Which Kata Best Demonstrate the Core of your Practiced style

[RAM18]

Interesting discussion.

Quite a few people have said Kushanku / kanku Dai is representative of there style because its made up of the Pinan / Heinan series.

These series of kata are shared between many styles or karate so how does one kata define style when shared between many styles?

Is it not more accurate to say the performance of the kata in my style represents that style?

As said already its all a bit misleading as there is discussion that the pinan/heinan were changed to be more simplistic to teach to school children so they have no style.

Also as said already a kata can represent a whole style in itself.

Take Chinto/Gankaku as an example. The story for this is about a pirate washed up on the shores of japan stealing food from local farms. The local lord sends his best fighter to dispatch the pirate from the lands. The Pirate fights the lords champion and wins easily. In defeat the champion asked the pirate how he won and in exchange for a bed and food he would like to be taught by the pirate in his ways of combat. The pirate agreed. His name was Chinto.....the kata represents how he fights. hence the introduction of things like craine stance not previously seen in the lead up katas. Therefore it is chinto's style....not Wado Ryu's or Shotokans...

[pers]

Interesting discussion.

Quite a few people have said Kushanku / kanku Dai is representative of there style because its made up of the Pinan / Heinan series.

These series of kata are shared between many styles or karate so how does one kata define style when shared between many styles?

Is it not more accurate to say the performance of the kata in my style represents that style?

As said already its all a bit misleading as there is discussion that the pinan/heinan were changed to be more simplistic to teach to school children so they have no style.

Also as said already a kata can represent a whole style in itself.

Take Chinto/Gankaku as an example. The story for this is about a pirate washed up on the shores of japan stealing food from local farms. The local lord sends his best fighter to dispatch the pirate from the lands. The Pirate fights the lords champion and wins easily. In defeat the champion asked the pirate how he won and in exchange for a bed and food he would like to be taught by the pirate in his ways of combat. The pirate agreed. His name was Chinto.....the kata represents how he fights. hence the introduction of things like craine stance not previously seen in the lead up katas. Therefore it is chinto's style....not Wado Ryu's or Shotokans...

I want to name one kata but then I am sure someone would comeup and say but we do it as well !

The difference is in the way each school performs it acoarding to the way they perform their techniques ,kanku dai done in shotokan school is dffrent to kyokoshin or wadoryu .

[Spartacus Maximus]

The way I understand a core kata is one that is an identifying feature which can be used to demonstrate the roots of a system as well as its most recognizable features. As far as karate is concerned, all systems in existence today are developments from three original currents from Okinawa. These are Naha, the old merchant port, Shuri, the royal capital and Tomari the fishing port.

Naihanchi kata(tekki in Shotokan) is found in every system developed or heavily influenced by Shorin ryu, which in turn developed from martial arts taught in and around Shuri. In all these styles this kata is emphasized often. Shotokan's founder records spending some ten years on these before learning anything else. This is why Naihanchi is the first choice to come to mind for representing the Shorin styles.

Some systems such as kyokushin are more complicated because they include Shuri kata like the Pinan series as well as Naha kata like Sanchin. This is usually because the founder had influential teachers from different schools. This used to be quite common as the notion of style was not as clear cut as imagined by today's conception. Masters and students of different styles often shared and exchanged techniques.

[sensei8]

The way I understand a core kata is one that is an identifying feature which can be used to demonstrate the roots of a system as well as its most recognizable features. As far as karate is concerned, all systems in existence today are developments from three original currents from Okinawa. These are Naha, the old merchant port, Shuri, the royal capital and Tomari the fishing port.

Naihanchi kata(tekki in Shotokan) is found in every system developed or heavily influenced by Shorin ryu, which in turn developed from martial arts taught in and around Shuri. In all these styles this kata is emphasized often. Shotokan's founder records spending some ten years on these before learning anything else. This is why Naihanchi is the first choice to come to mind for representing the Shorin styles.

