Kata

Kata (Japanese: 形, or more traditionally, 型; lit. “form”) is a Japanese word describing detailed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pair. Kata are the soul of karate. They combine both basic and advanced techniques, stances and body movements into a set of flowing compositions. Funakoshi the founder of Shotokan Karate sincerely believed it would take a lifetime to master a handful of kata and that sixteen would be enough. He chose the kata which were best suited for physical stress and self-defense, stubbornly clinging to his belief that karate was an art rather than a sport. To him, kata was karate. There are a total of 26 Kata in Shotokan however when Funakoshi arrived in Japan in 1922, he originally taught a total of fifteen kata, although it has been speculated that he probably knew many more.

Funakoshi’s Kata Knowledge

The fifteen kata in Funakoshi’s syllabus included:

•  Pinan 1-5 (Heian)
•  Naihanchi 1-3 (Naifanchi, Tekki)
•  Kushanku (Kanku)
•  Passai (Bassai)
•  Seisan (Hangetsu)
•  Wanshu (Enpi)
•  Chinto (Gankaku)
•  Jitte (Jitte)
•  Jion

Hoping to see karate included in the universal physical education taught in our public schools, I set about revising the kata so as to make them as simple as possible. Times change, the world changes, and obviously the martial arts must change too. The karate that high school students practice today is not the same karate that was practiced even as recently as ten years ago [this book was written in 1956], and it is a long way indeed from the karate I learned when I was a child in Okinawa. — Gichin Funakoshi

Explanation Video

Overview of Shotokan Kata.

The Complete list of 26 Kata (video 1 hr 32 mins)

Kata	No. of “Movements”	Kata meaning
Heian Shodan	21	“Peacefull Mind One”
Heian Nidan	26	“Peacefull Mind Two”
Heian Sandan	20	“Peacefull Mind Three”
Heian Yondan	27	“Peacefull Mind Four”
Heian Godan	23	“Peacefull Mind Five Universe”
Tekki Shodan	23	“Iron Horse One”
Tekki Nidan	24	“Iron Horse Two”
Tekki Sandan	26	“Iron Horse Three”
Bassai Dai	42	“Penetrating the Fortress-Big”
Bassai Sho	27	“Penetrating the Fortress – Small”
Kanku Dai	65	“To look at the Sky – Big”
Kanku Sho	48	“To look at the Sky – Small”
Enpi	37	“Flying Swallow”
Jion	47	“Love (and) Goodness”
Gankaku	42	“Crane on the Rock”
Hangetsu	41	“Half Moon”
Jitte	24	“Ten Hands”
Chinte	32	“Incredible Hands”
Sochin	41	“Preserve Peace”
Meikyo	33	“Mirror of the soul”
Jiin	38	“Named after the Saint”
Gojushiho Dai	65	“54 Steps – Big”
Gojushiho Sho	67	“54 Steps – Small”
Nijushiho	24	“24 Steps”
Wankan	24	“Crown of a king”
Unsu	48	“Cloud Hands”