Shotokan Karate

Shotokan karate is the original Japanese version of karate. It was introduced to the mainland of Japan in the early twentieth century from Okinawa under the guise of Shorin ryu. The main progenitor was Gichin Funakoshi, a former Okinawan schoolteacher and descendant of a minor official. On the mainland kendo and judo were becoming more popular, particularly among students, and Funakoshi recognized that it would be beneficial to the promulgation of his art if certain aspects of these two specifically Japanese systems were adopted. Thus a kyu and dan grading method, reflected in the wearing of different colored belts came to be introduced. Other changes came to be made over the years to the technique and training method and so the karate of Okinawa became the karate of mainland Japan. For instance, the reading of the kanji for the kara of karate was changed from 'China' (thus from the meaning ‘China hand’) to ‘empty’ (or ‘empty hand’). Such developments were recognized in 1936 with the opening of a new dojo, the Shoto kan, Shoto being the pen name Funakoshi used to sign his poetry and kan simply means 'hall'. A new style had been publicly created and acknowledged: Shotokan karate.

Gichin Funakoshi and Shotokan Karate

Initially it was the upper classes of Japanese society that were attracted to this art but it was in the universities in the 1930s that it achieved increasingly widespread popularity.

As war in the pacific approached and finally broke out more and more youngsters, destined for the front lines, trained and the technique became harsh and simple. In the months before Japan’s surrender more women and children took up training, victims of propaganda that told of an imminent and bloody allied invasion. In the years after the war Shotokan karate became more and more popular. Edicts introduced by General MacArthur prevented the practice of traditional martial arts, yet karate was recognized as a form of boxing and was able to thrive. Towards the end his life Funakoshi oversaw the tuition of American pilots in his art, useful for them if they were shot down behind enemy lines. As Americans and others of different nationalities became more accepted in post war Japan dojo opened their doors and anybody of sufficient character was admitted to the training halls. In the years following, instructors of the highest caliber, representing Shotokan karate, were sent from Japan throughout the world to further popularize the art. Most are still healthy and involved in the art on an international level in contemporary society.

Today Gichin Funakoshi is popularly referred to as being the Father of Japanese karate.

Shotokan is a mostly linear style of karate. Central to its combat ethos is the idea of ikken hissatsu – to kill with one blow. The exponent of Shotokan is inclined to concentrate his power in ending the fight with a single powerful technique rather than making use of fast combinations. He is adept at using his fists and legs to make these attacks, this power enhanced by his knowledge of weak points in the human body that can be struck to maximize damage. Practitioners study a variety of kata as they progress through higher kyu and dan grades, these kata containing the ‘secrets’ of the art. Students of this art may also strike a makiwara, a flexible wooden pole wrapped with straw at its topmost edge, to develop strength, balance and power. Nowadays, even in Japan, the use of a makiwara has been mostly replaced with the use of punch bags which are less damaging to the limbs.

Unsu

Unsu is both the hardest and most visually impressive among all the Shotokan forms. The name means 'cloud hands' and it contains many intricate techniques that build on other more advanced kata. In particular the pattern is unique in teaching the concept of fighting from the ground.

Although the kata is thought to be of Chinese origin, and most likely from the Dragon kung fu style, no other information is currently available.

Master Kanazawa performing Unsu

Wankan

Not a lot is known about Wankan. It originates from the Tomari te stream and is of Chinese origin, but when it was introduced to Okinawa and by whom is unknown.

The form is short, but difficult to perform well. One suggested reason for the comparative brevity of this kata is that it is only a part of a much longer one, now lost. The name means 'King's Crown' and it is notable for the use of neko ashi dachi (cat stance), which itself is for close quarters combat. The kata also includes some interesting trapping techniques from 00:29 - 00:41 which, along with the final 'double punch' technique reinforce the idea that when combined with the longer range techniques, the overall form was intended to teach the concept of closing the distance from long range into trapping range. (Please refer to my review of Four Shades of Black for more information on a conceptual approach to the understanding of kata).

Master Kanawaza performing Wankan

Gojushiho Sho

Gojushiho Sho is the minor (Sho) version of Gojushiho, as compared to the Dai (major) version. The pattern of movement described on the floor in both forms is very similar and in some cases some combinations of techniques are almost identical. Both kata require tremendous skill and stamina to perform well, but whereas the Dai version is somewhat lighter, the Sho version is seen as being heavier with a greater emphasis on the practitioner becoming rooted to the floor and drawing power upwards. The form blends slow, purposeful techniques with bursts of speed and is a beautiful form to watch when performed by an expert. It is believed that both the Dai and Sho versions provided Itosu sensei with some of the basic techniques that appear in the Pinan / Heian series, along with movements taken from Kanku Dai and the elusive Channan kata.