Some systems such as kyokushin are more complicated because they include Shuri kata like the Pinan series as well as Naha kata like Sanchin. This is usually because the founder had influential teachers from different schools. This used to be quite common as the notion of style was not as clear cut as imagined by today's conception. Masters and students of different styles often shared and exchanged techniques.

Solid post!!

[armanox]

What are the core kata of my style? They would be from the "koryu kata", if you will.

Passai (Sho, Dai, and Kopassai)

Kusanku (Sho, Dai, Chantanyara)

Gojushiho

Secondary (expansion on the core) would also come from that list:

Chinto

Jion

Unsu

Then I suppose the third level is more basic, rather then defining the style. They may be teaching basic techniques, stances, or conditioning; and it may be argued that makes them more important then tier one kata.

Kihon

Seisan

Pinan

Naihanchi

Tensho

Just my thoughts.

[DaveB]

Shotokan's core kata should be kanku dai, but one look at Shotokan fighters is enough to see that they don’t use kanku dai, not a back stance in sight.

"Traditional" Japanese Shotokan is almost exclusively based on Taikyoku shodan aka Kihon kata.

That is not a criticism mind; I think TS is a great kata, on a par with Sachin as a foundation.

[GojuRyu Bahrain]

I was taught, and mostly agree that both Sanchin and Tensho are the core of Goju. Sanchin being "Go" and Tensho being "Ju".

I'd say Sanchin and Tensho are the foundation for Goju Ryu, but those Kata fall short of representing the style, i.e., no Bunkai (in the sense of practical applications), extremely limited footwork etc.. I'm not saying they are not important (I practice esp. Sanchin 2-3 times every Goju Ryu training).

[shinobitribe]

I agree with others.. for Goju Ryu... I think Sanchin and Tensho are the core one's...

[ninjanurse]

In shotokan, more specifically ISKF, we currently have a curriculum of up to 26, perhaps more kata. 26 which I am aware of.

In the past, we had what is reffered to as "the original 15" which are

5 Heian

3 Tekki

Bassi dai

Kanku dai

Jion

Empi

Hangetsu

Jitte

Gankaku

(As well as the taikyoku and ten no series which many dojos and organizations have let go of completely)

In your personal opinion, in your own style/organization, which kata or group of kata, no matter how big or small make up the fundamentals of your practiced style? Which kata describe the basic most core? Which kata in your practiced style give pace to your own individual style?

In my opinion, shotokan's core can be found in...

Heian shodan

Tekki shodan

Bassai dai

Kanku dai

Jion

All the basics that are trained on a regular basis can be found within those kata, they are in my opinion the bare necessities of shotokan karate. This does not by any means take credit away from the other "original 15", it just means that shotokan would not be the same without the basics found within those 5 kata.

My personal favourites are, the 5 Heian. I am an absolute lover of the Heian series and I will practice at least 2 to warm up before beginning every training session. Kanku dai, because it is exhausting, and it always feels like a complete workout for me when executed with the utmost intention. Tekki shodan, because my kiba dachi sucks, and it challenges me appropriately. Empi because it suits my slim, short, swift body perfectly.

We teach a blended style of shotokan and JJ and teach only the following kata based on the importance of the basics:

Taikyoku Shodan

Heian Nidan

Heian Godan

Tekki Shodan

Kanku Dai

[Wado Heretic]

In terms of Kihongata; I would have to argue Naihanchi. How the hips and pelvis are used, and how the feet are set, and other bio-mechanical details, permeate all other kata in the syllabus.

Of kata which demonstrates combative concepts; I would have to say Aragaki-No-Sochin simply because it was Arakaki Hanshi's favourite kata, and how he performed it has had a very evident influence on his interpretation and teaching of all the other kata.

Were I to ask my students, they would probably say Naihanchi Shodan for similar reasons. I do have a habit of just getting close and hitting as hard as a can, at an awkward angle for my opponent, which a lot of Naihanchi can be interpreted as being intended for.