videos.

"Durante muchas generaciones, entrenando duramente, los viejos maestros desarrollaron la forma de entrenamiento llamada Kata.

El Kata es una forma de entrenamiento típica de las Artes Marciales asiáticas Orientales y no tiene equivalente en las diferentes Artes Occidentales.

En la isla de Okinawa y en China, la práctica del Kata era el corazón real de los sistemas combativos.

A través del Kata, el conocimiento se trasmitió de generación en generación y ellos son el libro de texto del Arte.

El Kata es el fundamento que nos enseña las posiciones del cuerpo, los movimientos, y los principios para usar manos y piernas. Nos enseña la respiración, la tranquilidad, la seguridad, el ritmo, el espíritu luchador, y el poder de decisión.

El Kata no es un entrenamiento simple del cuerpo que puede hacerse superficialmente; sino una forma de entrenamiento austera.

Es una forma distinguida, clásica de aprender basada en las experiencias durante la lucha por la vida y muerte en el campo de batalla.

El Kata es comparable a los juegos de Go y Shôgi (ajedrez japonés) y comienza y termina con un saludo.

El Kata no es una acumulación de técnicas básicas, sino que, constantemente está fluyendo al igual que la sangre circula y nos llena de vida.

Por consiguiente, es esencial, respetar los tres puntos siguientes: fuerza y debilidad del poder, lentitud y rapidez de la técnica, expansión y contracción del cuerpo.

El karateka siempre tiene que prestar atención al número correcto de los movimientos de mano y pie (embusen) y a comprender la naturaleza específica del Kata y el significado de sus técnicas.

El Kata es, junto con el Kihon y el Kumite, el tercer pilar del Karate-Do. Los tres son independientes pero inseparables y juntos forman el Arte del Karate-Do.

Todos los movimientos de Karate, han encontrado su expresión en la Kata: Tsuki, Uchi, Uke, Geri, Sabaki, Etc....

estos movimientos básicos de los Katas forman un conjunto de movimientos lógicos y estudiados que provienen de las viejas Artes Marciales Japonesas.

En el desarrollo de los Katas no se ha permitido ningún movimiento, ni el más mínimo, sin significado; cada movimiento, cada técnica, tiene un significado claro y no se debe olvidar que en el Karate no existe el concepto de anticiparse (Karate ni sente nashi), por eso todos los Katas empiezan por una defensa.

Si el oponente ataca decididamente, se responde con una acción adecuada para defenderse, esta manera de actuar concuerda con el espíritu de las viejas Artes Marciales.

Por tanto practicando diariamente un Kata, cada fase de las técnicas y cada movimiento, van a contribuir en la actitud del Karateka, el Kata se tiene que demostrar con su alma viva y activa, para llevar al practicante hacia delante en la comprensión del camino del Karate."

La lista oficial de Katas de la Japan Shotokan Karate Association es de 26, entre básicos y superiores:

26 - KATAS DE KARATE-DO SHOTOKAN

5 - HEIAN - Paz y estabilidad

HEIAN SHODAN: Primer nivel

HEIAN NIDAN: Segundo nivel

HEIAN SANDAN: Tercer nivel

HEIAN YONDAN: Cuarto nivel

HEIAN GODAN: Quinto nivel

La primera parte de esta sección incluye el grupo de “kata básico”.

Se dice que uno de los maestros de Funakoshi Gichin, Itosu Yatsune, conocido como el “puño sagrado” desarrollo estos kata con el propósito de entrenar técnicas básicas.

El nombre Heian viene de la abreviación de los signos heiway antei (paz y estabilidad). Sinónimos de heian que se utilizan en otros estilos son “pinan” o “pian”.

Cada uno de los kata Heian empieza con una técnica de bloqueo para demostrar su carácter pacífico.

3 - TEKKI - Jinete de hierro

TEKKI SHODAN: Primer nivel

TEKKI NIDAN: Segundo nivel

TEKKI SANDAN: Tercer nivel

Las raíces de los kata Tekki se supone que son chinas.