The kata makes extensive use of neko ashi dachi (cat stance), a stance that was replaced in elementary level forms by the back stance. Cat stance is an excellent defensive posture to take while evading an incoming attack. It allows you to concentrate your weight on the supporting foot before launching forward to make an attack. In this sense, it is far more effective than a back stance.

Master Kanazawa performing Gojushiho Sho

Gojushiho Dai

Gojushiho Dai is one of two types of this kata - the Dai (Major) and Sho (Minor) versions. Both trace their origins back to Useishi, which also means 'fifty four (Go is five, ju is ten and shi is four, or 5 x 10 + 4 = 54). It seems that the form was known for a short time at least as Hotaku (Woodpecker) but that name, used by Funakoshi sensei, was another that didn't stick so the kata went with a different name but with the same meaning as the original. The name again suggests some influence at least of Buddhism, with 54 being half of the 108 'Defilements' in Buddhist philosophy, though I would argue that these numbers have a far older pedigree than an association with Buddhism would suggest (see also Nijushiho for a longer explanation).

There is an interesting and amusing story that in the JKA syllabus the Dai and Sho versions are reversed. This is due to a high ranking Japanese karateka announcing at an international competition that he would do one kata before promptly doing the other. So as not to embarrass him the Japanese created the fiction that he was in fact correct by uniformly changing the names to refer to the sister kata. Thus Gojushiho Dai became Gojushiho Sho and vice versa. Kanazawa sensei (featured in the video below) was of higher rank and refused to follow suite. The Gojushiho Dai demonstrated below is therefore consistent with the original.

Master Kanazawa performing Gojushiho Dai

Kanku Sho

Kanku Sho is another creation from Itosu sensei inspired by the older Kanku Dai. Like other forms from Itosu, this form is built on 'basic' techniques and combinations while introducing more advanced techniques to complement what the karateka has already studied.

Like Bassai Sho the practitioner is apparently introduced to the concept of weapons defense (at 1:05). The kata also includes a 'sky viewing moment' at 1:23. This reverses the opening movement of Kanku Dai where the practitioner looks ahead; in this form the karateka is looking behind him.

This pattern is popular in competitions owing to its dynamic nature.

Master Kanazawa performing Kanku Sho

Bassai Sho

Bassai Sho is the younger sibling to the original Bassai Dai. Created by Itosu sensei the form is less forceful than the 'dai' version. It was brought to mainland Japan by Funakoshi sensei who changed the name from the Okinawan Passai to Bassai.

As with other Itosu kata this version introduces specific new movements (and through them, new concepts) that build on the existing catalog of techniques. Many of the movements are in fact 'basic' but they are presented in combination with other unique waza that is not seen elsewhere. In this case, one of the most notable introductions is an empty-hand defense against a bo (staff). In keeping with Shotokan fundamentals, the defense requires the practitioner to seize the initiative when threatened directly and to use economy of motion.

Master Kanazawa performing Bassai Sho

Nijushiho

Nijushiho is yet another kata that Funakoshi sensei changed the name of from the original Niseishi. In this case the new name stuck, though both words mean 'twenty-four' and describe the number of movements (not techniques) in the form. This number is reported to relate to the number 108, which is important in Buddhism as it represents the number of afflictions to the soul, as 108 can be divided by both '2' and '4' (though not 24 itself). I would go further than this however and suggest that the number 24 is related to the precession of the equinoxes, the prime number of which is 72 which indicates the number of years it takes the earth to 'wobble' one degree (24 x 3 = 72). The number 108 is itself first and foremost a precessional number (72 + 36 = 108) and had significance a long time before Buddhism emerged. The number 108 is found in various martial arts, such as in the 108 moves of the wing chun kung fu wooden dummy form.

This form entered the Shotokan syllabus via Master Nakayama, Funakoshi sensei's successor. He learned it from the Shito ryu master Kenwa Mabuni (along with Gojushiho). This kata does not appear therefore in Karate Do Kyohan and was a later addition.

Some hold that the pattern was created by Aragaki sensei (1840-1920) while Patrick McCarthy notes that it is used in an least one school of Fujian Crane kung fu. What does seem credible is that the Okinawan version of this kata was created by Aragaki sensei, though who he learned the original from is unknown. Aragaki sensei is also said to have been the source of the kata Sanchin, Seisan and Sochin and was a teacher of Mabuni sensei (Shito ryu) and Kanryo Higaonna (Goju ryu).

