Category Archives: Kata

Motobu Sensei with Naihanchi

Decoding The Kata By Means Of Bunkai

Bunkai, Kata

In this article you will gain insight into the decoding of the kata using bunkai rules from experts. It is assumed that the kata and their deeper application are encrypted and were only passed on by masters to trustworthy students. This secret knowledge has been modified in such a way that many movements do not reveal their effective application. This means that when I see a kata, I only recognize the obvious and not the deeper meaning or fighting strategy.

Karate bunkai refers to the analysis and application of techniques and movements in karate kata. Kata are predetermined sequences of movements used in karate training to teach basic techniques, strategies and principles. Bunkai literally means “dissection” or “analysis” and refers to the process of understanding the movements in a kata and recognizing their practical application in real combat situations.

Through bunkai, karateka learn how to effectively apply the techniques from the kata in self-defense situations. It helps to understand the deeper principles and concepts behind the movements, which are often not obvious when practicing only the kata itself. Bunkai can be practiced in a variety of ways, including partner drills where the techniques are applied in controlled sparring situations.

The Bubishi is the Bible of Karate

Chojun Miyagi

  • Don’t let the embuse fool you.
  • Defense techniques include the attack, attack techniques include the defense.
  • There is only ever one opponent.
  • Every movement has a meaning.
  • The withdrawing hand always holds something.
  • Use the shortest route to your attacker.
  • Control the head and you control the opponent.
  • There are no blocks in the kata.
  • The kata shows the correct angle.
  • Touching your own body means touching your opponent.
  • Hard on soft and soft on hard.
  • There are no pauses.

Bill Burgar

  • Every movement in kata has a meaning.
  • Kata applications are always against realistic attacks.
  • There are always several applications for a kata movement.
  • The applications are usually only against 1 opponent.
  • There are no blocks in kata.
  • Every kata movement is an attack on vital points (Kyusho).
  • The withdrawing hand usually holds something (hikite).
  • Large turns are mostly throws

George A. Dillman

  • The kata must be interpreted against realistic attacks.
  • The kata does not contain any blocking techniques.
  • The kata is designed for practical applications throughout.
  • The kata contains important information for the applications.
  • The actual technique lies in the intermediate movement.
  • There is more than one correct application for each movement.
  • Each kata technique contains vital point attacks (Kyusho-Jitsu).

Lawrance Kane & Chris Wilder

  • There are always several applications for a technique.
  • Each technique must end the fight immediately.
  • Strike to disrupt, disrupt to strike.
  • Kyusho points are a bonus.
  • Use the adrenaline flow.
  • Maximum speed & power.
  • It must work even with an uncooperative partner.
  • 100% commitment – no half-hearted techniques.
  • If you’re not there, you can’t get hit.
  • Cross the T to escape.
  • Stances are not only important for kata.
  • Always use both hands.
  • Leverage is not a primary fighting technique.
Motobu Sensei with Naihanchi

Best Choki Motobu Quotes

Kata, Kumite, Special Reports

Motobu Chōki (1870 – 1944) was an Okinawan karate master and founder of Motobu-Ryu. He was born into a branch of the Ryukyuan royal family, and at the age of 12, he and his older brother Motobu Chōyū invited Ankō Itosu to learn karate. Chōyū was also a noted martial artist.

Motobu also studied karate under Sakuma, Matsumura Sōkon, and Kōsaku Matsumora. He excelled especially in kumite and was already known throughout Okinawa in his twenties. As he grew up, he came to be regarded as the best in Okinawa in terms of practical karate techniques. He is reported to have been very agile, which gained him the nickname Motobu no Saru (“Motobu the Monkey”). He distanced himself from the modernization trend in karate, focusing only on kata Naihanchi and concentrating on kumite practice.

Find more information about the basic kata Naihanchi-Tekki of Motobu-Ryu.

Kamae is in the heart, not a physical manifestation.

Everything is natural, and changing.

One does not have to take care to block every single attack by an oppenent with weak stricking power.

One must develop the ability to deflect an attack even from behind.

In a real confrontation, more than anything else one should strike to the face first, as this is the most effective.

Karate is Sente (Here, sente means the initiative, or the first move; Karate ni Sente Nashi – there is no first move in karate).

The position of the legs and hips in Naifuanchin no Kata (Naihanchi/Tekki) is the basics of karate.

Twisting to the left or right from the Naifuanchin stance will give you the stance used in a real confrontation. Twisting ones way of thinking about Naifuanchin left and right, the various meanings in each movement of the kata will also becom clear.

One must always try and block the attack at its soure (i.e. block not the attacking hand, but deeper on the arm).

The blocking hand must be able to become the attacking hand in an instant. Blocking with one hand then countering with the other is not true bujutsu. Real bujutsu presses forward and blocks and counters in the same motion.

One cannot use continuous attacks against true karate. That is because the blocks of true karate make it impossible for the oppenent to launch a second attack.

I still do not yet know the best way to punch the makiwara (note: this statement was made when Choki was over 60!).

It’s interestin, but when I just think about performing a kata, when I’m seated, I break a sweat.

When punching to the face, one must thrust as if punching through to the back of the head.

When fighting a boxer, it is better to go with his flow, and take up a rhythm with both of your hands.

It is necessary to drink alcohol and pursue other fun human activities. The art (i.e. karate) of someone who is too serious has no “flavor”.

It is OK to take two steps forward or back in the same kamae, but over three steps, one must change the position (facing) of their guard.