Originalmente conocidos en Okinawa como “naihanchi” (pronunciación en español “naifanchi”).

Fue el mismo Sensei Funakoshi Gichin quien dió el nombre a los kata Tekki.

El primer signo de Tekki significa hierro, el segundo, jinete. La posición utilizada más frecuentemente en esta kata es kibadachi (posición de piernas en posición de montar). La meta al entrenar este kata debe ser el desarrollar una posición tan fuerte como el hierro.

La línea horizontal del embusen nos recuerda una situación de pelea en un callejón con nuestra espalda contra la pared.

Tekki nidan y Tekki sandan fueron creadas por el Sensei Itosu quien utilizó Tekki shodan como su base.

18 – SUPERIORES -

BASSAI DAI: Penetrando la fortaleza “grande”

Las técnicas fuertes de este kata, las cuales acentúan el movimiento de cadera, nos recuerdan un “tronco de carga” utilizado contra paredes de piedra. Se dice que el Sensei Oyadomori introdujo el kata Bassai y que es originaria en la escuela Tomari-te o Shuri-te del Sensei Itosu. Este kata se enseña en diferentes estilos de karate, pero solo los alumnos del Sensei Itosu practican las dos formas Bassai-dai y Bassai-sho.

JION: Amor (y) bondad

Jion es un término budista. También es el nombre de un templo en china donde los monjes eran muy dedicados al entreno de las artes marciales. La teoría posterior esta apoyada por el movimiento de saludo Chino al principio y al final del kata. Con sus posiciones y técnicas básicas, jion representa el estilo Shotokan y es uno de los kata mas tradicionales de este estilo. Sus raíces se hallan en el Tomari-te.

HANGETSU: Media luna

Este kata recibe el nombre de su posición principal, hangetsu dachi. Hangetsu es el único kata en Shotokan con tales técnicas diferentes de respiración. Hangetsu tiene sus raíces en el Naha-te y es conocido en otros estilos de karate por su antiguo nombre Seishan.

KANKÛ DAI: Mirar al cielo “grande”

El primer movimiento de este kata dirige la vista al cielo. Casi todos los elementos de los kata Heian se encuentran en este kata.

Kanku-dai era el kata favorito del Sensei Gichin Funakoshi y al principio se llamó ko-sho-kun y kushanku, por Kung Siang Chun, el diplomático chino y famoso experto en el boxeo chino quien creó kanku.

EMPI: Golondrina volando

Los movimientos rápidos hacia arriba y hacia abajo en este kata nos recuerdan las ligeras maniobras de vuelo de una golondrina. Empi tiene las raíces en Tomari-te y es uno de los más antiguos kata de Shotokan Karate. Su antiguo nombre era Wanshu.

CHINTE: La mano diferente

“Diferente” tiene que entenderse como extraordinaria. En este kata, hay muchas técnicas circulares las cuales no son típicas del concepto “la distancia mas corta entre dos puntos” del estilo Shotokan. Chinte se originó en Shuri-te.

KANKÛ SHO: Mirar al cielo “pequeño”

El movimiento antes del salto se puede interpretar como una mirada al cielo. De cualquier modo, los movimientos y embusen de Kanka-dai y Kanku-sho son parecidos. El Sensei Itosu creó la versión Kanku-Sho del antiguo Kanku-dai.

SÔCHIN: Fuerza (y) calma

El nombre del kata Shochin también es el nombre de su posición principal, sochin-dachi, la cual es una fuerte posición estable. En principio el motivo de este kata era enseñar defensas para ataques con un palo (bo). Por esta razón las técnicas de bloqueo son ejecutadas de forma grandiosa. Su nombre original era Hakko.

WANKAN: Rey (y) corona

Wankan es el kata más corto en Shotokan. Otra particularidad es que este kata solo tiene un Kiai. Wankan tiene las raíces en Tomari-te.

JI´IN: Amor (y) sombra

Ji´in es también un término budista. Este kata es considerado el kata hermano de Jion por su parecido en técnica, línea de ejecución (embusen), y el mismo saludo al principio y al final. Ji´in, originariamente llamado Shokyo, también tiene sus raíces en Tomari-te.

