Frequency of kicks in kata

[Spartacus Maximus]

Every karate style or ryuha includes 5 basic types of kick. Front, side, back, roundhouse and stomp. Out of all of these, only the front kick and stomp are included in kata with any regularity. In Shorin ryu and all its offshoots using the same kata, kicks are included in

Naihanchi 1 and 2: knee high stomps or leg sweeps.

Pinan 1 and 4: front kick.

Kusanku sho and dai: front kick

Chinto: front kick

Gojushiho: front kick

Is likely that Goju ryu and Uechi ryu have similar frequency patterns for kicks in kata. Maybe someone who trains can confirm it. What conclusions can one come up with as to the significance of this?

[JR 137]

Some systems do a front kick in Pinan 3 before the slide into kiba dachi in the middle on the way back, others don't (Kyokushin and offshoots mostly do it).

In some systems, Pinan 3 also ends with the right foot tapping the left knee like in Naihanchi, while throwing a left elbow across the body and chambering the right fist. Many systems do a lateral jump to the left instead. I think the jump is probably a more recent change to Funakoshi and Itosu's original.

Pinan 5 has an sweeping-like outside-in crescent kick that lands with a low block into kiba dachi (I guess it can be called/viewed as a kick, depending on bunkai).

[Nidan Melbourne]

For Goju-Ryu we have the following kata with any form of kick.

Taikyoku Kake Uke - Mae Geri (Front Kick)

Gekesai Dai Ich + Ni - Mae Geri (Front Kick) + Ashi Barai (Foot Sweep)

Saifa - Mae Geri, Hiza Geri (Knee Kick/Smash) + Ashi Barai

Seeiunchin - Ashi Barai

Sanseru - Tobi Mae Geri (Jumping Front Kick), Kansetsu Geri (Knee Joint Kick), Ashi Barai

Seisan - Ashi Barai, Kansetsu Geri, Sokuto Geri (Side Kick)

Seipai - Mae Geri, Ashi Barai

Kurunfa - Hiza Geri, Kansetsu Geri, Mae Geri,

Suparempei - Mae Geri, Mizuki Mae Geri* (Spinning Front Kick).

*Can't remember proper japanese name for it.

So basically we have nearly every major kata with a front kick, foot sweep or knee joint kick

[username19853]

I noticed this in Shorin Ryu! When I first started I wanted to learn how to kick really bad and didn't understand why I was doing Karate and barely doing any kicks.

Personally, I think kicks are more often than not ineffective in a self defense scenario. Not to mention Karatekas were all about ending fights quickly. A front kick to the groin or a stomp on the head after a quick takedown would end it pretty fast so you can get away.

As for the other variations, I could see them being useful against multiple opponents. A side kick or back kick to keep one of your attackers at bay while working on the other. otherwise, I only see the roundhouse and side kick used in tournaments for sport. I think the back kick is just one of those things to keep in the back of your head in case you're ever in a situation where you could use it.

If I said anything wrong, I apologize. Just wanted to share my opinion, even though it wasn't a direct response to your question 😁

[mushybees]

I speaks to me of the effectiveness of "simple", low kicks in self defence.

There's a thread over on a wado forum called allwado where they are discussing the difference between the ubiquitous modern mawashi geri as found in competition and that done by earlier karateka. Quite interesting.

[Wastelander]

There are a lot of implied kicks in kata, but yes, explicit kicks are few and far between. In Shorin-Ryu, as you noted, we mostly only have front kicks and stomps, although my style also has a crescent kick in Passai Dai, and back kicks in Kusanku Dai, and some styles include side kicks.

Roundhouse kicks are really the odd man out. Old-school karate really didn't rely too much on kicking, to begin with, unless it was low-line kicks to damage the legs, or kicks to vulnerable targets that were made to be low and open. Roundhouse kicks tend to be attrition techniques, that work best to slow and damage your opponent during a long, drawn-out confrontation. That isn't really what karate was going for. Additionally, you need more distance to use a roundhouse kick. Sure, if you get a good hit to the liver, spleen, solar plexus, or head, you can put them down, with a roundhouse kick, but when you're already engaging at nearly-clinching-range, there isn't much space to throw a roundhouse kick. Kicks to the knees, on the other hand, will work just fine!

[sensei8]

That is, if a kick is an actual kick at all!!

[JR 137]

That is, if a kick is an actual kick at all!!

A kick is just a kick, a punch is just a punch.

[sensei8]

That is, if a kick is an actual kick at all!!

A kick is just a kick, a punch is just a punch.

Not always, my friend, not always. But, I do get what you're saying.

[JR 137]

Pinan 4 also has 2 side kicks (one on each side on the way up), and a knee kick (last count on the way back).

Pinan 2 (perhaps your Pinan 1) also has a side kick (before going up the middle).