What do you think is the most important kata to learn?

[Nidankid23]

I do beleive that they are all important for their various reasons. The Taikyoku series is important to develop basic fluidity of motion and footwork, and of course to develop one's basic skills. I agree that the Sanchin katas are also very important too, because they help to provide muscle strength and important breathing techniques. (But we all know deep in our hearts we want to say our highest kata )

[Sensei Rick]

tekki shodan, naihanchi, haifanchi, however you want to call it. REpresents my own training and therefor if I could only do one kata my whole life, that would be it. In my school I teach it upright as you may know it. Then it is taught against a wall Keeping you back on the wall, concentrating on the hand motions, and using the wall as a weapon. Then, I teach it on the ground as a grappling form. There is much bunkai in that kata. Doing it these three ways, will open your mind to more bunkai.

Another kata that will teach you how to fight is "ten no kata" This is a shotokan kata, but I have yet to find a shoto kan school that teaches it. It is in the back of karate do kyohon. You can do it ura and omote. Forward or backward. It is a series of blocks and counters. I like to teach this kata because mistakes can't be hidden. Do you know this kata? anyone?

[JWLuiza]

In terms of my school, Bassai Dai and Kanku Dai represent a catalog of all of our kata. They also create opportunities to work with timing and presentation.

[jaymac]

I do think the first kata that you learn (and in my style it is Heian Shodan) is the most important. It is from that first basic Kata that you learn to build from in order to do other kata well. It isn't my favorite Kata, but feel it is most important. I practice it quite often, and can still see where I can make improvements on it.

[jion]

Do you know this kata? anyone?

It's interesting that you teach Ten No Kata - something quite neglected but Shotokan to the bone - and yet you're looking at grappling in Tekki. Not that it's contradictory, but it's great seeing someone think outside the box and yet stay within limits.

[Co_Co]

i Beleve first and second kata is most inpotant and also the basics

[yamesu]

Sanchin and Tensho. (the "one hit one kill" kata)

Kanku is also sweet, as is Sepai.

Osu.

[Takeda Shingen]

Even the most simple basics contain all you need to know...the essence of technique. I don't know of anyone who has perfectd gedan barai...do you?

The prescient statement.

Osu.

TS

[Isshinryu_heart]

Seiuchin and Sanchin are good for concentration

For anyone in Isshinryu though, Sunsu because it's our own kata

[JWLuiza]

I'm going to play devil advocate here: I think that basic kata are not the kata you should strip your art down to... Like in Shotokan where Kanku and to a lesser extent Basai contain a catalog of ideas and principles of the art, you should pick those. However, Goju would have their own signature kata, etc. The goal of this question is to think: What is the best bang for my buck? Where can one put the most effort with the most return. In that case it probably should be a kata at the shodan level (where most karateka during the Meji era started learning the kata).

Of course you could always just pick the prettiest.