JITTE: Diez manos

El nombre de este kata se dice que originó del concepto de enseñar al alumno a luchar contra diez adversarios. Otra interpretación dice que el nombre proviene del arma, Jitte. El uso de este arma antigua se puede observar en los movimientos del kata. Jitte viene de Tomari-te y pertenece al mismo grupo de kata que Jion y Ji´in.

MEIKYÔ: Espejo brillante

Los primeros movimientos de este kata sugieren la acción de suavizar la superficie del agua para hacerla tan lisa como un espejo.

El sankaku-tobi (salto-triangulo) al final del kata se dice tener un significado secreto el cual pronostica milagros. El antiguo nombre de Meikyo era Rohai.

GANKAKU: Cigüeña en la roca

La posición en una pierna (tsuruhashi-dachi) nos recuerda a una cigüeña preparada para golpear a su adversario.

Este kata se originó en Tomari-te. Es interesante, el ichi-ji-gata-embusen, lo cual significa que la línea de ejecución tiene la forma del numero uno en Japonés. Los movimientos se supone que simulan una pelea en los estrechos callejones de Okinawa. El nombre antiguo de Gankaku era Chinto.

BASSAI SHO: Penetrando la fortaleza (pequeño)

La primera parte de Bassai-sho incluye diferentes técnicas contra ataques de palo (bo). Este kata proviene del antiguo Bassai-dai del Sensei Itosu, también llamado “el puño sagrado del Shuri-te”. El kata Bassai-sho consiguió su nombre por su parecido en la línea de ejecución (embusen) con Bassai-dai.

NIJU SHI HÔ: Veinticuatro pasos

Los primeros dos movimientos de este kata especialmente, sugieran la acción de olas golpeando un acantilado. El nombre Shotokan también incluye los movimientos de olas, las olas de una ondulada pineda. El nombre antiguo del kata era Ni-sei-shi.

GOJÛ SHI HO SHÔ: Cincuenta y cuatro pasos (pequeño)

El Goju Shi Ho Sho junto con su versión Dai son los kata más avanzados en Shuri-te.

GOJÛ SHI HO DAI: Cincuenta y cuatro pasos (grande)

Este kata es de los más avanzados en el estilo Shuri-te, la escuela del Sensei Anko Itosu. El Sensei Gichin Funakoshi lo llamó Hotaku (el picoteo de un pájaro carpintero) por el parecido de alguna técnica a los movimientos de un pájaro carpintero golpeando con su pico contra un árbol.

UNSU: Manos en las nubes

Los primeros movimientos así como levantarse Después del Kawashi-geri, simbolizan partir las nubes con las manos abiertas. Unsu, con su variedad de técnicas, es uno de los kata más avanzados.

También parece ser un kata muy joven porque fue nombrado por primera vez en el año 1922. (De acuerdo con algunos diccionarios la pronunciación de los signos de Unsu en verdad debería ser Unshu).

SENTEI KATA: Kata seleccionadas (Nombres de un grupo de katas, realizados por los estudiantes de un cierto nivel de cinturón en una competición o examen).

SHITEI KATA : Designación de katas que debe conocerse con un cierto nivel de cinturón.

TOKUI KATA Kata favorito (el mejor kata que uno tenga).

BUNKAI Analizar, desglosar. (entrenamiento de la aplicación de diferentes secuencias del kata con los compañeros).

http://www.blanes.net/club.karate/apartados%20del%20menu/katas.htm

https://karateyalgomas.com/2015/02/11/los-otros-katas-del-shotokan/

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WUietMNOWQ0

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P421WtsEYk8

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HAK0rr0KC-U

[shorin011]

Naihanchi kata video This is Shorin ryu beginners kata. This is how we do it in Tsunami dojo Belgrade.

[momiji-dojo]

Our first Wado Ryu Karate course of 2022 at our own Momiji-Dojo in Bradford On Tone, was an early January weekend morning affair, going through Naihanchi Kata. 3 hours with the BWF Cheif Instructor Gary Swift Hanshi. Our next scheduled Wado Ryu course is in April.

