Taikyoku kata

[Karateka]

I find that these kata's can help to train on the basics of footwork and techniques for the beginners, especially those who have no footing in the martial arts themselves.

[Ripper]

I find that these kata's can help to train on the basics of footwork and techniques for the beginners, especially those who have no footing in the martial arts themselves.

That's what kihon is for.

[G95champ]

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.

[krunchyfrogg]

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?

 

I know it sounds strange, but yes, we start with Empi kata. I don't know the differences (if any) from the classic shotokan empi kata (this is the only dojo I've ever trained at), but others have said "in my old dojo, this wasa black belt kata."

 

Yandan and Godan start by opening up into a back stance, instead of a front stance like the other Taikyoko katas. On the offensive, you shift into a front stance and punch for hte head. The difference between Yandan and Godan is that in Godan, you do a front kick before the punch. They're very similar katas.

[G95champ]

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.

[aefibird]

Empi is a great kata, I love it. I'm not sure I would have liked to have tried to learn it when I was a white belt, though. lol, I had enough trouble with Kihon kata (Taikyoku Shodan) in my first couple of weeks of training!

[krunchyfrogg]

This sounds weird, but I went to the same dojo for about 2 years, and quit when I was 8 years old (20 years ago!).

 

The stepping part of those Taikyoko's came back in about a week or two's time.

[renketsu]

Wow... Empi for beginners!

 

I would have thought that Empi was a bad kata to teach to new students as the 'signature move' uses age tsuki (rising punch) and this is a big no-no at any other time... must be confusing to be asked to punch one way for basics and then another way for the kata you are learning! Not to mention the jumping spinning shuto... thats going to be fun for a beginner

 

I would say that kanku dai is a good kata to use if you are going to start with a 'higher' kata for white belts... good strong basics and would then make learning the Heians and others easier as the moves are already known.

 

We do Taikyoku Shodan (AKA Kihon kata) which I think is easier to teach than H1 to kids as its only two moves (block and punch) to cope with whilst trying those nightmarish spins! Never seen the other Taikyoku katas - cant imagine there is much to them as they were dropped by many Shotokan clubs

 

Aefibird - that Trad magazine the May one? or did I miss something from the April one?

 

Andy.

[aefibird]

Yeah, the article in Trad is the May issue.

Never seen the other Taikyoku katas - can't imagine there is much to them as they were dropped by many Shotokan clubs

 

Taikyoku Nidan is the same as Shodan, except it is Jodan rather than Chudan punch. Taikyoku Sandan has shuto-uke in back stance (instead of Gedan-barai in front stance), but still has Oi-tsuki in Zenkutsu-dachi, like in Taikyoku Shodan & Nidan. I've never seen Taikyoku Yondan or Godan (didn't even know they exsisted until someone mentioned them in this thread!).

 

I agree about the Age-tsuki in Empi - it's wierd to suddenly learn a kata with a punch like that after being taught to punch straight as a beginner. Ditto for the spinning jumping shuto - I had enough problems with that as a brown belt, let alone learning it as a white belt.

[renketsu]

Hmm... interesting, I think I have made these up already without knowing they existed

 

I have made students do kihon (Taikyoku Shodan) with mae geri before the oi tsuki and different level punches and even using shuto then nukite rather than gedan barai then oi tsuki...

 

We do some funky variations too... mirror, backwards, backwards mirror, stepping away (spinning the other way on all turns) - great fun

 

Andy.