Anko Azato is also known to have performed a version of this kata which is less linear. What is strange is that Funakoshi sensei studied with Azato sensei but didn't apparently learn this form from him or, if he did, he didn't teach it. Shotokan employs the more linear version from the Aragaki line. Historian Harry Cook speculates that Funakoshi may have studied this kata and then later forgotten it.

Master Kanazawa performing Nijushiho

Meikyo

Meikyo was originally called Rohai and was developed by Kosaku Matsumora in the Tomari te tradition. Itosu sensei then took the core form and developed three variations. These three kata can still be seen today but in Shotokan Funakoshi sensei took the three patterns of Itosu sensei and reversed his master's creation process, distilling the three forms into one again (though this is vastly different to the original developed by Matsumora sensei and in fact is almost unrecognizable as having developed from a common kata when compared to the Shito ryu and Wado ryu versions of Rohai. It should also be mentioned that the Shito and Wado versions also differ from one another).

Funakoshi sensei also took this chance to rename the kata Meikyo, which means 'bright mirror' and is said to refer to the need to constantly polish one's basic techniques even when learning more advanced waza. The form blends movements that are unique with others that are the most fundamental to Shotokan.

Following Kanazawa sensei you can see Funakoshi sensei himself doing the form way back in 1924.

Master Kanazawa performing Meikyo

Sochin

Sochin came down to the Shotokan syllabus from Seisho Arakaki, a Naha te master. Unusually though it was not introduced by Funakoshi sensei but by his son, Yoshitaka 'Gigo' Funakoshi, a man many people believe to have played a key part in deepening the stances of Shotokan and making it more dynamic and 'harder' in style as compared to its Okinawan roots. Still, this was another kata that Funakoshi sensei tried to change the name for mainland Japanese, and this time he succeeded. Formerly the pattern was called Hakko.

This form itself is a very powerful kata. The name means 'Tranquil Force' and the pattern promotes the use of a wide, deep, powerful stance that roots the practitioner to the ground making him supposedly immovable in the face of danger.

Master Kanazawa performing Sochin

Hangetsu

Hangetsu means 'Half moon' though originally it was known as Seisan. In its variations it is the most widely practiced form across all the different karate styles. The opening movements, and moreso the breathing and pelvic movements, closely resemble Sanchin, though this form switches to swifter, lighter techniques towards the end.

The kata introduces a stance suitable for close quarters fighting and the look and feel of the first half of the form are distinctly 'un-Shotokan'. However, the pattern has a strong pedigree and it is known that it was being taught by Seisho Aragaki by 1867. This kata or, more precisely the Uechi ryu version of Seisan is what led author Nathan Johnson to the conclusion that it was originally intended to be a sai form but came to be performed without the actual weapons. This is covered in the book The Great Karate Myth.

Master Kanazawa performing Hangetsu

Gankaku

Gankaku was originally named Chinto, supposedly after a shipwrecked Chinese sailor trapped on Okinawa who taught it to 'Bushi' Matsumura. Funakoshi sensei again changed the name for his mainland Japanese audience with the new name meaning 'Crane on a Rock', so-called because of the distinctive one-legged stance employed at different points. The form may have its origins in Five Ancestors Fist, a type of kung fu popular in Southern China and which includes a form named Chen Tou, which is pronounced Chinto in Japanese. Movement #10 (at 0:37) is highly reminiscent of Crane style kung fu poses, though this is much clearer in the original Okinawan versions where the same move is executed in a cat stance rather than a front stance. The kata also continually returns to the theme of taking a stance balanced on one-leg, again highly reminiscent of a crane and a (slight) variation of a stance found in Crane kung fu.

The kata was practiced in both the Tomari te and Shuri te schools before it came down to Funakoshi sensei and entered the Shotokan syllabus. Here the form was modified and became more linear. It is a difficult kata to perform well and a popular choice in competition.

Master Kanazawa performing Gankaku

Enpi

Enpi is sometimes also written and spoken as Empi. The name can be literally translated as 'Flying Swallow', though the original name of the form was Wansu. This was another kata that had its name changed by Funakoshi sensei when karate came to mainland Japan, though in this case the name change stuck.

It is believed that the kata can trace its origins in Chinese martial arts, from which it entered the Tomari te system. The predominant theory on its development is that it was a kata practiced and taught by the Chinese diplomat Wang Ji, known as Wanshu in Okinawa, who arrived in Tomari in 1683. Wang Ji practiced Fujian White Crane kung fu and taught connections in the Tomari area. It came to Funakoshi sensei via Itosu sensei.

