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Jiin

Jiin
Jiin is not a JKA kata. Often paired with Wankan because both were excluded from Masatoshi Nakayama's Best Karate volumes, these kata are quite unpopular and rarely, if ever, practiced. Jiincan be interpreted as "Love and Shadow," with some preferring the translation of "Temple Grounds." Gichin Funakoshi named the kata Shokyo which translates as "Pine Shadow," but this name was never adopted by…
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Wankan

Wankan
Wankan, or "King's Crown," gets its name from the kata's first six moves, which are supposed to form the shape of a crown. When viewing this crown shape, one must appreciate that Wankan is the only Shotokan kata that begins diagonally. Some historians claim Wankan was handed down by the Okinawan royal family, thereby getting its name. As with other kata,…
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Meikyo

Meikyo
Meikyo is a kata based on one of Yasutsune Itosu's versions of Rohai (Vision of a Heron). Meikyo is most often translated as "Bright Mirror" or "Polished Mirror," perhaps alluding to the beginning of the kata, when the hands are held up in front of one's face as if looking into a mirror. The kata also contains several duplicate, or…
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Gojushiho-Dai

Gojushiho-Dai
Gojushiho Dai, or "Fifty-Four Steps Big," is the longer and more complex of the two Gojushiho kata. At 67 counts, it is the lengthiest of Shotokan kata, beating Gojushiho Sho (and Kanku Dai) by two moves. Its surplus of movements over its twin can basically be accounted for by the inclusion of two techniques in Gojushiho Dai that are not present in Gojushiho…
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Gojushiho-Sho

Gojushiho-Sho
Gojushiho, or Useishi as it is known in Okinawa, is another kata accredited to Sokon Matsumura. It is uncertain whether he brought this kata back with him from his travels to China, or whether the kata was his final masterpiece, an amalgamation of all of his skill and knowledge. Gojushiho is translated simply as "Fifty-Four Steps," making reference to the…
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Unsu

Unsu
Unsu (or Unshu in Okinawan) is one of three Shotokan kata that can be traced back to Seisho Aragaki. Indeed, Unsu possesses certain techniques characteristic of an "Aragaki kata" such as teisho-awase-zuki in sanchin-dachi, the tenchi (heaven and earth) position, and kensei (feinting). Translations of the term Unsu include "Cloud Hands," "Hands in the Clouds," and even "Parting the Clouds." The name of the kata implies that your hands…
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Sochin

Sochin
Sochin is most commonly interpreted as "Strength and Calm" or "Energetic Calm." The translations of "Preserve the Peace," or even "Peacekeeper," are also sometimes used. Sochin is a very bold and sturdy kata, marked by a commanding physical and spiritual strength. It is generally considered as a Seisho Aragaki kata. Of the three Aragaki kata practiced in Shotokan, Sochin is…
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