Application of Kata techniques
Kata was created to function in a perfect fight situation. Everything is predetermined. When we are attacked in a certain way, then we use a certain series of defensive techniques …
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Author: Gert Corfitzen Jürgensen
Hidden techniques in Kata
Some instructors claim that Kata harbors hidden techniques, asserting that these were concealed during Karate’s integration into the Okinawan school system to prevent potentially dangerous injuries. The notion was that …
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Use of force
An important point to keep in mind in Karate is the use of force! If you practice Karate solely with force, your body will tense up. Making explosive attacks or …
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Interpretation of techniques (short version)
Most practitioners of Karate do not pay much attention to the whole technique. I think that is a fundamental mistake. Let us take Gedan-barai as an example; in most cases, …
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How to learn a Kata
Learning a Kata is a nuanced process that involves more than just mastering patterns and techniques. Here’s a step-by-step guide: Initial Learning. When starting with a new Kata, begin by …
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How to practice Nami-gaeshi
Nami-gaeshi translates into “wave return”, a more understandable description is “returning wave”. The name of the technique refers to the movement that the leg performs. The leg movement resembles an …
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Three levels of bunkai
Bunkai means “to break down”, and thus describes the whole process that lies in breaking down and understanding the application of the techniques in a Kata; we simply peel a …
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Ten Precepts of Karate
Anko Itosu (1831-1915)Ten Precepts of Karate In October 1908, Anko Itosu (1831-1915) wrote a letter, “Ten Precepts of Karate,” to draw the attention of the Ministry of Education and the …
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Pinan or Heian
What should we call the five basic Kata from Itosu? Pinan or Heian? Itosu Ankō, the creator of the Pinan Kata. Itosu was raised in a strict home of the …
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Evaluating the quality of Kata, part 2
From Kusanku Dai Kata is a series of movements consisting of offensive and defensive combat techniques, which are composed of former Karate masters. To create Kata was a method of …
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