Older versions of Wansu / Wanshu are almost unrecognizable when compared to the Shotokan version, though there are some more recent interpretations - such as the version found in Wado ryu - that are somewhere between the more traditional Okinawan versions and the more recent Japanese ones. Certainly the Shotokan kata makes greater use of pauses and slowed movements but suffers from being less complex and nuanced than those forms seen in pure Okinawan styles.

Master Kanazawa performing Enpi

Chinte

Chinte supposedly traces its origins back to Chinese martial arts though when it precisely entered into Okinawan karate is unknown. The form is an unusual one in the Shotokan syllabus as it continues to employ more circular movements, thereby indicating that it escaped, at least to an extent, the simplification process carried out by Itosu sensei and Funakoshi sensei that make many traditional kata more linear and direct and shaped the development of Shotokan as we know it today.

Funakoshi sensei also tried to change the name of this kata once in Japan to Shoin but the new name never caught on. The original name literally means 'Strange hands' and the pattern emphasizes hand movements above all else, employing a wide variety of different strikes to weak (pressure) points on the opponent. The kata emphasizes close-quarters-no-rules combat and is a very useful and interesting one to learn from the point of view of investigating karate as a pure martial art.

The final stages of the kata are a little confusing as they involve the practitioner hopping back to his original starting point. Precisely why this is done is unknown though one suggestion is that the original closing movements have been forgotten and lost and the hops simply return the karateka back to his original starting position, thereby making everything 'neat and tidy' as all the other forms begin and end in the same position.

The kata was not one of those described in Karate Do Kyohan.

Master Kanazawa performing Chinte

Jitte

Jitte is the third 'temple' kata (along with Jion and Jiin). The original name was Jutte, meaning 'ten' (ju) 'hands' (te) but is most commonly referred to nowadays as Jitte though the meaning of 'Ten Hands' has remained. Funakoshi sensei tells us that the name implies that a person skilled in this form is as competent in fighting as ten men. The kata comes down to us through the Tomari te stream and is believed to have its origins in China, though clearly more Okinawan style movements have either been added or have replaced whatever was there originally. The pattern does however start with the distinctive left hand covering the clenched right fist.

The most common bunkai interpretation of the movements that are unique to this kata is that it is to be used against a bo (staff) wielding opponent but it has also been argued that in fact the kata was originally intended to practice bo techniques in an empty-handed fashion. In other words, certain of the movements are best understood if the practitioner actually himself held a bo. That at least some of the older kata of various styles were (arguably) intended to represent movements with actual weapons has been picked up on by Nathan J. Johnson in his book The Great Karate Myth. Of particular interest are the opening movements. According to Nathan Johnson, who examines Sanchin and Seisan (Hangetsu in Shotokan), the hand movements replicate how a pair of sai would have been held. This is more clearly seen in Seisan but, Johnson argues, these movements have been replicated and modified in Sanchin so that the lower hand is now palm down rather than palm up - as seen in movement #2 in the video below. Of further interest here is that the name of the kata is also the name of a weapon very similar to the sai except it has only one prong (for catching and controlling another weapon) whereas the sai has two prongs.

Master Kanazawa performing Jitte

Jion

Jion is another kata from the Itosu line, taught to him by 'Bushi' Matsumura and then passed in turn from Itosu sensei to Funakoshi sensei. It is believed that the form has its origins in China but was modified, as many patterns were, by Itosu and this more-linear version is the one that has come down to us through the Shotokan school.

The kata begins from a stance with the left hand covering the right fist, indicating a Chinese origin and, more specific to Okinawa, a Tomari te root. This stance is seen in other forms such as Bassai Dai and demonstrates a common place of origin.

The exact meaning of the name has been lost. It is taught as one of the three 'temple' kata (the others being Jiin and Jitte) but is is unlikely that the name is a reference to a famous Buddhist temple of the same name on mainland Japan. One author has seen a different kanji (Chinese character) used in reference to this form, though using the same pronunciation, to mean 'to develop techniques to condition the body.

Master Kanazawa performing Jion

Jiin

Jiin is another of the 'temple' forms (along with Jion and Jitte) and its name means 'temple ground'. As with the others in the series, the pattern opens with with left hand placed over the clenched right fist, making it a member of the Tomari te school with origins almost certainly in China. Unlike Jion and Jitte however, this kata entered the Shotokan syllabus at a later date. In Funakoshi's master text Karate Do Kyohan there is no mention of this kata. When it was taught Funakoshi tried to change the name to Shokyo but it didn't stick.

