Karate Classes Online - The 26 Shotokan Kata of the Japan Karate Association

At karate classes online there is soon to be a membership area, containing all the shotokan karate kata. These karate kata will be explained clearly, so people trying to learn karate at home can progress easily and quickly.

Kata is often described as a set sequence of karate moves organised into a prearranged fight against imaginary opponents. The kata consists of kicks, punches, sweeps, strikes, blocks and throws. Body movement in the various kata includes, stepping, twisting, turning, dropping to the ground and jumping.
In this article we list the 26 standard Shotokan kata that are practiced by millions of karateka all over the world.

Several Shotokan groups have introduced kata from other styles into their training but when the Japan Karate Association (JKA) was formed by Nakayama Sensei, he laid these 26 kata down as the training kata for the JKA karateka. Even today, many thousands of Shotokan Dojo only practice these 26 Kata.

Kata should be executed with the correct attitude first and foremost, if the karate practitioner has an understanding of the kata, each fast move will be executed with speed, power and intent. The karateka will execute the technique like it’s their last.

Kata is not a performance, or a demonstration, it is for the individual karateka to practice full techniques with 'Ikken Hisatsu' (finishing blow or to kill with one blow).

There is most definitely a health aspect to kata, the practice of kata is great for fitness, keeping the body soft, supple and agile. As the karateka gets older, a lot more emphasise is put on health and for good reason.

The 26 Shotokan standard katas with meaning and origin:

Name	Meaning	Originator
Heian Shodan	Peaceful Way One	Yasutsune Itosu
Heian Nidan	Peaceful Way Two	Yasutsune Itosu
Heian Sandan	Peaceful Way Three	Yasutsune Itosu
Heian Yondan	Peaceful Way Four	Yasutsune Itosu
Heian Godan	Peaceful Way Five	Yasutsune Itosu
Tekki Shodan	Iron Horse One	Yasutsune Itosu
Bassai Dai	To storm a fortress (dai=major)	Peichin
Kanku Dai	To view the sky (dai=major)	Kung Hsiang Chun
Enpi	Flying swallow	Wang Ji?
Sochin	Preserve Peace	Yoshitika Funakoshi
Meikyo	Mirror of the soul	Tomari-te
Ji'in	Named after the saint	Tomari-te
Gojushiho Dai	54 steps	Yasutsune Itosu
Jion	Named after the Chinese temple	Tomari-te
Jitte	Ten hands	Tomari-te
Hangetsu	Half Moon	Bushi Matsumura
Gankaku	Crane on a rock	Bushi Matsumura
Tekki Nidan	Iron Horse Two	Yasutsune Itosu
Tekki Sandan	Iron Horse Three	Yasutsune Itosu
Chinte	Incredible hands	-
Bassai Sho	To penetrate a fortress (sho=minor)	Yasutsune Itosu
Kanku Sho	To view the sky (sho=minor)	Yasutsune Itosu
Nijushiho	24 steps	Seisho Aragaki
Unsu	Hands of a cloud	Seisho Aragaki
Wankan	Crown of a king	Gigo Funakoshi
Gojushiho Sho	54 steps	Yasutsune Itosu

Karate For Beginners - The Dreaded Karate Examination

Your friends, fellow karateka and family say when you sre practicing karate at home for your test,

It’s ok, don’t worry, you’ll be fine, you’re confident, you know what you’re doing, it’ll be a breeze!

But inside, you say,

It’s not ok, I’m extremely nervous, I’m not fine, look at me I’m shaking and when I get called I know I won’t remember a damn thing!

Exam night. It’s time, you bow on entry to the Dojo, everybody is stretching and looking nervous, there are smiles all around the Dojo but you know there is a strong undercurrent in the smiles, that undercurrent is FEAR!

Fear is in the air and even though people are smiling, you know that deep down they are mentally preparing, for what they feel is their impending doom.

‘Line up!’

Oh no, it’s time.

'OK, rest to the back and wait for your name to be called'

Calm down, breathe, relax, focus.

‘Joe Bloggs’

S**t, It’s me, Sensei just called my name, breathe, relax, focus, you’re fine, pull yourself together you wimp!

OK, we’re all lined up, here we go, breathe, relax, focus.

