Kata Forms

Kata, which literally means form, is often described as a set sequence of karate moves
organized into a pre-arranged fight against imaginary opponents. The kata consists of kicks,
punches, sweeps, strikes, blocks, and throws. Karate Kata are executed as a specified series of a
variety of moves, with stepping and turning, while attempting to maintain perfect form. The kata
is not intended as a literal depiction of a mock fight, but as a display of transition and flow from
one posture and movement to another, teaching the student proper form and position, and
encouraging them to visualise different scenarios for the use of each motion and technique. There
are perhaps 100 kata across the various forms of karate, each with many minor variations. The
number of moves in a kata may be referred to in the name of the kata, e.g., Goj Shiho, which
means "54 steps." The number of moves may also have links with Buddhist spirituality. The
number 108 is significant in Buddhism & Hinduism, signifying the 108 ways the mind can
behave (Upanishads) and kata with 54, 36, or 27 moves (divisors of 108) are common. The
practitioner is generally counselled to visualize the enemy attacks, and his responses, as actually
occurring, and karateka are often told to "read" a kata, to explain the imagined events. Kata can
contain techniques beyond the superficially obvious ones. The study of the meaning of the
movements is referred to as the bunkai, meaning analysis, of the kata.
Shotokan Style is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin
Funakoshi. When Funakoshi was a young man, he enjoyed walking in solitude among the pine
trees which surrounded his home town of Shuri. After a long day teaching in the local school,
and then several more hours of strenuous karate practice, he would often walk up Mt. Torao and
meditate among the pine trees, under the stars and bright moon. In later life, Funakoshi explained
that the cool breeze which blew among the pines on Mt. Torao made the trees whisper like waves
breaking on the shore. Because he gained his greatest inspirations while walking among the
gently blowing pines trees, he chose the pen name of Shoto, or Pine Waves. During the late
1930s, Funakoshis students built a rather large Dojo for their teacher. Over the front door, one
of them mounted a wooden plaque that said Shotokan. In Japanese, the word Kan means
house or building, so Shotokan is literally Shotos House, or Shotos Place (or basically,
the Funakoshi Building). Funakoshis students never referred to the karate that they practiced as
Shotokan. Instead, they only used the word Karate or Karate-Do to refer to their art. It was
Japanese people outside of Funakoshis circle who referred to his system as Shotokan. Since
other instructors were naming their styles of karate things like Shito-Ryu, Wado-Ryu, or GojuRyu, it must have seemed strange that the other major style was just Karate, so they started
referring to it as Shotokan Karate. This basically amounts to The karate they do in the
Shotokan. This came to represent Funakoshis system of martial arts.
In Shotokan, kata is a performance or a demonstration, with every technique
potentially a killing blow (ikken hisatsu)while paying particular attention to form and timing

(rhythm). As the karateka grows older, more emphasis is placed on the health benefits of
practicing kata, promoting fitness while keeping the body soft, supple, and agile. Several
Shotokan groups have introduced kata from other styles into their training. The original
Shotokan kata syllabus is introduced in Funakoshi's book Karate-do Kyohan, which is the
Master Text of Shotokan karate. Dai Nihon Karate-do Shotokai is the official representative of
Shotokan karate. Japan Shotokai's kata syllabus is the same as established in "Karate-do
Kyohan" added Gigo Funakoshi's staff kata Matsukaze No Kon. When the JKA was
formed, Nakayama laid down 27 kata as the kata syllabus for this organisation. Even today,
thousands of Shotokan dojo only practice 26 of these 27 kata. The standard JKA kata
are: Taikyoku shodan (sometimes termed Kata Kihon or Kihon Kata, the name has been
discontinued in some Shotokan dojos), Heian shodan , Heian nidan , Heian sandan , Heian
yondan , Heian godan , Bassai dai , Jion , Enpi , Kanku dai , Hangetsu , Jitte , Gankaku , Tekki
shodan ,Tekki nidan , Tekki sandan , Nijshiho, Chinte, Schin , Meiky/Rhai ,Unsu , Bassai
sh , Kank sh , Wankan , Gojshiho sh , Gojshiho dai , and Ji'in.

Heian Shodan
The word Heian is a combination of Heiwan that means Peacefulness and Antei that
means Calmness. For this reason the meaning of the kata signifies a Peaceful Mind. The
name suggests that the student who has mastered the five Heian forms can be confident in his
ability to defend himself, and hence would be able to adopt a state of Peaceful Mind.
Heian shodan was adapted from older kata by Anko Itosu to make them more suitable for
young karateka, and is fundamentally one of the most important kata you study. Despite being
developed by Master Itosu. This kata, along with all of the Heian kata, have origins that lead
back to China, and these kata we practice today are based on the older training forms called
Channan. This kata focuses on being flexible, soft and slow with quick, sharp movements.
Taking roughly 40 seconds to perform, this kata contains 21 movements. To the beginning
student, this may feel difficult, but this kata lays the essential foundations for all Shotokan Katas.
Heian Shodan translates as Peaceful Mind level one. In many ways, the symbolic significance
of the Heian series represents the spirit and attitude that accompanies Karate-Do as a Martial
Art, so these five kata that make up the series are truly significant, both fundamentally and
philosophically.
This is the first "official" kata used at many Shotokan schools.