Like many of the Shotokan forms this varies from the original as taught on Okinawa and movements at the end of this kata are missing as compared to the purer Shorin ryu version. In the original there is an upward block / lunge punch combination executed first to the practitioner's left and then repeated again 180 degrees to his right.

Master Kanazawa performing Jiin

Kanku Dai

Kanku Daiis yet another one that Funakoshi sensei changed the name of when he brought karate to mainland Japan. On Okinawa the form was known as Kusanku or Kwanku and was believed to refer to the name of the Chinese martial artist who first taught it. It is believed that the pattern was passed down from the man Kusanku to 'Tode' Sakugawa, then from 'Bushi' Matsumura to Itosu sensei from whom Funakoshi sensei learned it.

Popular opinion holds that the five Pinan / Heian kata were developed by Itosu sensei on Okinawa to include key movements from Kusanku (perhaps along with the two 'lost' Channan forms) interspersed with more basic techniques to make teaching easier to larger and younger classes. Master Kousaku Yokota (Shotokan Karate Myths) suggests that Heian Nidan is a simplified version of this kata in its entirety. Consider also that Shotokan's Heian Nidan is still taught as Pinan Shodan on Okinawa, or the first form learned perhaps betraying the importance of Kushanku on its development and the key role this latter pattern plays in the Itosu system.

Author Nathan Johnson offers a very different idea in his book The Great Karate Myth when he argues that originally this kata was meant to be performed with a pair of sai. In particular, the 'knife hand block' is interpreted by Johnson to be a block with a sai. In the Okinawan version this move is performed in cat stance which, Johnson again argues, allows a swift front kick to kick away the weapon trapped in the prong of the sai or to kick the weapon wielding hand. As with his theories on the Tekki kata however, he offers no direct evidence for his hypothesis.

Johnson also notes that we do not in fact know if 'To te' Sakugawa learned Kusanku 'as is' or if his version is a synthesis of something (or various things) he was taught.

The name of the kata means 'To look to the sky', a reference to the simple but compelling opening movements of the form as the arms are slowly raised with a small triangle formed between the hands.

Master Kanazawa performing Kanku Dai

Bassai Dai

Bassai Dai has a long history that is currently believed to stretch back some 400 years. On Okinawa the variations are called Passai. Funakoshi sensei made the name change when he brought karate to mainland Japan. It can be understood to mean 'To extract from a castle' or 'To remove an obstruction'. This refers it seems more to the spirit that should be displayed when performing the form rather than giving a clue as to the origins of the movements.

The pattern appears to have come to Funakoshi via 'Bushi' Matsumura to Kokan Oyadomari and then to 'Anko' Itosu, one of Funakoshi's primary teachers. All of these instructors created their own versions and how much the form resembles its original form is impossible to say. Different 'streams' of the kata continue to exist and have always done so. One movement that has remained is the opening stance where the left hand is placed over the right closed fist - indicating its Chinese origin. The form may have originated from Leopard and / or Lion boxing or possible Five Element Fist. There is no conclusive evidence available.

The Matsumura version shows the Chinese influence while the Oyadomari version has been altered, and this variation was in turn changed by Itosu and Funakoshi. It was Itosu who is believed to have created the 'sho' variation and Funakoshi taught both the 'dai' and the 'sho' version on mainland Japan. There are differences in performance between the Shotokan, Wado ryu and Shito ryu versions found on mainland Japan but when comparing the newer Japanese versions to the older Okinawan kata there are numerous differences, though the basic pattern of movement can be discerned.

Master Kanazawa performing Bassai Dai

Tekki Sandan

Tekki Sandan is the third in the Tekki series (see also Shodan and Nidan). While most, if not all, Shotokan dojo teach this kata as a ballistic one using strikes and blocks, Nathan Johnson, in keeping with his theory that the Tekki series in their original form were a catalog of wrist grip escapes and reversals, draws attention to the use of the Naifuanchin Fist Clench in three of his books (Zen Shaolin Karate, Barefoot Zen and The Great Karate Myth). This is a fist used in Chinese kung fu styles and is still seen today in some schools of Okinawan Shorin ryu. The fist is clenched with the bottom three fingers in the normal manner. The forefinger however is flattened out with the tip approaching the thumb joint and the thumb itself wrapping over the forefinger as normal. According to Johnson this grip was used to train and strengthen the hand for grappling. This fist can be seen on page 17 of Karate Do Kyohan by Funakoshi Gichin. However, Funakoshi sensei does not note that the fist is used to practice developing a strong grip and the accompanying application is for a hammer fist strike.

Master Kanazawa performing Tekki Sandan