Friday, October 16, 2009

The 26 kata of JKA shotokan karate

From the information I have gathered the kata originate from the following Okinawan prefecture, The classification of shotokan kata presented here as Naha, Tomari and Shuri is not 100% correct since many of the sources I have visited disagree or list kata differently.

Tomari-Te kata - 35%
1. Gojushiho Dai, Gojushiho Sho
2. Enpi, Wankan, Meikyo
3. Jion, Ji'in, Jitte
4. Nijushiho

Naha-Te kata - 8%
1. Hangetsu
2. Gankaku


The rest are Shuri-Te kata - 57%


Kata name-------Meaning----------Originator---(Prefecture)

COLOR BELT KATA
shitei-gata

1.Heian Shodan-----Peaceful Way One----Yasutsune Itosu (Shuri-Te)


2.Heian Nidan---------Peaceful Way Two---------Yasutsune Itosu (Shuri-Te)


3.Heian Sandan-------Peaceful Way Three--------Yasutsune Itosu (shuri-te)


4.Heian Yondan-------Peaceful Way Four------Yasutsune Itosu (Shuri-Te)


5.Heian Godan--------Peaceful Way Five-----Yasutsune Itosu (Shuri-Te)


BROWN BELT

6.Tekki Shodan-------Iron Horse One-----Yasutsune Itosu (Shuri-Te)



SHODAN (1st dan black belt)
Sentei-gata

7.Bassai Dai----------To storm a fortress (dai=major)-----Peichin (Shuri-Te)


8.Kanku Dai---To view the sky (dai=major)---Kung Hsiang Chun (Shuri-Te)


9.Enpi----------------Flying swallow-----------Wang Ji (Tomari-Te)


10.Jion-------Named after the Chinese temple----???? (Tomari-Te)


FREE (ELECTIVE) KATA (advanced 2nd dan & above) Jiyu-gata

11.Sochin-----------Preserve Peace----------Yoshitaka Funakoshi (Shuri-Te)


12.Meikyo--------Mirror of the soul -------???? (Tomari-Te)


13.Ji'in------------Named after the saint---???? (Tomari-Te)


14.Gojushiho Dai--------54 steps-----------Yasutsune Itosu (Tomari-Te)


15.Jitte------Ten hands---------------------------???? (Tomari-Te)


16.Hangetsu-------Half Moon------------------Bushi Matsumura (Naha-Te)


17.Gankaku-------Crane on a rock-----------Bushi Matsumura (Naha-Te)


18.Tekki Nidan-------Iron Horse Two--------Yasutsune Itosu (Shuri-Te)


19.Tekki Sandan-----Iron Horse Three------Yasutsune Itosu (Shuri-Te)


20.Chinte-------------Incredible hands - ???? (Shuri-Te)


21.Bassai Sho--To penetrate a fortress (sho=minor)--Yasutsune Itosu (Shuri-Te)


22.Kanku Sho------To view the sky (sho=minor)----Yasutsune Itosu (Shuri-Te)


23.Nijushiho------24 steps-------------------Seisho Aragaki (Tomari-Te)

24.Unsu---------Hands of a cloud-----------Seisho Aragaki (Shuri-Te)

25.Wan kan-----Crown of a king-----------Gigo Funakoshi (Tomari-Te)


26.Gojushiho Sho-------54 steps----------Yasutsune Itosu (Tomari-Te)