| Kata. What is it? For anybody who has not studied | | | | Shodan" means "First Cause", "Gojushihosho" means |
| one of the classical styles of karate, taekwondo or | | | | "The First Fifty Four Steps", "Unsu" means "Cloud |
| kung fu this can be a very perplexing question. To | | | | Hands", "Gekisai Ichi" means "Break, Hit and Destroy", |
| answer the question I am going to assume that my | | | | "Suparimpai" means "The Final 108 Steps" and |
| readers have no understanding of the term "kata" at | | | | "Kururunfa" means " Holding Your Ground." |
| all. I know this is obviously not true. In fact, some | | | | Some other names of kata which I find personally |
| readers will undoubtedly have an equal or even | | | | rather enchanting are: Sanchin ( The Three Battles of |
| better knowledge of the subject than I do. However, | | | | Mind, Spirit and Body), Rohai (Vision of a White |
| I have found over the years that it is always better | | | | Heron), Empi (Flight of the Swallow), Matsukaze (The |
| when explaining to begin in a very basic way and | | | | King's Crown), Gankaku (Crane Standing on a Rock), |
| build up from there. | | | | Sochin (The Grand Prize) and Annanko (The Light |
| The word kata is of Japanese origin. There are similar | | | | Shining From the South). |
| words in the Chinese, Korean and other martial arts | | | | There are approximately fifty well-known karate |
| but I am going to use the word kata because that is | | | | kata currently being practiced today. Some are |
| what I am more familiar with and it will be easier for | | | | common between styles but some are unique to an |
| the sake of standardizing the explanation. | | | | individual style only. There are also differing methods |
| OK. What is a kata? A kata is a concise set of | | | | of performing a kata of the same name between |
| pre-arranged defensive and offensive movements | | | | different styles. Some very rare and lesser known |
| performed in different directions and enacted against | | | | kata are also practiced. Then, of course, there are |
| imaginary opponents. Many martial arts use kata as | | | | kata which certain modern day individuals have made |
| the foundation of their entire teaching structure. | | | | up as personal kata. Many traditionalists do not |
| The number of movements in a kata can be | | | | favour this. However, some styles demand the |
| relatively few or may be many. Some of the smaller | | | | construction of a kata before an individual is allowed |
| training kata for beginners may contain as little as ten | | | | to pass a particular rank. These are the "freestyle" |
| movements. However, they can also contain more | | | | clubs who borrow techniques and ideas from |
| than one hundred sequential techniques. It all depends | | | | everywhere and anywhere. |
| on the experience of the practitioner and his or her | | | | All of the kata that I have mentioned above are long |
| level of ability. Naturally, the more inexperienced the | | | | standing traditional kata which have been handed |
| person, the more simple will be the kata. For | | | | down from master to student through the ages. |
| example, the first Shotokan karate kata, called Kihon | | | | They have stood the test of time, some through |
| Kata (also known as Taikyoku Shodan), consists of | | | | mere decades, others through centuries. |
| only one stance, one block and one punch - all | | | | Before the excellent recording methods that we |
| performed in different directions. The Goju Ryu style | | | | have available today such as computers, videos and |
| of karate has a similar kata called Gekisai Ichi. | | | | books, each individual kata could only be replicated by |
| At the other end of the scale, in the Shotokan style, | | | | memory and rough drawings. This is the reason why |
| are kata such as Unsu and Gojushiho. Unsu is | | | | so many discrepancies exist. As each giver of |
| Shotokan's most senior kata. It contains | | | | information passed it on to his next disciple, subtle |
| approximately fifty movements. Gojushiho has two | | | | variations were made either through poor instruction, |
| versions, each of approximately seventy | | | | misunderstanding or deliberate alteration either by the |
| movements, depending on the criteria used for | | | | master or the student. Perhaps the master perceived |
| counting the actual number of movements. | | | | that the student was not ready for the full |
| Goju Ryu's most difficult katas are Suparimpai (the | | | | techniques of the kata. Perhaps the student believed |
| highest kata in the style) and Kururunfa. In fact, | | | | that he had found a better method of performing |
| some technical articles which have been written on | | | | certain techniques. Who knows? |
| the development of Goju Ryu have suggested that | | | | It is suffice to say that for whatever reason or |
| these two kata were originally one. With Suparimpai | | | | reasons, most kata are not performed exactly the |
| running to nearly 110 movements and Kururunfa to | | | | same between the different styles of karate. For |
| almost seventy, it is not difficult to understand why | | | | example, Shotokan, Yoseikan and Shito Ryu karate all |
| they could have been split into two. | | | | list the five Heian kata in their syllabus. However, all |
| In all the martial arts which use kata as their base, it | | | | are performed slightly differently. |
| is not only the number of movements which make a | | | | If these ancient kata were being devised today |
| kata difficult, it is the complexity of movements as | | | | there would be no reason for any discrepancies to |
| well. There are also subtle nuances such as timing, | | | | occur accidentally. Today we have thousands of |
| alternating speeds, tension and relaxation, angles of | | | | instructional video tapes depicting exactly the method |
| execution and varying difficulties of stance to name a | | | | used in each of the kata that are used in all the |
| few. | | | | various styles. |
| Most kata have rather exotic translations, many of | | | | For further information on karate kata please |
| which are obscure even to experienced martial | | | | proceed to Part Two... |
| artists. Of those mentioned above, "Taikyoku | | | | |