How many kata in shotokan

Below you will find a list of all of the katas that are taught in the classical Shotokan Karate system. I have made a point of specifying the location of the various kiai points, and some of the techniques that are first introduced. Also the number of movements n the kata, and the approximate time in which each of the katas should be performed. The kata consists of kicks, punches, sweeps, strikes, blocks, and throws.

Body movement in various kata includes stepping, twisting, turning, dropping to the ground, and jumping. In Shotokan, kata is not a performance or a demonstration, but is for individual karateka to practice full techniques—with every technique potentially a killing blow; while paying particular attention to form and timing rhythm.

Gichin Funakoshi the founder of Shotokan Karate and his son, Gigo Funakoshi, developed many of the official Shotokan kata and kihon kata. Shotokan was the name of the first dojo built by the founder of Shotokan Karate, Gichin Funakoshi.

The performance of kata has many fitness benefits. For example, kata can help students to lose weight given the significant calorie expenditure achieved during training. Furthermore, kata can improve eye, hand and foot coordination because students need to combine a wide variety of kicks, punches and stances. Kata also has the fitness benefit of enhancing flexibility because students need to master difficult or advanced kata techniques.

Finally, kata has the fitness benefit where it can help with the athletic performance in other sports. From the scope of karate, kata is the full repository of innumerable karate moves and techniques in their truest form, meant to be practised as they are.

While some are used in kumite bouts, not all are or can be. For Kumite bouts, certain kata moves are taken and adapted to suit a non-lethal sparring match, but in practice of kata which is mostly done solo, every movement needs to be by the book.

You may or may not use them in Kumite due to their complexity and fatal nature. You are free to use any variation of techniques within the rules. Knowledge of kata is also essential to understand how to generate power from hips and core as opposed to the legs and arms — an important lesson for a karateka.

In addition, kata also helps in mastering proper breathing techniques required to be a successful karateka and keeping the mind focused on a singular objective. While in essence practice of kata is the means to preserve and safeguard the traditional techniques and styles of karate in their original form and ultimately to pass them on, it has also found its way into competitive sports.

Karate kata is performed on an 8x8 metre non-slip mat with the competitors, who are seeded ahead of the event, to wear a white karategi.