Shotokan Bo Kata

[Killer Miller]

The concept of of Shotokan Karate (Karate being the "art of empty hands" in our context), is that you must learn how to properly use your body prior to learning weapons. The body actions in many of our techniques/katas are designed for use with a weapon as an "extension" of the action/technique. However, it is studied/practiced without the use of the weapon. Karate is actually a trilogy of three primary Japanese arts (in the Japanese aspect that is) - Aikido to learn many of the defensive aspects of the arts, Karate to learn the offensive aspects of the art, and Kendo as a weapon extension of both of the other two arts. There are also other Japanese arts that could be applied as the weapon extension of the first two arts as well.

 

Mastering a lifetime of these three primary Japanese arts, you pretty much become Invincible in the non-modern sense of society...

 

- Killer -

[cathal]

Very interesting, thanks for the info.

[informer]

Tenryu no kon is a very popular beginner bo kata for many styles. As for Gekisai YES there is one Okinawa style of goju ryu who practices "Gekisai No Bo" and "Gekisai No Sai" the goju teachers name is Yagi Meitoku (who passed away in 2003) Now his 2 sons maintain the tradition, they are Yagi Meitatsu and Yagi Meitetsu.