Part Two (A): Tokui no Kata- Personal or speciality Katas
So, you have gotten through the first seven or Shite Kata and now you are a Shodan. Shodan means “First step” in Karate and like Sensei Dingman likes to point out, getting your Shodan means you are READY for the first steps in Karate and they are BIG ONES!
First off Shodans are going to learn how to apply the basic techniques that they have been training in for three to five years (or ten if you have taken your time like some of us did). And you are expected to continue to forge or polish your techniques as well. You are also going to be doing some teaching, which will help you learn even more than just taking a class and moving mindlessly through it.
The next thing you will learn are the next nine Kata to make up the core 15 Kata before going for Nidan and Sandan. These Kata will make up the rest of the lower level text book that you should be learning up to Shodan. Back in the day most of us knew all 15 going into testing but really focused on the first seven for testing. With limited training time in the modern Karate era, I always say up to 1st kyu you should know the first seven, then pick up the rest of the 15 for Shodan. I could make up some fancy terms like Gedan no Shite Kata or some such bunk but the truth is that you just have different levels of Kata, Pre Shodan, Shodan and post Shodan.
Pre Shodan Katas were covered in my first blog post in this series, this post will cover the Shodan and post Shodan Katas. Each of these Kata will represent a different body type, a different system of fighting and a different series of lessons. I am going to go over these quickly but the most important thing as Shodan is to learn the first 15 Kata and select your Tokui no Kata or A Kata you are going to specialize in for the next two years of study.
When you select your Tokui Kata you are saying “this is me” and putting all your training into perfecting this Kata and while still learning the rest you are putting 90% of your time training Kata into this personal Kata. It will also decide what katas you will learn going into Post Shodan training. You can see what direction you are going in by your first Tokui Kata selection.
You will also use this Kata along with your Kumite skills and Kihon waza to grade for your Nidan. Nidan is known as the fighting level but its also the level you will start to formulate your training going forwards. Its when you will train to understand yourself better and move into being a better instructor as well. Yes, being a black belt means you will begin to teach, and being a Nidan and up means you will begin to be able to bring people up higher in level…and this means you need a better understanding of Karate and your style as well….through Kata.
As a Shodan select one of the following kata to work on as your specialty Kata daily, by the time you test for your Nidan you should know the other 15 (and maybe a few more) but you should know your Tokui Kata so well that when you test you just focus on showing good Budo Seishin during Kata.
The Kata:
Tekki Nidan:
One of the least practiced of the 15 really, this kata to me is an anti-grappling Kata with some throwing moves in it for good measure. I liken it to the Heian Sandan of the Tekki Katas, not well liked and if you were forced to learn it most often hurry through it on their way to the slightly more liked Tekki Sandan.
The bad rap that Tekki Nidan gets is not warnented, it’s a solid self-defense Kata that teaches counters to grappling and still keeps the offensive movements and Tanren style of training front and center. The Kata is of course perfect for those that are likely to be attacked from behind and should be in the curriculum/training program of most ladies and smaller men. But this does not limit the training in this Kata to those that are smaller, it is also a great Kata for larger people who want to learn how to deal with rear attacks and close in attacks from those grabby types.
I would say however that I have never seen this as a Tokui Kata in my Karate training life time! Its simply to short and not dynamic enough to attract attention from most, but the value of learning this Kata is without question. I would say that even if you don’t want this as your focal personal Kata, learn it and train in it often to keep drilling in the “what to do if…”Kind of situation.
Tekki Sandan:
For some reason the sandan entry of the Tekki Katas is done more as a team event than a Tokui Kata, but its not as rare to see this Kata used as a Tokui Kata than its Nidan counterpart!
Tekki Sandan is a dynamic, arm blur of a kata and its use of large arm movements and fast snapping moves done on smaller scales can be very impressive….or a hot mess! Most people that select this Kata are medium built and have solid foundation style Kata Dachi (Stances) that imbibe huge power to the upper body and the legs are so solid and stance is unmovable will flexible.
