WJKA Canada

KATA

 

Kata or forms in karate provide a great way of self training. There are many kata in shotokan Karate but they vary from Organization to Organization The Shotokai have only 15 kata and are identical to the JKA format that have 26. There are of course more katas but many have been dropped by most Shotokan goups as they feel they are too basic. For instance the Taikyoku Kata seemed to be forgotten by most Karate dojos as they consider the   Heians which are a little more advanced to fill the need. There are others to be sure but they like the Taikyoku kata are falling by the wayside. Having said that the late master Asai has developed many new Kata that Shotokan organizations all over the world are starting to use. Many organizations from the JKA lineage discourage practicing kata outside the 26 that they endorse. However I think they forget the thoughts of Nakayama Masatoshi the head of the JKA stated. Nakayama Sensei stated there is nothing wrong from practicing a kata from anther style. Karate is Karate!

So what is the purpose of Karate? Everyone that has been in Karate for any length of time will have an opinion and like Facebook where if you want to start an argument post something, here is you want to start an argument post your opinion on Kata. I don’t wish to start and argument but I think Kata is excellent for developing your balance, breathing, distancing, control and timing. Of course there are many other advantages as well of which each instructor or person will have their own view.

There are many katas and unfortunately the documentation is lacking. In Okinawa where ultimately Shotokan Kata originates, albeit with influences from manly China there was no written documentation from the people that developed the kata. The kata was generally handed down from instructor to student. Also in those days the students were free to change the movements to fit their needs. Many people profess to know what the master who developed the kata had in mind however I disagree. We refer to the meaning of the Kata as Bunkai or what you are doing in the move. I don’t think anyone can say for sure. Of course many masters today can say it means this or that and as far as I’m concerned if it works so be it. However it may not be what the originator of the Kata had in mind. For instance Funakoshi Yoshitaka is credited for the Shotokan Kata called unsu. There are applications for this kata by many people however Funakoshi Yoshitaka stated in writing that the purpose of developing this Kata was to make an nice looking kata (Rob Redman 24 Fighting Chickens). Another development in the kata came as a result of tournaments. Previously the katas didn’t necessarily start and finish in the same place. However it is easier to judge a competitor at a tournament if the kata starts and finishes in the same place.