ajayfieldhouse

Hi G95champ, I am a 6th dan in Shotokan karate and have been training for over 35 years. In that time I have trained with some of the "greats" of our style whose knowledge has rubbed off on me, (not to mention all the bumps and bruises!!) If I can help you in any way or you just want to talk, just let me know through the forum and we can go from there.

Traditionally, ALL kata should start and finish on the same line of the embusen. If you watch the Kanazawa video of 26 Shotokan kata, he has an X marked as the start/finish point of the kata, and he ALWAYS finishes on this point.

The link above is now defunct. Try this link instead: https://www.keithgeyerkarate.com for all 26 Shotokan kata.

Didn't realise you were in America!! Anyway, for martial arts supplies, you can try Asian World of Martial Arts -visit: https://www.awma.com (they are in philadelphia) and for books and stuff you might like to try Black belt magazine (I am looking through an issue as I type this and they seem to havea good assortment of martial arts books & videos etc.) visit; https://www.blackbeltmag.com Hope this helps

Many apologies. The actual title of the books by Nakayama Sensei I was referring to is: Karate Kata-Heian 1, Heian 2 etc. Yuo could also try the series of books by Vince Morris & Aidan Trimble. They are well worth a look. For a very good supplier of martial arts books etc. visit: https://www.monabooks.com.

You might want to try the "Best Karate" series of books by Masatoshi Nakayama. They are very informative. or for a more recent study of practical kata bunkai, try "Bunkai Jutsu" by Iain Abernethy. All very good books and full of bunkai.

I would have to say I agree with you on this. There are many fine non JKA schools in existence today. The SKIF springs to mind immediately, and although Shihan Kanazawa was and is, still linked to the JKA, I know that he has done his own "thing" for quite a few years.

Try this website, https://www.karate-shotokan-kata.com. I think you will find it very useful. There are some bunkai on there too. Enjoy!

karate Kid, you want some help with Heian Shodan? Firstly, don't be too concerned about over long stances. They are uncomfortable and impractical. If you take a look at the J.K.A. and their stances, you will see what I mean. The front knee should be flexed slightly over the front foot. This makes forward/rearward motion much easier. The toes should be turned in slightly while the knee is pushed out. This makes a very strong stance. The back leg should not be extended too long, but should be firm and straight with the back foot pointing as much forward as is possible. Also, the stance should be AT LEAST as wide as your hips. This creates stability. But probably the single most important feature of any stance is posture. it is very easy , while trying to remember everything you should be doing to forget about posture. An easy way to remember is "always keep your nose behind your belt knot" as my instructor was fond of saying, and he was right! But don't fall into the trap of making your stances too short! You might also want to try grouping your kata movements together. What I mean is if you do the opening two moves without pause, then turn and do the next three again without pause, then turn left into gedan barai as a single move followed by the three stepping pinches in their usual sequence i.e. first one strong and deep, followed by the next two a little lighter but faster and so on. You may find new bunkai becoming apparent too! Remember, karate, especially kata practice, should be like a series of explosions. If you look at Heian Sandan for example, where you have done the three crescent, elbow, backfist combinations there then follows a slow opening of the right hand followed by a rapid step and punch. If, as you open your right hand, (adding power as you do so) you imagine you are winding up a spring really tight, and when you step and punch you suddenly release it, that is the feeling you should be aiming for. Try it like that and you will see what I mean. Finally, don't forget your breathing. generally, inhale on the preparation and exhale on the exertion. Hope this helps. Remember, train hard, fight easy!!