[jossujb]

My sensei doesn't approve youtube nor is a fan of books really either, but I did buy Karate Katas od Wado- Ryu by Shingo Ohgami recently. It's pretty much the only book that's good specifically in the style. Most books on karate are in Shotokan, obviously, for bwing the most popular. But like sensei says, even though there is no good or bad choices, we do Wado and Wado is not Shotokan so you should think about if you're gonna reading.

Anyway, since for the blue belt I have to know all five Pinan and Naihanchi, it does improve my home training a lot to have references.

Summer training has been hard... amazing to see development on other students as well. There's two other green ones I think will mature to blue any moment sensei decides to give them a grading opportunity.

As for me, I think I need a year, or more. Classes are an emotional rollercoaster. There's been quite a few instances of me using excessive force to compensate on poor technique. Urgh. Cringe.

[cranekarateacademy]

On Mastery, the Martial Arts, and Authenticity

Too often, you will hear someone claiming that a particular teacher is not “authentic” or otherwise unqualified as a result of not having spent a requisite number of decades or dollars with a particular system, teacher, or organization. This practice is extraordinarily common and has a deeply negative impact on the martial arts as a whole and practitioners individually. To understand why and see the right path forward, a short history lesson is in order.

Most forms of traditional karate can trace their origins back to China and made their way westward through Okinawa. On Okinawa, a traditional Chinese martial art (the name of which has been lost to history – or at least to me), merged with a local form of fighting called Te resulting in a new system of self-defense called Kara-Te (empty hand).  From there, several individuals (Gitchen Funakoshi being one of the most notable) migrated to mainland Japan where the style was adopted and again transformed. What was Shorin Ryu and was taught to Funakoshi a certain way was changed, adapted, and became a new system called Shotokan. By the mid-1900s, the single teacher that moved from China to Okinawa had spawned at least 100 different styles of karate. What happened next was even more interesting – karate and kung fu both jumped from their respective homes to Hawaii.

In the melting pot of Hawaii, a man named Ed Parker learned a form of Kenpo with grounding in Chinese boxing from William Chow.  Ed Parker had already earned a black belt in Judo and had experience with western boxing, as well.  Ed Parker moved to California and founded a style he called American Kenpo – blending circular and linear motions into a new, incredibly effective style.  Around that same time, another man took the Chinese art of Wing Chung and adopted it to his own philosophies ultimately founding a style called Jeet Kune Do.  That man was Bruce Lee.

Through the history of the martial arts, students have studied under different teachers, learned katas and pulled together the katas they liked and went on to teach those to their students. This is just as evident in modern times as it is in looking through the history of Okinawan Karate. Let’s consider the evidence. There are 5 Pinan kata and 3 Naihanchi kata. Different styles of Okinawan karate (even different branches of Shorin Ryu) teach different combinations of these kata. Some traditional styles even teach only one version of Naihanchi (Shodan). Hohan Soken, a direct student of Nabe Matsumora and founder of Matsumora Orthodox Shorin Ryu, taught Naihanchi Shodan, Naihanchi Nidan, Naihanchi Sandan, Pinan Shodan, Pinan Nidan, Passai Sho, Passai Dai, Chinto, Kusanku, Gojushiho, Sesan, Rohai Jo, Rohai Chu, Rohai Go, and Hatsukuru. One his students, Seiki Arakaki added the katas Fukyu Ichi and Fukyu Ni to teach high schoolers. Fukyu Ichi is the Gojo Ryu kata Gekisai Ichi. Katsuya Miyahira was a student of Chokki Motobu, Choshin Chibana, and Anbun Tokuda and a one-time president of the Kobayshi system of Shorin Ryu.  Katsuya taught the kata Naihanchi Shodan, Naihanchi Nidan, Naihanchi Sandan, Pinan Shodan, Pinan Sandan, Pinan Yondan, Pinan Godan, Passai Dai, Passai Sho, Kusanku Dai, Kusanku Sho, Chinto, Okan, Wanshu, Seisan, Jion, and Gojushiho.

