KATA
The literal translation for the term kata or gata as it is sometimes rendered in English is “pattern” or “flow”. Commonly known, kata has been defined as a person “fighting against imaginary opponents.” This claim, to some extent is true, but at the same it is also misleading. It might be better to depict kata as “a handbook of self-defence techniques.” By viewing it this way, a better picture of kata will emerge.
Kata is indeed an encyclopedia of techniques, helping to recall techniques that an ancient master thought necessary to perfect. In ancient times, kata was a way to preserve techniques that might have been used to protect one’s life. A master places ideas on how one can fight effectively against a common street fighter or armed assailant in his kata.
The pursuit of the primary kata (see below) imposes a curriculum on the student’s training by introducing more complex techniques and principles as the student gains proficiency with the previous kata. This is concretely illustrated by the numbering of the Pinans from 1 through 5 (Shodan, Nidan, Sandan, Yodan and Godan), forcing an order to their instruction. Pursuit of the Pinan kata culminates in Kushanku, which serves as an amalgam of key techniques introduced in the Pinans.
HISTORY OF KATA
Kata, as with martial arts in general, has a lineage from China. It doesn’t really matter whether the transfer of knowledge was through Okinawan martial artists travelling to China and studying kung-fu or by Chinese masters visiting Okinawa.
Around the mid-1700’s, three key individuals seemed to form a melting pot for the birth of modern karate kata: Shinjo Choken, Karate Sakugawa (1733-1815), and Chatan Yara (c. 1750). Choken was one of the earliest practitioners of Shuri-Te. Both Sakugawa and Yara travelled to Fukien Province in China and probably studied martial arts and weaponry while there. Both studied under the Chinese envoy, Kusanku, either in China or while Kusanku was in Okinawa in the late 1750’s. Kusanku was reported to be an expert in the martial arts and had learned his abilities from a Shaolin monk. From this combination of individuals in the mid-1700’s karate kata began to focus.
The original Okinawan karate forms were developed during the 19th century under two major divisions of styles: Shuri-Te (Shuri Hands) and Naha-Te (Naha Hands). Though they were both derived from similar Chinese forms, each developed differently based on location and the social position of the developers. The Shuri-Te was practiced in and around the city of Shuri where the king and members of the nobility lived. Naha-Te was practiced in and around the coastal city of Naha, which was a large trade centre. Another style developed which is closely related to Shuri-Te, which was named Tomari-Te. Tomari-Te was practiced in the Tomari village populated by farmers and fisherman.
The three styles have differences that can be traced back to the social economic position of the practitioners. At the bottom, was the worker class studying Tomari-Te. The middle level was merchant class students studying Naha-Te. The upper class noblemen were then studying Shuri-Te in and around the capital.
Most Wado katas were born from one of the three ancestral styles described above. While none of the three are superior to the others, they approach kata differently. Shuri-Te and Tomari-Te were light and quick, while Naha-Te was heavy and powerful. These influences are still evident in the katas that derived from these regions. Shuri-Te gave rise to the 5 Pinans and Kushanku, Seishan was derived from Naha-Te and Tomari-Te was the area from which Chinto and Wanshu developed.
Hironori Ohtsuka chose 10 core katas for the Wado-Ryu system plus 6 supplementary katas. Likewise Wado Canada has adopted the same 10 katas as part of its formal curriculum: Pinan Shodan, Pinan Nidan, Pinan Sandan, Pinan Yodan, Pinan Godan, Kushanku, Naihanchin, Seishan, Chinto, Wanshu.
Sensei Shintani’s earlier training resulted in him learning Shorin Ryu kata. The origins of some of the secondary katas are still practiced and are obscure, since they do not appear widely in Shorin Ryu kata lists but they do appear to trace back to Okinawa origins, since they display similarities to other Okinawan katas.
The literal translation for the term kata or gata as it is sometimes rendered in English is “pattern” or “flow”. Commonly known, kata has been defined as a person “fighting against imaginary opponents.” This claim, to some extent is true, but at the same it is also misleading. It might be better to depict kata as “a handbook of self-defence techniques.” By viewing it this way, a better picture of kata will emerge.
Kata is indeed an encyclopedia of techniques, helping to recall techniques that an ancient master thought necessary to perfect. In ancient times, kata was a way to preserve techniques that might have been used to protect one’s life. A master places ideas on how one can fight effectively against a common street fighter or armed assailant in his kata.
The pursuit of the primary kata (see below) imposes a curriculum on the student’s training by introducing more complex techniques and principles as the student gains proficiency with the previous kata. This is concretely illustrated by the numbering of the Pinans from 1 through 5 (Shodan, Nidan, Sandan, Yodan and Godan), forcing an order to their instruction. Pursuit of the Pinan kata culminates in Kushanku, which serves as an amalgam of key techniques introduced in the Pinans.
HISTORY OF KATA
Kata, as with martial arts in general, has a lineage from China. It doesn’t really matter whether the transfer of knowledge was through Okinawan martial artists travelling to China and studying kung-fu or by Chinese masters visiting Okinawa.
Around the mid-1700’s, three key individuals seemed to form a melting pot for the birth of modern karate kata: Shinjo Choken, Karate Sakugawa (1733-1815), and Chatan Yara (c. 1750). Choken was one of the earliest practitioners of Shuri-Te. Both Sakugawa and Yara travelled to Fukien Province in China and probably studied martial arts and weaponry while there. Both studied under the Chinese envoy, Kusanku, either in China or while Kusanku was in Okinawa in the late 1750’s. Kusanku was reported to be an expert in the martial arts and had learned his abilities from a Shaolin monk. From this combination of individuals in the mid-1700’s karate kata began to focus.
The original Okinawan karate forms were developed during the 19th century under two major divisions of styles: Shuri-Te (Shuri Hands) and Naha-Te (Naha Hands). Though they were both derived from similar Chinese forms, each developed differently based on location and the social position of the developers. The Shuri-Te was practiced in and around the city of Shuri where the king and members of the nobility lived. Naha-Te was practiced in and around the coastal city of Naha, which was a large trade centre. Another style developed which is closely related to Shuri-Te, which was named Tomari-Te. Tomari-Te was practiced in the Tomari village populated by farmers and fisherman.
The three styles have differences that can be traced back to the social economic position of the practitioners. At the bottom, was the worker class studying Tomari-Te. The middle level was merchant class students studying Naha-Te. The upper class noblemen were then studying Shuri-Te in and around the capital.
Most Wado katas were born from one of the three ancestral styles described above. While none of the three are superior to the others, they approach kata differently. Shuri-Te and Tomari-Te were light and quick, while Naha-Te was heavy and powerful. These influences are still evident in the katas that derived from these regions. Shuri-Te gave rise to the 5 Pinans and Kushanku, Seishan was derived from Naha-Te and Tomari-Te was the area from which Chinto and Wanshu developed.
Hironori Ohtsuka chose 10 core katas for the Wado-Ryu system plus 6 supplementary katas. Likewise Wado Canada has adopted the same 10 katas as part of its formal curriculum: Pinan Shodan, Pinan Nidan, Pinan Sandan, Pinan Yodan, Pinan Godan, Kushanku, Naihanchin, Seishan, Chinto, Wanshu.
Sensei Shintani’s earlier training resulted in him learning Shorin Ryu kata. The origins of some of the secondary katas are still practiced and are obscure, since they do not appear widely in Shorin Ryu kata lists but they do appear to trace back to Okinawa origins, since they display similarities to other Okinawan katas.
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