Karate

Menu:

Links:

Books:

Karate-Do: Traditional Training for All Styles

The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do: (Shorin-Ryu)

Kata Videos

What is Kata?:

Kata is a prearranged set of movements that embody a set of fundamental offensive and defensive techniques. Each kata focuses on a particular fighting style or strategy. This strategy is intertwined in the stances, direction changes, blocks, and strikes included in the kata.

Kata are taught and studied in "layers" beginning with the basic movements and stances and progressing toward intermediate and advanced movements. While kata may appear to be limited and simple demonstrations of rigid techniques to the untrained eye, studied properly they develop physical and mental attributes for a wide range of self-defense applications.

An example of the progression of kata study:

  • Layer one: The steps; Stances, Strikes, and Blocks
  • Layer two: The movements; Balance shifting, body shifting, speed, and power
  • Layer three: The applications; blocks that could be strikes, strikes that could be blocks, stance changes that could be throws, etc.
  • Layer four: Advanced applications; joint manipulations, pressure point applications, etc. "hidden" between the movements.


    • Proficiency in Karate-do is developed by merging one's natural instincts and physical attributes with physiologically efficient and effective technique. Kata is the means for developing efficient and effective technique by focusing on proper stance, balance, atemi (focus), and self-awareness in the context of self-defense applications. Through focused study and repetition, the karateka uses kata to master a particular fighting style or strategy. Once the karateka develops "muscle memory" for effective techniques, kumite (sparring) can be used as a tool to develop spacing, timing, and the fluid application of techniques. This is why kata is at the core of traditional Karate-do training and kumite is used only as supplemental training for advanced students.

    ** Note: Quicktime must be installed to view the online videos.

    Fukyugata I - II
    Fukyugata Ichi: Watch this Kata online
    Fukyugata Ni: Watch this Kata online

    Pinan I - V
    Pinan Shodan: Watch this Kata online
    Pinan Nidan: Watch this Kata online
    Pinan Sandan: Watch this Kata online
    Pinan Yondan: Watch this Kata online
    Pinan Godan: Watch this Kata online

    Naihanchi I - III
    Naihanchi Shodan: Watch this Kata online
    Naihanchi Nidan: Watch this Kata online
    Naihanchi Sandan: Watch this Kata online

    Ananku
    Ananku: Watch this Kata online

    Wankan (Okan)
    Wankan (Okan): Watch this Kata online

    Rohai
    Rohai: Watch this Kata online

    Wanshu
    Wanshu: Watch this Kata online

    Passai
    Passai: Watch this Kata online

    Gojushiho
    Gojushiho: Watch this Kata online

    Chinto
    Chinto: Watch this Kata online

    Kusanku
    Kusanku: Watch this Kata online

    Special Thanks to our karate family at www.matsubayashi-ryu.net for providing all of these great Kata Videos and which were made available with friendly permission of Sensei Jim Sindt (4. Dan Matsubayashi Shorin-Ryu Karate Do).