少しずつ前進 (PART TWO)

Today’s daily two-hour self-training session was completely dedicated to kata practice:

Kata practiced were:

基本型 (KIHON-GATA)

1. 序の型 

(Jo no kata)

2. 平安初段

(Heian Shodan)

3. 順路初段

(Junro Shodan)

上級型 (JŌKYŪ-GATA)

1. 観空大

(Kankū Dai)

2. 十手

(Jitte)

3. 半月

(Hangetsu)

4.王冠

(Wankan)

5. 掌手小

(Shōte Shō)

Rather than simply list the kata I worked on today, which has little to no meaning for you (the reader)—as it is merely a record for me—allow me to expand on the focal points of the practice.

Firstly, for the KIHON-GATA, my focus was on Asai Sensei’s 自然空手 (Shizen Karate) or ‘Natural Karate’, which is at the heart of our way of Shōtōkan. The IKS approach is utilizing all the technical and scientific advancements acquired from Masters Funakoshi, Nakayama and Asai; furthermore, returning karate to its earlier roots, which was based purely on ‘bujutsu efficiency’.

Today, in these regards, I particularly focused on optimal stance configurations to fully maximize the hips.

Secondly, for JŌKYŪ-GATA, my practice was freer. 

観空大 (Kankū Dai): Reviewing Kankū Dai from yesterday, so I won’t comment on this today, except with a few novelties… Doing this kata over and over again with the late Abe Keigo Sensei, this kata became known as Kankū Die. This name also got used when Isaka Akihito Sensei made us do his ‘slow motion’ version of it.

十手 (Jitte) is not only a bold kata but also aesthetically a beautiful one. With proper practice the coordination of the limbs, upper body and hips are greatly improved resulting in increased impact power. There is a joke about Jitte… Many instructors say: “Training in this kata will make you as strong as ten people, hence the name ‘Ten hands’”. Accordingly, it must be ten people with one arm or some karate instructors are simply bad at mathematics, human biology, or both… Lastly, I beg everyone not to try and use the techniques of this kata against a person savagely attacking with a bo, otherwise they might end up being one of the above-mentioned individuals, with only one arm.

半月 (Hangetsu): The applications and depth of Hangetsu (Seishan) is actually really impressive. It really is a high-level karate kata. So many highly effective self-defence applications and counter applications/variations. Many karateka do not like this kata as they only see that it’s ‘different from the others in Shōtōkan’. Needless to say, it is this difference that vividly highlights its value in our style. It also elucidates how much ‘gymnastic performance’ has corroded many people’s understanding/valuing of kata. 

Today I practiced one of the older forms of 王冠 (Wankan). This kata, while short, possesses everything one needs to defend themselves. There are two folktales which, whether true or not are interesting. It is said that the name ‘Kings Crown’ comes from two sources. Firstly, the shape of the enbusen (performance line) resembles a crown. And, secondly, that this kata was “…solely practiced by the bodyguards at Shuri Castle, due to its highly pragmatic applications”.

Many say that Wankan is the shortest kata in standard Shōtōkan-Ryū, which of course it is not. If the Taikyoku are not included, the shortest kata is Heian Sandan with 20 movements, followed by Heian Shodan with 21 movements, Heian Godan with 23 movements and finally Wankan, Jitte and Tekki Nidan—equally in fourth place—with 24 movements.

掌手小 (Shōte Shō). The second Shōte kata continues on from the first but with increased complexity; thereby, requiring a solid foundation in the first two ‘palm heel’ forms: Senshō and Shōte Dai. In particular, the various core applications of kakuto/koken are expanded. Furthermore, kōryū karate attacks with kumade, shunshu, yoko teishō, nihon nukite, seiryutō and other open-handed weapons are employed.

Like Senshō and Shōte Dai, the applications of this kata are not obscure. As such, Asai Sensei categorized them as being amongst the ‘Bujutsu kata’. 

To conclude, I want to emphasize that “it’s not the kata, but the quality of training” that truly matters. That being said, the joy of studying a vast array of kata (in addition to really specializing in less than a handful) makes Karate-Dō a beautiful and inspiring lifelong pursuit.

What’s more, deep specialization as one’s core practice, and also spreading the net wide (in one’s generic practice) is not only highly motivational for one’s own training, but also critical for those teaching Karate-Dō to others.

©️ André Bertel. Oita City, Japan (October 21st, 2026).