When I fought the foreign boxer in Kyoto, he was taller then me so I jumped up and punched him in the face. This is effective against people wo are taller than you.

I started having real fights at TsuJi when I was young, and fought over 100 of them, but I was never hit in the face.

Shorin Ryu Sign

Gojushiho (Shorin-Ryu)

Kata, ,

Maeshiro Morinobu 9. Dan Hanshi is performing the kata Gojushiho.

In some styles of karate, there are two versions of this kata – Gojūshiho Shō and Gojūshiho Dai. An advantage of the two versions of the kata is to better master the difficult techniques presented therein, but not without facing some confusion, for many sequences are the same and others only slightly different. Gojūshiho Shō and Gojūshiho Dai are two versions in Shotokan of the same, single Shōrin-ryū kata called Useishi (54) or Gojūshiho.

See also this Shotokan videos:

Wikipedia

Maeshiro Sensei
Maeshiro Sensei – Gojushiho – Shorin Ryu

Gojūshiho (五十四歩, lit. 54 steps) is a kata practiced in karate. Gojushiho was developed by Sokon Matsumura, one of the key founders of Okinawan martial arts and named it “Uesheishi”, which literally means 54 methods in Chinese. In some styles of karate, there are two versions of this kata – Gojūshiho Shō and Gojūshiho Dai. An advantage of the two versions of the kata is to better master the difficult techniques presented therein, but not without facing some confusion, for many sequences are the same and others only slightly different. The embusen of both Gojūshiho Shō and Gojūshiho Dai are nearly identical. Gojūshiho Shō begins straight off with a wide variety of advanced techniques and, as such, is highly recommended for study. Gojūshiho Dai consists of many advanced open-handed techniques and attacks to the collar-bone.

Gojushiho movement is quite similar with Aikido grappling technique in terms of flowing knife hand or “tate-shuto-uke” or vertical knife hand block. “Tate-shuto-uke” does not resemble other shuto uke which resemble as “block technique”. Rather it was throwing technique in “aiki-jujutsu”. Another “shuto” technique as “shuto-nagashi-uke” or “knife-hand-flowing-block” has become the unique characteristic of Gojushiho because of flowing movement which is not merely interpreted as “block”, but “throw”.

Gojūshiho Shō and Gojūshiho Dai are two versions in Shotokan of the Shōrin-ryū kata called Useishi (54) or Gojūshiho.

Old japanische Karate Movies

Keio University (Shotokan)

Kata,

This is a very rare video prepared for the 50th Anniversary of the Keio University Karate Club’s founding (placing it around 1974 – two years before Mr. Obata’s passing) by the club’s alumni association. Isao Obata was a direct student of Shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi and a founder of the Japan Karate Association (JKA). Master Obata was Master Kazumi Tabata’s teacher. This film was found among Master Tabata’s personal effects after his passing

0:00 Beginning
0:50 Tekki Shodan by Koji Saito
2:09 Tekki Nidan by Ichiro Yamamoto
3:34 Tekki Sandan by Keizo Yoshimura
5:48 Jutte by Isao Obata
7:37 Bassai-Dai by Kiyoshi Togawa
9:33 Kanku-Dai by Akiro Kondo
13:07 Enpi by Hakau Takahashi
14:24 Gankaku by Shinechi Kamei
17:34 Jion by Akioshi Iwamoto
19:43 Hangetsu by Isao Obata
23:22 Kanku-Sho by Koji Kuahara
25:34 Bassai-Sho by Mitsuru Ikeda
28:18 Gojushiho-Dai (Jyou) by Hiro Suzuki
30:30 Nijushiho by Fusajiro Takagi

0:00 Beginning
0:16 Shushi no Kon (Bo) by Koji Wada
1:27 Sakugawa no Kon (Bo) by Tetsuro Noguchi
3:55 Sai by Yoshiro Kadomatsu
6:22 Wankan by Tetsuo Yoshiwata
7:42 Meikyo (Rohai) by Yoshimi Kobetto
9:37 Gojushiho-Sho[Geh] by Ken Nishitani
12:05 Sanchin by Toshihisa Nagura
14:49 Sochin by Koji Wada
17:04 Kumo Te (Unsu) by Koji Kuahara
19:53 108 (Suparimpei) by Tetsuro Noguchi
23:39 Chinte by Toshihisa Nagura
25:37 Jiin by Kinichi Mashimo
27:05 Seienchin by Yoshiro Kadomatsu

Find here the modern versions of the present Shotokan Katas

Kusanku (Shinjinbukan)

Kata, ,

Kūsankū Dai – performed by Onaga Michiko Kanchō. Filmed at the 2005 Shinjinbukan Latvia Gasshuku. The roots of karate reach far back into the past, into the time of the Ryūkyū kingdom 500 years ago. At that time this secret martial art was called “Ti”. It was only accessible to selected circles and was passed on by masters over the generations. The Shinjinbukan School was founded on Okinawa (Japan) by Onaga Yoshimitsu Kaichō to preserve “Okinawa Ti”.

Continue reading Kusanku (Shinjinbukan) →

Bassai Dai (Shotokan-Shito)

Demonstration, Kata

This is a very interesting kata demonstration of the old kata Bassai Dai for Shotokan with the young girl Mahiro Takano and Shito-Ryu with Rika Usami. Both have a high level reached. We can see one karate family with her sisters, oss.