G95champ

Martial Arts means unarmed combat so in reality anyone who fights without weapons is a Martial Artist. However I do agree. I think there is a diffeance in Matial Arts and fighting. Both involve using your hand and feet in combat but one is a way of life and the other a result of not knowing how to live. (boy stepped on some toes there i bet) A true Martial Artist who studies his or her art and understands it will never be involved in a fight although they are very well trained in combat techinques. The fighter will be in a lot of fights reguardless if they win or lose they will never master the martial arts.

If you change the kata then you lose the meaning and the point they were teaching. IMO each kata in your given style teaches you something. Shotokan Gankanku - balance Empi - in and out shifting Tekki's - ground def If i change the kata then i may lose something that the founders put into my style thus making my style incomplete. You also lose you style. We have to have a base kata so i can say he is shotokan or she is tkd or they are tsd etc.

Learn to do it the hard way first so when you do it the simpler way you are much more effective.

welcome

welcome

Nothing wrong with playing with kata IMO espically for the purpose of turnments. However if you are going to TEACH I think you must have a set guidline and the kata should be taught as spelled out in your org. In Shotokan's case by Gichin Funakoshi in Karato Do Kyohan.

Same stance. The Fudo is nicknamed Sochin ONLY because that stance is done in the kata Sochin. The stance name is NOT Sochin but it is often refered to as so because thats one of the few times we do practice it.

Welcome

When we work one step sparring or semi free sparring and work our shifts to the side of attacks I find myself in Sochin. But like you said going up and down the floor we hardly ever work it. Unless we are going to work that kata then we may make a point of doing it but its not practiced that way. Same is true for Hangetsu stance, and Cat stance.

Ive been doing Shotkan for 11 years and have yet to learn it. That jump is going to be a trick. Unsu is a very advanced kata and IMO is prob the most difficult Shotokan has to offer. Best of luck.

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welcome to kf

Yeah the Sochin stance has another name sometimes called inmovable stance. Im not good with the Japanese so someone else can add it. I think the Sochin stance is one we use a lot just don't realize it. Such as when doing freestyle sparring. Some of us are up higher but we are NOT in a front stance as we practice basics. Both legs are bent and spaced so we can move. I think the Sochin stance is just the evolution of the front stance to teach us how to stand up and spar. Just as the Cat stance is to the Back stance. FYI I love Sochin kata.

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Its called a side snap kick when you hit with the blade we also do a a side thrust kick that hits with the bottom of the foot. However the purpose of a side snap kick is to get between rips. Its a defensive kick not use for great power but to shock someone or slow them down. Its not my fav. by far but its a very quick kick you can land pretty much anytime because its sneaky.

Cool Yes Empi is a very advanced black belt kata thats why I find it hard to believe you teach it to beginners. I always wondered what it would have been like to have studied a hard kata early on? Again Empi is a beautiful kata that takes a long time to get it down. I have only studied it a year or so myself and am far from being good at it but its a fun kata to preform.

I think they are very important kata because the high ranks can really go back to basics and work stance, hips, focus without worrying about screwing the kata up. At the same time beginners can learn a kata.

You start with EMPI??????? This is the same Empi in shotokan??? I find that hard to believe.... Empi is a very difficult kata for black belts muchless beginners. Stance shifting, balance, advanced combos, a jump, are you sure you mean Empi???? We usually don't teach Empi until somone has been a black belt for a few years. I have also never seen Yandon and Godan in the Taikoyku series how do they go?

Glad to see other people doing Wankan. LOL I like the kata a lot but its not well known.

Self-Defense - Ill go with Hangetsu block and counter combos in a more upright stance, also has some grasping moves and 3 strike combos at the end. For Show - Agreed Unsa is very nice. Kanku Sho has 2 nice jumps in it as well that can catch judges eyes. Both the Gojushisho kata also are pretty differant. I think with tourment you need something people have not seen before. Best for Both - Sochin - Block punch/ strike moves, Stance shifiting and just differant enough to make people say wow.

Yes I do. I am not teaching at this time but training under the Sensei of my former Sensei but when I taught I did teach and do both Nidan and Sandan every class espically with new students. In Shotokan you usually don't try and teach Heian Shodan until after the first month. I found that by going though all 3 Taikyoku kata you can get them involved in kata quicker and its makes Heian Shodan simpler to pick up when it comes that time. Also when I taught kids classes I used the 3 Taikyoku instead of the Heian Kata but we just added stripes to the white belt until I felt they were able to pick up Heian Shodan. It allowd young kids to feel like they were progressing. Because 6 year olds don't pick up as fast as say 10 year olds. So that worked well.

KM did or does Gankanku hurt your ankles??? It kills mine. I think its the turns you do on one foot like at the end. I don't know. I like the flow when I keep my balance its very pretty but dude it whips me lol.

No way a person can remember and do well 119 kata. LOL. Shotoakn has 26-29 depending on your association. We currently practice 19 every advanced class. My teacher has been in Shotokan for 30 years and is a 4th DAN and very good IMO. We are constantly correcting or fixing moves in kata. Not saying its not possilbe to train that many they maynot be very long but if they are anything like Shotokan kata there not very good. How do you keep them seperate????

KM - I like Gankanku but Gosh I suck at it. LOL.

Our Brown Belt Kata are Tekki Shodan Bassai Dai Jion Black Belt Kata Kanku Dai after that the order don't really matter. Sometimes we do replace Jion with Tekki Nidan or Hangetsu.