Shotokan is a mainland Japanese adaptation of Okinawan Shorin Ryu with deeper stances (strongly advised against by traditional Okinawan teachers), more rigid movements, and katas that have been changed in name (Pinan to Heian, for example), style, and substance. Yet, these schools are some of the strictest with respect to not changing or evolving their system and preserving uninterrupted lineages – despite their style’s own origin and evolution.  

With all the variation between styles and even families within the same style, one must ask what is “authentic”?  To be clear, I am absolutely not suggesting that a person who has spent a little time here, a little time there, and crops up later teaching a mish-mash of techniques as their own “system” is qualified – they are not.  However, people move, lived experience has value, and teachers retire. Change is the only constant in life. A teacher with 10 years of experience in a single style and 20 spread out across others is arguably more qualified as an instructor than a teacher who has 30 years of experience in a single system. Both are good. Both have value. One has extremely deep knowledge in a particular system and is the guardian of a tradition. The other is an agent of change who integrates different teachings that they found to work well for them, grounded in expertise in a particular tradition.  

To close, Hohan Soken, the founder of Matsumora Orthodox Shorin Ryu was interviewed by Mark Bishop and relayed to him that “due to the commercialization of karate the students are encouraged to learn only the one style, resulting in too narrow a scope of training that could eventually lead to an overall stagnation of the fighting art”. Let us not let that happen.

[mikeoliveri]

Due to our dojo and potential participants schedules, we’re participating tomorrow! We’re not sure which kata we’re doing yet (we did Naihanchi last year, and my own students and I did a total of 100 reps of various kata the year before), but we’re looking forward to a great workout and learning a lot about our kata.

Anyone else participating?

[pretidev]

Kata displaying ki, power and agility! Intensive power training! Love that! ❤️ #ki #power #intensivepowertraining #agility #kata #karate #naihanchi #tekki #karatedo #kenpo #kempo #budo #bushido #pretidevramdawon #mauritius (at Flic En Flac, Black River, Mauritius) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_0WuwIgCVm/?igshid=7c8r0il9sgyc

[martialarts4life-blog1]

#Repost @jeffshotokan ・・・ Kata Feedback Series: Bassai Dai ▪️ Bassai Dai is the kata most students approach after years of training on the Heians/Pinans, and most likely, well after Tekki Shodan/Naihanchi. It is a long kata with endless subtleties. ▪️ I remember one of my Senseis saying that Bassai Dai is the ultimate kata. That was a big statement coming from him, a lifelong karateka with a genuine Sixth Dan in Shotokan. ▪️ Please leave feedback on the two videos here that make up the entirety of Bassai Dai. Questions, criticisms, any and all feedback. I will say that doing this kata on wet sand was challenging, but well worth the time it took to get it down. ▪️ Oss. ▪️ #karate #kata #katafeedbackseries #videokata #karatedo #karateka #karatelife #skif #jka #bassaidai #shotokan #bunkai #traditionalkarate #okinawakarate #beginnersmind #wayofmartialarts #martialartstagram #martialarts #fitover40 #veganhealth #plantbasedathlete #warrior #lifestyleofawarrior #texas #gulfcoast #houston #waza #workout #oss https://www.instagram.com/p/BstnMg9lSLc/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=mpzdfurds9v4

[shorin011]

Наиханчи ката видео Ово је Шорин риу почетничка ката. Овако ми то радимо у Цунами доџо у Београду. Ова ката је такође позната као Теки Шодан у Шотокану. Шотокан везија се ради са нижим киба-дачијем, али у основи је иста форма. Ката приказује основни шут, ударац, напад и покрете у блиској борби.

[rockholdkarate]

I normally don’t demonstrate whole forms on #socialmedia, but this is for my first #tangsoodo #instructor. #rockholdkarate #naihanchi #karate #tekki #shotokan #martialarts #kata #outofcomfortzone #karateka #sharpeningmindbodycharacter (at Rockhold Karate)