Written Instructions for Shotokan Karate Kata - Heian Shodan

Heian Shodan has 21 movements. This kata requires accurate Shotokan stances (dachi).
Ready stance - Yohi Dachi
Turn left 90 degrees, left front stance, left low (downward) block - Hidari Gedan Barai
Zen Kutsu Dachi
Step forward into right front stance, right middle lunge punch - Migi Oi Tsuki Zen Kutsu
Dachi

Turn right 180 degrees into right front stance, right low (downward) block, right arm
circles into a downward hammer fist - Migi Gedan Barai Zen Kutsu Dachi - Migi Tettsui
Uchi
Step forward into left front stance, left middle lunge punch - Hidari Oi Tsuki Zen Kutsu
Dachi
Turn left 90 degrees into left front stance, left low (downward) block - Hidari Gedan
Barai Zen Kutsu Dachi
Step forward into right front stance, right rising block - Migi Age Uke Zen Kutsu Dachi
Step forward into left front stance, left rising block - Hidari Age Uke Zen Kutsu Dachi
Step forward into right front stance, right rising block, yell Kiai - Migi Age Uke Zen
Kutsu Dachi Kiai
Turn left 270 degrees in left front stance, left low (downward) block - Hidari Gedan Barai
Zen Kutsu Dachi
Step forward into right front stance, right middle lunge punch - Migi Oi Tsuki Zen Kutsu
Dachi
Turn right 180 degrees into right front stance, right low (downward) block - Hidari Gedan
Barai Zen Kutsu Dachi
Step forward into left front stance, left middle lunge punch - Migi Oi Tsuki Zen Kutsu
Dachi
Turn left 90 degrees into left front stance, left low (downward) block - Hidari Gedan
Barai Zen Kutsu Dachi
Step forward into right forward stance, right middle lunge punch - Migi Oi Tsuki Zen
Kutsu Dachi
Step forward into left front stance, left middle lunge punch - Hidari Oi Tsuki Zen Kutsu
Dachi
Step forward into right forward stance, right middle lunge punch, yell Kiai - Migi Oi
Tsuki Zen Kutsu Dachi Kiai
Turn left 270 degrees into left front stance, left middle knife hand guarding block - Hidari
Shuto Uke Ko Kutsu Dachi
Turn right 45 degrees into right front stance, right middle knife hand guarding block Migi Shuto Uke Ko Kutsu Dachi
Turn right 135 degrees into right front stance, right middle knife hand guarding block Migi Shuto Uke Ko Kutsu Dachi
Turn left 45 degrees into left front stance, left middle knife hand guarding block - Hidari
Shuto Uke Ko Kutsu Dachi
Bring left foot back to right foot, return to ready stance - Yohi Dachi

Heian Nidan

This kata uses the same floor pattern as Heian Shodan, but utilizes a wider variety of
techniques. Some of the new techniques include the front kick, side kick, brace block, spear
hand, and uppercut. The complexity of Heian Nidan is much greater than the first two katas
taught in Chidokwan, and therefore hundreds of executions of the kata are required before a
student can become proficient.

Written Instructions for Shotokan Karate Kata - Heian Nidan

Heian Nidan has 26 movements. This kata requires accurate Shotokan
stances (dachi).
Ready stance
Turn left 90 degrees into left back stance, double forearm block
Right upper cut, left side punch
Turn right 180 degrees into right back stance, double forearm block
Left upper cut, right side punch
Turn right 90 degrees into crane stance, right back fist, right side kick
Turn left 180 degrees into left back stance, left middle knife hand guarding
block
Step forward into right back stance, right middle knife hand guarding block
Step forward into left back stance, left middle knife hand guarding block
Step forward into right front stance, right spear hand, yell Kiai
Turn left 270 degrees into left back stance, left middle knife hand guarding
block
Turn right 45 degrees into right back stance, right middle knife hand
guarding block
Turn 135 degrees into right back stance, right middle knife hand guarding
block
Turn left 45 degrees into left back stance, left middle knife hand guarding
block
Turn left 90 degrees into left front stance, right outside block
Turn right 45 degrees, right front kick, left middle punch
Left outside block, left front kick, right middle punch
Step forward into right front stance, double assisted forearm block
Turn left 270 degrees into left front stance, left low (downward) block
Turn right 45 degrees, step forward into right front stance, right rising block
Turn right 135 degrees into right front stance, right low (downward) block
Turn left 45 degrees into left front stance, left rising block, yell Kiai
Bring left foot back, return to ready stance