kata interpretation

[A_mind_like_water]

can any one tell me what all the kattas mean? i know this is alot but can you tell me what the most famous one mean? i know that

 

bisidi- means "to storm a fortress or to breach a castle"

 

pinanedan- pinan means "little" & Nedan means "2nd"

 

i know what all the pinans mean

 

and thats about it really

 

sorry i've only really started to get into katas after seeing some of the seniour black belt performing some at our dojo (breathtakeing!)

 

before that i just seen it as something that i neede to do to pass a grading

[A_mind_like_water]

*gazes in amazment as the reply come flooding in*

 

well if no one gives a dam then at least tell me how to delete threads!

[SaiFightsMS]

Be patient you need to give people a chance to respond. And remember that not everyone checks in every day.

[Shorin Ryuu]

Here's something I've found on it...take its for what its worth. I've actually heard other interpretations than this as well, such as "sanchin" means three points (i.e. pressure points that you hit with the kata) or naihanchi means (the points of han chi, the creator of the kata) etc. This is what people say. Of course if I had the original Chinese characters for them, I could probably translate them...oh well, I don't.

 

Traditional Okinawan kata

 

Shuri-Te (Shorin school)

 

Ananko or Ananku – meaning “the light from the south” (distinctive use of Zenkutsu-dachi throughout most of the kata) (21 movements)

 

Chinto or Gankaku – meaning “crane on a rock” or “fighting to the east”

 

Gojushiho or Useishi – Amended Royal Okinawan Folk Dance meaning “54 steps” or “the phoenix”

 

Jitte or Jutte – meaning “ten hands” or “temple hands” (belonging traditionally to the Shorei not Shorin schools, known by its bold stances and heavy movements).

 

Jion or Jion Ji – meaning “temple sound” - named after a Buddhist temple in China

 

Kusanku or Kanku/Kwanku meaning “viewing the sky”

 

Naihanchi/Naifanchi or Tekki meaning “horse riding”

 

Nijushiho or Neiseishi – meaning “24 steps”

 

Passai/Patsai or Bassai – meaning “to storm or penetrate a fortress”

 

Pinan or Heian – meaning “the way of peace” – literally “great peace”

 

Sansu – created by Shimabuku for Isshin-Ryu

 

Sesan – meaning “13 hands” or “half-moon”

 

Sochin – meaning “the grand prize”

 

Unsu – meaning “cloud hands”

 

Naha-Te (Shorei school)

 

Kururumfa – meaning “seventeen” or “holding your ground”

 

Pechurin or Suparinpi – meaning “the final 108 hands”

 

Saipha or Saifa – meaning “the final breaking point”

 

Sanchin – meaning “three battles” (used in Isshin-Ryu)

 

Sanseryu – meaning “36 hands”

 

Seipai – meaning “18 hands”

 

Seienchin or Seiunchin – meaning “lull in the storm” or “storm within the calm” (used in Isshin-Ryu)

 

Shisoochin – meaning “fighting four monkeys”

 

Tensho – meaning change of grips” or “rotating palms”

 

Tomari-Te (combined into Shorin and Shorei)

 

Rohai or Meikyo – meaning “vision of a white heron”

 

Wanduan – named after Okinawan king

 

Wankuan/Wankan or Matsukaze – meaning “the king’s crown” or “pine tree wind”

 

Wanshu or Enpi – named after Chinese envoy who came to Okinawa in 1683

 

(Later, the following kata were added by the Oyadomari family lineage: Naihanchi Shodan, Naihanchi Nidan, Passai, Kusanku Sho, Kusanku Dai)

[SaiFightsMS]

Here are links to some sites with interpretations.

 

http://shitokai.org/meankata.html

 

http://www.24fightingchickens.com/shotokan/kata/11_katanames.html

 

http://www.chitoryu.ca/cottreau/kata.html

 

http://www.novruz.com/karate/kata_names.html

 

http://www.kyokushinnb.com/EngKatas.html

 

These links should get you started.

[A_mind_like_water]

thank's for the "elp" buddy, gave me Aloooot ta think about

[tommarker]

Some people maintain that the embusen (pattern drawn on the floor by the form) has a certain significance as well.

 

Jitte (10 hands), for example, could be said to make a + shaped embusen, which happens to be the chinese symbol for 10. Coincidence? I could see how this path could get ugly quickly (were patterns changed after being named, and thus the significance of the embusen lost, etc)

[24 Fighting Chickens]

Here are links to some sites with interpretations.

 

http://www.24fightingchickens.com/shotokan/kata/11_katanames.html

 

If you are in a hurry, you won't like that particular page on my web site. I would recommend instead that you read each one of the Shotokan Kata pages. I translated each of the names one at a time for each kata, and also gave historical names that are no longer used where appropriate.