Tekki sandan can be a hard Kata to pull off, especially if you don’t do Tekki Shodan a great deal when a 4th Kyu. Most people that avoided really training hard through the 4th Kyu avoid this Kata because they know the grounding they should have in Kata dachi is just not in place.
The Kata teaches some very important lessons for self-defense however. In order to defend yourself and apply enough power to end a fight, without moving is not easy. This Kata teaches you to use your core to generate power off of your stable stance and rooted feel. Once you get this down and your upper body moves are forged to be sharp and dynamic, this Kata will impress the judges and be useful in defending yourself, which is the real reason for studying Karate and Kata.
Kanku dai:
Kanku Dai is the flag ship of the Shotokan style. It teaches self-defense, body dynamics, and is both basic and very complex depending on the depth of your training in the Kata. Besides being my personal Tokui Kata it is also the Kata that Nakyama Sensei said all black belts should train in.
Kanku Dai is the longest of the Shotokan Katas and has components that will be recognizable from the Heian Kata series. It truly is the Kata that you get to use to put into play all your basic knowledge and continue to forge your fighting skills.
The Kata is good for average builds and for people that have a good understanding of their center in training. However it can be used by anyone to learn, the people who pick this Kata tend to be very analytical in training and not to big or small, not to lean and not to powerfully built. The success of average built people depends on their ability to make this Kata look both Regal and powerfully dynamic in its use.
The whip like actions of the torso/hips and the quick changes in direction are more like the skills required when facing a real self-defense situation. Also the “tricks” of ducking under strikes/club swings and how to defend against a wrist grab help with an insight into defense against an armed opponent and also a defense against being grabbed. Kanku is chalked full of different lessons that a student should learn and as Sensei Tammy pointed out top me years ago “you can study Kanku dai for 30 years and still get something out of drilling and studying it”.
As such, anyone that takes up Kanku Dai as a Tokui Kata should be in it for the long haul and should know beforehand that this Kata could take a life time of study.
Jion :
Noble, powerful, basic and filled with dynamic power, Jion is perfect for larger, slower people that are more meticulous in their approach to Karate. The larger, more powerful movements look better when done with sharp and clean lines in the techniques.
I used to say that big people with powerful and dynamic use of the body looked best doing this kata. It was built to generate and demonstrate power, but after seeing Tanaka Sensei doing Jion I am starting to change my mind a bit. I think average to larger people should pick up this kata well as a Tokui Kata. It lends itself to this type of body.
Jion teaches, as I stated, the use of power and dynamic application of force in a Kata. Its very basic nature makes it easy to train and understand however. The biggest fear you have with doing Jion is having less than solid fundamentals in and techniques that lack in good Tachi Dachi and kime!
Jion is a very popular Tokui Kata and is probably one of the most overdone Kata I have seen in the clubs I have traveled to and train at. Not that I am going to say you should not do this Kata, but the fact is that the reasons it is picked is that it is easy! Karate should never be easy! I would say that if you are thinking of picking up Jion as a Kata then you should do it for the right reasons and remember that Sharpe form is required to pull it off and not to pick it because you are lazy. I was going to use this Kata for my Sandan test but felt that I wanted to do something that showed better changes in Timing and went for its counterpart Jitte.
You may notice that the timing in Jion is similar to most of the Heian Katas, they are very closely related and students will feel a comfort in learning this Kata that makes it easy as a “first” Kata to learn outside of the syllabus of seven, but keep in mind, its very basic and with Basic Kata if you are not perfect, you will fail in presentation and application.
Jitte:
Jitte/Jutte represents the second Kata in the “temple Kata” group but is vastly different in its presentation than the Jion and Jiin Katas. The timing is different and the application of the Kata vastly different. In fact the only similarity is the start. However, having said that it is also a Kata best done by average to larger people because of the power and timing that it needs.
Lots of people point out that this is a Kata that is used to defend against a bo/staff attack, but that is not 100% true. The Katas applications are many and can be used in different ways, and it’s the personal approach to bunkai that makes this Kata interesting. Along with various empty hand techniques and tid bits about disarming people the Kata offers a different point of view on Goshin karate applications.
