Unique katas

[gronis]

I was wondering about what katas are unique to each style of Karate. Either completely unique or a version more than a little different from others.

What style do you practice and what unique katas do you have?

[Spartacus Maximus]

This is an interesting question and quite a challenging one. Considering that every single style of karate existing today are derived from either Goju-ryu, Shorin-ryu, it is really difficult to say.

In the best and most detailed resources on the subject, kata are always classified into Okinawan or Chinese origin, and then into Naha, Shuri or Tomari Te. Styles of a more direct Chinese origin or styles more recent might have a few kata not taught elsewhere.

Lastly, there are undoubtedly a great number of new "modern" kata created in the last few decades by founders of newer karate ryu ha. Coming up with something completely unique is a rarity and every style can easily be linked to its origin by examining the core kata.

Unfortunately, the style I train has nothing specially unique. Every single one of the kata are found in one form or another in many styles: naihanchi 1-3, pinan 1-5, passai dai/sho, kusanku dai/sho, chinto and gojushiho.

[JR 137]

This is an interesting question and quite a challenging one. Considering that every single style of karate existing today are derived from either Goju-ryu, Shorin-ryu, it is really difficult to say.

In the best and most detailed resources on the subject, kata are always classified into Okinawan or Chinese origin, and then into Naha, Shuri or Tomari Te. Styles of a more direct Chinese origin or styles more recent might have a few kata not taught elsewhere.

Lastly, there are undoubtedly a great number of new "modern" kata created in the last few decades by founders of newer karate ryu ha. Coming up with something completely unique is a rarity and every style can easily be linked to its origin by examining the core kata.

Unfortunately, the style I train has nothing specially unique. Every single one of the kata are found in one form or another in many styles: naihanchi 1-3, pinan 1-5, passai dai/sho, kusanku dai/sho, chinto and gojushiho.

Is Uechi Ryu based on Shorin Ryu? I've heard it's the most "Chinese" of the Okinawan schools. The most "mainstream" kata they do is Sanchin, but it's not like most others. I may be wrong, but I think that's the only kata they do that's not unique to them.

[JR 137]

Kyokushin and its offshoots have some kata that aren't done much, if at all outside of Kyokushin. They weren't developed by Mas Oyama either, so it's odd that virtually no one else does them...

Yantsu - said to be of Chinese origin, but that's about it. No one else that I know of does it.

Gekisai Sho - people assume Miyagi developed it because Gekisai Dai, but no Goju or any other sources that I've come across mention it. It's not Gekisai Dai ichi or ni. Again, no one else that I know of does it.

Tsuki No - one other non-Kyokushin school does it, but I can't remember who. Incorrectly (I think*) attributed to Tadashi Nakamura developing it. *I'll confirm this when I meet him again if the situation allows.

A lot of Kyokushin offshoots keep these kata. Being an offshoot, Seido does too. Yantsu is an advanced green belt kata, Tsuki No at brown belt, and Gekisai Sho at shodan. Kyokushin does each at one belt higher (I think).

If anyone's got some information on these katas' origins, I'm all ears.

[Spartacus Maximus]

To answer the question about Uechi-ryu: no, this style is one of the main schools of Okinawan karate but compared to Shorin-ryu and Goju-ryu it is not as old. It is closely related to Goju-ryu as it shares some of the core kata such as Sanchin.

Both styles seem to have the same Chinese origin and historical accounts strongly suggest a common source. Uechi-ryu has retained much of its Chinese characteristics and is almost more like a Chinese system taught by Okinawans than an Okinawan system with Chinese influence. Ryuei-ryu is another such style and most of the kata are not found anywhere else. This style was nameless for years and unknown outside Okinawa less than 15 years ago

[Kusotare]

I was wondering about what katas are unique to each style of Karate. Either completely unique or a version more than a little different from others.

What style do you practice and what unique katas do you have?

Whilst many kata practiced within the main styles of "traditional" karate share the same genus, I would argue that each Ryu-ha's version of the kata is unique.

Take Wado-ryu's Pinan Nidan for example, and compare it with Shotokan's equivalent (Heian Shodan) - to the casual observer they are very similar, however what's going on under the hood is completely different.

It's not so much what you are performing as part of the kata it is how and why.

K.

[sensei8]

I was wondering about what katas are unique to each style of Karate. Either completely unique or a version more than a little different from others.

What style do you practice and what unique katas do you have?

Whilst many kata practiced within the main styles of "traditional" karate share the same genus, I would argue that each Ryu-ha's version of the kata is unique.

Take Wado-ryu's Pinan Nidan for example, and compare it with Shotokan's equivalent (Heian Shodan) - to the casual observer they are very similar, however what's going on under the hood is completely different.

It's not so much what you are performing as part of the kata it is how and why.

K.

Solid post!!

I don't know of any unique Kata's within the Shindokan syllabus, and that's because, to us, our Kata's aren't unique, at all! We're an Okinawa style, therefore, we've the Pinan series, the Naifanchi series, and so on and so forth, yet, these aren't unique to us.

Being a believer in Kata and all of its attributes and the like, and the amount of cross training that I've done over the many years, I'm familiar, and that means I've learnt and studied them, with the different styles' Kata's in the hopes of opening up my eyes to the world outside of the Shindokan circle.

Very few, thus far, Kata's listed in this thread are unique to me, and that's because I've not yet had the privilege and/or the opportunity to have studied and learnt them.

So, to answer the OP question...Shindokan DOESN'T have any unique Kata's!!

[JR 137]

Seido has some unique kata, developed by Tadashi Nakamura (the founder). Kyu ranks learn Seido 1-4, and I believe Seido 5 is at 1st dan. The Seido kata have an upside down T embussen (path of steps) similar to Pinan 3-5, although instead of turning around and stepping forward back down the middle, you step straight backward with the techniques.

There are a few black belt kata, which I assume he has created as well

Seido Empi No Kata Dai and Sho - look nothing like Empi kata from Shotokan and the like

Koryu Gojushiho - Kind of resembles Gojushiho Sho and Dai, but probably only if someone said the name first

There are a few bo kata that are possibly his creation too.

I don't know if those black belt and bo kata are in fact his creation or not. I haven't learned them, so I'll hold off on asking him until I do.

[The Pred]

When i was younger I always had a hard time learning kata. Now that I'm older I find it much easier. Still not my cup of tea, but there are some many unique attacks one can get from them. One of my favorite is Mawashi ich and tensho

[sensei8]

To YOU, what makes a Kata seem unique?

Even in learning and training in Kata outside of the Shindokan circle, I don't find them unique at all, just other ways of movements. I don't think that the big jump towards the end of Unsu, which is NOT a Shindokan kata, wasn't unique, just different. However, my eyes lite up when I first saw it executed because I was awash of the many Oyo moments and possibilities that I'd discover over time.