‘Step forward hidari gedan barai, GO!’

Oh no! I was the slowest, why can’t I breathe? I feel dizy, breathe, relax, focus.

‘Stepping forward, hjghfgasgwfligefwuefuiggwefgiwefguiggf!’

WHAT? Sensei just spoke goggledeegook, why doesn’t he speak slowly and clearly, oh no, everybody else is moving, they understand goggledeegook!

COME ON! Faster, how much longer is this going to go on? I think I’m breathing easier, I’m alive, I made it, that’s the Kihon (basics) over, what the hell am I doing here?

‘Joe Bloggs’

No, it can’t be, it is, it’s me again, Kumite (sparring), come on, think, strong attack, speed, distance, timing, breathe, relax, focus.

‘Pair up’

Please, no, why do I always get the psychopaths?

It’s over, what happened there, it wasn’t that bad, was it?

‘Thankyou, rest to the back’

Ouch, why am I limping, my leg hurts, should I tell sensei, NO, don’t be a wimp, just get on with it. What the hell am I doing here?

‘Joe Bloggs’

Kata, I’m ready, my leg is KILLING me, just do it!

OK, this is it.

‘Heian Nidan’

‘Hajime’ (begin)

‘Yamae’ (finish)

‘Thankyou, rest to the back’

I feel so relaxed, what was I so worried about, it wasn’t that bad, WAS IT?
karate classes online

How Often Should I Train?

Normally, someone new to Karate will attend one session per week in the beginning, as the student progresses this will obviously increase. I personally recommend training one session per week for the first three to six months, after this, a minimum of two lessons per week is essential. There is so much to learn and practice, if after six months you are only training one session per week, not only will your progress be slow, you will also struggle to keep up with others in your class and because you will struggle there is a good chance you will become disillusioned.

These numbers obviously vary from person to person, we have members who go straight into unlimited training and members who only train one session per week but train regularly at home, everybody is different and everybody has different circumstances.

The important point to remember is that if you continue training one lesson per week, your progress in karate will be extremely slow, you will struggle to keep up with your fellow karate practitioners and ultimately, you will quit.

Over the years I have had people who try and train one lesson every other week, or even one lesson per month, in the end they either leave or come to me and say, ‘I’m sorry, I’m going to have to stop training’, there is always a string of excuses, but in 95% of cases the only true answer is, they’re not willing to dedicate and commit themselves to Karate, which is fine, it’s a free world and we can’t all be obsessed with Karate, nothing would get done!

But I absolutely cringe when they do turn up for training, I try not to let them hold the class up, but I feel I must try and encourage and help them, so I do. I always come away from the class happy, happy because, by the end of the class, they seem to be getting it, whatever ‘it’ is at the time, ‘it’ may be a combination, a Kata sequence or just simply working on a particular technique, like reverse punch. Then you don’t see them for another month and BANG, we’re back to square one!

Some of you reading this will be laughing, but the Sensei’s out there will be crying! Yep, they know what I’m talking about and some of you potential Sensei’s will find out soon enough.

The guys that train very sporadically are always perplexed by the answer I give, when they tell me they’re going to have to stop training, my answer is always, ‘good!’, I then explain why I’m happy they’re moving on.

Obviously, I want them to train but if they are only attending one lesson every other week, or even less, then something really needs to change, because, not only are they wasting their time and my time, but they’re also wasting everybody else’s time in the Dojo.

Everyone at our Dojo is keen, they have great attitudes, it’s very satisfying when you arrive at the Dojo and people are excited and looking forward to training. I believe it’s down to the Sensei’s(teachers) and Sempai’s (senior’s) to encourage everyone at the Dojo to do their best and train as often as they can.

Some people are genuinely disappointed when they realise how much work is needed to achieve a high level of expertise in Karate, there’s one thing for sure in Karate, you absolutely get out, what you put in.

It doesn’t really take a tremendous amount of dedication and commitment to progress in Karate, training two times per week is enough for the majority of people. Once you get into a routine it’s a lot easier. There are people who are hooked from the first day and who wish to take it to the next level and that’s great to see, but the danger of this approach to training is Burn Out! But that’s another article.


