Kihon Ippon Kumite can be literally translated as Basic One Sparring, but is most often understood as Basic One-step Sparring. It is found in the various Shotokan karate syllabi after the study of Kihon Gohon Kumite (Basic Five-step Sparring) and Kihon Sanbon Kumite (Basic Three-step Sparring). Students may begin practice as a white belt but basic one-step sparring becomes a focus in intermediate belt (kyu) grades.
The video stars Hirokazu Kanazawa, a Shotokan karate master and arguably the most famous and capable master from this tradition. He is famous for various reasons but he is one of only a few people left alive now who were fortunate enough to train with the founder of Shotokan, Master Funakoshi. Master Kanazawa was instrumental in spreading Shotokan around the world (and, with it, karate in general) as a graduate from the famous JKA Instructor's Course. In 1977 Kanazawa sensei left the JKA and formed the Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (SKIF) and he remains active today teaching throughout the world.
Kihon Ippon Kumite
