Kata is the Heart of Karatedō

Four of ‘The Seven Core Kata’ of Shōtōkan-Ryu was the focus of my training today. These were:

① 十手 (Jitte);

② 半月 (Hangetsu) also known as セイシャン ‘Seishan’ and "...originally a variation of the 十三 ‘Sesan’ kata (from the Matsumura Sokon lineage, which differs from the Naha-Te)".

③ 岩鶴 (Gankaku) originally known as チントウ ‘Chintō’; and

 

④ 慈恩 (Jion).

Again, in traditional practice of 型 (Kata)―which I follow―we do not merely practice the kata as a complete routine. 

In addition to the full kata ‘form’ it is critical to also practice individual elements of the kata. This is, of course, the origin of contemporary 基本 (Kihon) training. 

Last, and certainly not least, it is imperative to practice the practical 応用 (Õyo) or ‘applications’. Needless to say, this is literally the basis of ‘traditional 組手 (Kumite)’, which is based on practical 護身術 (Goshin-jutsu).

In the case of the four aforementioned kata, it is absolutely obvious that each of them is a distinctive fighting STYLE in themselves. Only when kata is properly understood in this way and trained accordingly (in the manner described above), can one truly master a kata.

Nowadays, mastery is mostly determined by external performance of kata as, essentially, ‘floor routines'. While this is certainly a part of kata, “…without diligently practicing the kata, properly for self-defense, it loses its ‘Budō value’ as a training tool”. The traditional perspective is that “Karate merely as a performance art―has no meaning―and thus, is no longer True Karate”.

What’s interesting here is that ‘when optimal application steers one’s karate practice’ it rapidly establishes what STYLE suits the individual. 

Returning to my practice today, and with these points in mind, not all four of these kata suit me; however, each offers a pillar of information specifically emphasized by Funakoshi Gichin Sensei.

With this in mind, kata training becomes a remarkable time capsule for the handing down of Budō knowledge and the fostering of classical technical skill.

Whilst some may argue that kata is not necessary, one cannot deny their continued motivational value: even decades after beginning karate. They are undoubtedly the aspect of Karate-Dō that make it a lifelong art.

In my case, in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and now, in the 2020s―I still seek to improve my skill―and still every day, kata is at the heart of this process.

押忍！

アンドン  バーテル

©️ André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2026).