Ossu
Linden Huckle
learn karate at home

Karate For Beginners - The Warm Up and Stretch

This is one of the most neglected parts of karate practice and it is a part of karate that you ignore at your peril.
Not only is stretching healthy, it also helps prevent injury during karate classes. Stretching should be practiced before and after your karate lessons.
My sensei said to me, 'the only time your whole body is stiff, is when you are dead!" and he is absolutely correct.
Keeping the body soft and supple should be a priority for all karateka.
But before you start stretching, it is very important to warm the body up. An example could be, gently shaking the legs and arms, gently swinging the arms, walking slowly, then speeding the walk up and finally into a slow jog. Obviously this is just an example, but this demonstrates a warm up before the stretch.
There are many stretches and to get the maximum benefit, these stretches should be held for anything between, twenty five seconds and three minutes. I also encourage our dojo members to hold the stretches longer in the summer and when they are practicing karate at home, as in the dojo, sometimes time is the enemy.
Stretching at the end of training should also be encouraged as this allows the body to warm down slowly, keeping the elasticity in the muscles.
If you wish to explore the different types of stretching, of which there are many, I have listed the different types of stretching below and a google search will uncover some incredible information on stretching.
1. Ballistic stretching is a form of passive stretching or dynamic stretching in a bouncing motion.
2. Dynamic stretching is a form of stretching beneficial in karate, utilizing momentum from form.
3. Active stretching eradicates force and its adverse effects from stretching procedures.
4. Passive (or relaxed) stretching is a form of static stretching in which an external force, like a karate partner, exerts pressure upon the limb to move it into the new position.
5. Static stretching is used to stretch muscles while the body is at rest.
6. PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching is a stretching system that was first used in the 1940s and 1950s to rehabilitate patients with paralysis.
Although stretching may feel uncomfortable for someone just starting to learn karate, persevere and very soon your karate techniques will take on a whole new level and meaning.

Linden has been training and teaching karate for over 30 years and loves to share his knowledge and experiences from the karate dojo. Supplement your karate training with these free online videos, karate lessons for beginners.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linden_John

Learn Karate at Home?

Is it possible to learn karate at home? If you are thinking about starting karate, getting some online information, is a good idea. With some online tutorials, you will be able to understand what to expect if you attend a karate club.
But if you have some video instruction, I only recommend using them at the same time you attend classes conducted by a qualified karate instructor and the moves you practice, will be basics (kihon) or forms (kata).
Karate is an incredible art form that has developed over thousands of years of evolution giving us the karate we have today. There are thousands of karate for beginners classes starting every day, where people, young and old start to learn karate for the first time.
Karate classes usually start with a warm up, followed by a full body stretch. This alone is great for health and well being, keeping the body soft and supple is a fantastic thing, especially in your later years.
Next will come basic karate moves (kihon), blocking, punching, kicking, etc. These are practiced on the spot, or stepping forward, back and even at different angles in the many varied karate stances (dachi). These are the techniques you will be able to practice at home and get an idea of what karatedo (the way of karate) is all about.
So karate class training has the warm up and stretch, basics (kihon), next comes sparring (kumite). Now the word sparring is used loosely in karate because it usually means anytime you partner up to practice karate techniques. For example, you may partner up to practice a wrist grab and escape, this will be called kumite or sparring in the dojo (training hall). So try not to think that every time the word sparring (kumite) is used, you are going to partner up with a crazed black belt who is going to try and kill you!
After the warm up, basics and sparring, kata (forms) is usually practiced. Kata is a sequence of karate moves including, punches, kicks, strikes, jumps, spins, etc, that are strung together in a particular order, to create a pattern of techniques, similar to the gymnastics floor display.
To explain kata fully will need an article all on it's own, but to me kata is the most important element of karatedo. They say, kumite is the spirit of karate, but kata is the soul! And I agree.
So if you are practicing karate moves at home, trying to get a feel for karate, I wish you luck and urge you to attend a karate for beginners class as soon as possible. Good luck with your journey in the wonderful world that is karatedo! Ossu

Linden has been training and teaching karate for over 30 years and loves to share his knowledge and experiences in the martial arts. Supplement your dojo training with these free videos, karate lessons for beginners.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linden_John