This Kata however is kind of “funny looking” and reminds most of the Heian Sandan Kata. Its not as popular as you would think and while people like Shinna Sensei have used it to compete with, I would say its not the kata I have seen the most come up in tournaments.
There are also a dozen changes and variations on hand techniques, applications and the like that keep this Kata alive and changing. Everyone seems to want to change it to match their own thinking and their own style. Check out some of the changes and pick the ones you like, then work on the use of core in transitioning power from the floor to the application points in Kata (arms or legs) and focus on good form, with these slower more dynamic Kata bad form kills the Kata!
Hangetsu:
Another Kata not popular on the tournament circuit locally, don’t know if I have seen it to much in the regionals or nationals, but this Kata is great for those that like to show great power, have the ability to go from a tension filled slow movement to a dynamic and explosive movement. With changes in direction, sliding feet and unique hand movements this old Kata is great for developing whole body power.
Perfect for larger people and for average people this Kata is made for people with strong, flexible hips and a solid Tachi Dachi or those looking to develop these attributes. Hangetsu is also perfect for people that just ooze power and Kime! My favorite performance of this Kata to date has been Shirai Sensei of the ITKF when he did a demo at a tournament and showed the Katas perfect power and crushing, ripping form. His sharp changes and sharp starts made the Kata come to life.
Hangetsu teaches dynamic tension, explosive reversals and the all-important “stealing step” or getting in closer without someone noticing. It offers some basic movements with a little different twist and at the same time teaches you to keep your core tight when defending yourself. While not the most popular Kata by itself, it’s a great way to have smaller/lighter people learn body dynamics and power along with speed and explosiveness when coupled with Empi.
Empi:
Empi is probably one of the more popular Kata to see at tournaments and yet the least understood by most Karate students. Fast, graceful and dynamic this Kata teaches changes in level, reversal of directions, making disadvantageous situations advantageous for you and all while pushing a student to be faster and more explosive.
This Kata is perfect for smaller, lighter students that want to show their ability to move with crisp form and at speeds that use the natural ducking and raising that this kata offers. This kata is NOT built for a solid and sturdy student that is more power than speed in their ability. It can also be hard on bigger people’s knees, especially the first movements, so care must be taken and the kata may be altered to keep a student’s knees healthy.
I love Empi, I think that when done right like Yahara sensei has shown in demonstrations it is truly a wonder to watch. Growing up in Karate a friend of mine did this Kata as his Tokui Kata, Jamie Dewitt, and his ability to perform this Kata as a young man was impressive. It’s a very athletic form for those that have light bodies and good form. It is also a lead up to Unsu when training and can be used by bigger people to train in fast movements and dynamic direction changes, however again it can be hard on the body.
Gankaku:
Gankaku is perfect for long, lean people or people with average to athletic builds. Because of the balance and often being on one leg, the regal nature of the single leg stance the lines of a longer, leaner student make the main posture more regal and appealing. While the kata teaches balance and use of hips for movement very well the most interesting thing about this kata for me is the changes of timing in the Kata.
Having said all these nice things about Gankaku, its also kind of one of those under studied Katas of the 15 and often put at the end of the lists talking about the first 15 Katas. I think this is because it is not so popular for the very reasons that make it great for the right person…if you don’t have long lines, and you don’t have good balance…it simply is very hard to make it look good for competitions and seeing as most students look at performance and not lessons, it can be hard to get people to enjoy this Kata enough to make it a Tokui Kata.
The other reason its not as popular is that it really does work best for lean, long people and taller students. Most of the people I have trained with love the powerful forms and not the ones that make them feel awkward and out of control with turns and changes that throw them off balance.
If you pick this Dynamic and fantastic Kata as your Tokui Kata it can also serve to be your focus for a life time. Young, athletic, long athletes will still make this Kata look fantastic, even if it lacks the explosive and impressiveness of a Empi it has the ability to be even more so for the right person.
I will cover the more advanced Katas in the next part B of this blog......
Oh, and yes...that is Dingman Senseis picture!
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