Video

thank you! my son is studying this poomsae for Moo Duk Kwan and he found this inspirational. His Bassai has improved a lot since!

In Shukokai it’s Bassai

Oss Sensei thank you for sharing

Belíssimo trabalho! Oss

Same thing goes for many Kata. Currently seisan is the main focus for me. So Hangetsu is a shotokan Kata that I taught myself(Kata police ears are burning now)! I’ve used your videos ad part of my research. OSS.

Oss! ❤🙏🥋✌️👌👏🙌

Spirituality in martial arts is a myth.

In most of my karate training and teaching philosophy/spirituality was there. You had bowing in and out of class with light meditation from japanese sitting. Various procedures including bowing and light meditation before kata was preformed. Also we would talk about philosophy and strategy to various degrees like in a class(notes,dry erase board, etc.).

Get these 3 books to fill the void. The Bubishi,Book of 5 Rings, and Art of War.

Thank you for this very nice point of view! I really appreciate that you share your thoughts!

One must understand seishin

Great, inspiring thoughts and speech, thank you very, very much!

In American Kempo we call it forms

Hi, many karate katas are comming from kobudo. So when you perform such a kata without a required weapon, it can look a bit strange. In my opinion Jion was made for Kama.

Is this what I can look forward to if i apply for membership? Break downs of the kata? Common mistakes? The body mechanics of how to turn, which muscles to engage? Just by watching this I feel I can learn again. As far as I know there is no longer a Shotokan dojo in my area. I had stopped for a while and would like to continue again. I know, I should have never stopped but be it as it may I did. I have been practicing again for about 3 months at about 1-2 hours a day 3-4 days a week after work. Is there a syllabus/curriculum with the membership? Thank you in advance.

Don't forget that crime percentage in Japan is also influence by the jails. Forced labor, no visiting, military system that is second to none in the world

Nice video, however let me correct something that is unfortunately misunderstood by Shotokan and other Japanese Karatekas about the true function of Kata as it was used in Okinawa. As a Martial Art that practiced jutsu not Do. Just ask Motobu what he thinks about this. Character development and spiritual training is a Do interpretation or modern performance requirement. Shotokan people never really knew the actual jutsu application of Kata and most interpretation are already for spiritual training, performance and sport. That is why Shotokan stylist does not know how to fight using Kata applications but use modern Japanese sparring techniques. And why modern Katas are performed like dramatic performances with over exagerated kiaa and over emphasis on Kime instead of Chinkuchi power. Why there are over dramatic pauses and slow movements that are not useful in a real fight. Why their center of balance is high even if the stances are lower than Okinawan Karate. There are so many technical mistakes learned in Sport Karate when doing Kata that teaches you bad habits. That is why, even winning several Kata competitions when I was young, hate watching modern sport Katas and bunkai. Kata was part of a system that involved Bunkai (not the bunkai Shotokan people think), Oyo Bunkai, Tuite, Kyusho, Hojo Undo and Gym (not point) sparring. All these things are what Japanese stylist do not know or understand because the Karate they inherited was the sport version. Saying that knowing the "secret" (which is secret only because they never really knew) as useless and not the point of Kata is disrespect to Okinawan Karate. That is why Sensei Naka of JKA made a pilgramage to Okinawa. To learn the original way Kata was used for training. Learning actual Jutsu does not stop you from cultivating Do. In fact learning the serious use instead of the imaginative performance leads you closer to Do. There are specific historical reasons for the shift from jutsu to Do in Japanese Martial Arts and unless you understand these, you will not understand why Shotokan or what people think as "Traditional" was a modern budo invention. Even Budo is misunderstood as being the samen with Bujutsu.

Nice video, however let me correct something that is unfortunately misunderstood by Shotokan and other Japanese Karatekas about the true function of Kata as it was used in Okinawa. As a Martial Art that practiced jutsu not Do. "If it does not have a certain sense of dignity...", Character development training is a Do interpretation or modern performance requirement. Shotokan people never really knew the actual jutsu application of Kata and most interpretation are already for performance and sport. That is why Shotokan stylist does not know how to fight using Kata applications but use modern Japanese sparring techniques. And why modern Katas are performed like dramatic performances with over exagerated kiaa and over emphasis on Kime instead of Chinkuchi power. Why there are over dramatic pauses and slow movements that are not useful in a real fight. Why their center of balance is high even if the stances are lower than Okinawan Karate. There are so many technical mistakes learned in Sport Karate when doing Kata that teaches you bad habits. That is why, even winning several Kata competitions when I was young, hate watching modern sport Katas and bunkai. Kata was part of a system that involved Bunkai (not the bunkai Shotokan people think), Oyo Bunkai, Tuite, Kyusho, Hojo Undo and Gym (not point) sparring. All these things are what Japanese stylist do not know or understand because the Karate they inherited was the sport version. Saying that knowing the "secret" (which is secret only because they never really knew) as useless and not the point of Kata is disrespect to Okinawan Karate. That is why Sensei Naka of JKA made a pilgramage to Okinawa. To learn the original way Kata was used for training. Learning actual Jutsu does not stop you from cultivating Do. In fact learning the serious use instead of the imaginative performance leads you closer to Do.

I would like for you to see a larger perspective so you think 30 years is significant as if you seen it all and so you will say there is nothing being taught that way. well I've been studying and practicing and training actively constantly in martial arts only traditional by the way I have six godan level black belts I've earned and now I'm 79 and still training. began my martial arts experience at about 5 or 6 years old and then begin training formerly under instruction at age 11. and during that time I haven't had to train alone without instruction up until this 3 years of the covid social distancing. the only thing that you're right about in the claim that this stuff is not being taught is that in that entire time I've seen and been training in that aspect constantly. what this shows is that training in it is purely a matter of the person training. the forms are always there therefore the techniques are always there therefore the application is always there but how are you training..... if you can't see that it's up to you you're not getting it. and you're using your mind to train instead of learning something that will teach you the very thing that you are neglecting just like every other idiot human on this Earth always does. now I've only recently gotten to the place where I can see this stuff clearly clearer then I ever did before. the universal problem of human beings is they go through the backdoor every time and fail to even notice the front door that is standing right in front of them wide freaking open for them to walk right in. I first started to notice this and fighting. I've been training and ninjutsu for maybe 45 years or so now and that art helped me put together all of the older martial arts that I had studied and trained in for years. the ninjas always avoided my questions gave generalizations or said they didn't know but all of them were constantly showing stuff that looked absolutely magical but plainly when I learn to do what they were doing it was not anything but a physical action it always appears as if Magic. I've learned that that's the real magic. so they didn't have to explain enlightenment that's using the wrong tool. mind is one of our weakest smallest tools. everybody thinks that there's a $0.06 and that's absolutely bulshit all that fancy ESP stuff is something that I also trained in for all those years and I went through the back door many times able to experience see and do things that were mind-blowing but it was not something that you could rely upon or control to any large degree it would come and go and it was often not be reliable when trying to consciously to control it. a Flawless techniques that have been practiced over and over and over would fail and I would have experienced coming up against someone who just knew a little more than I did. when I continued training and gave up my mind chatter and focused on my purely five physical senses everything changed. eventually I saw I had now chosen the front door. enlightenment maybe a process that has a mind of its own. but remember that's only a notion that's human. what I've learned is that whenever you have fully developed your purely five physical senses by physical experience and training yu body and attitudes , ONLY THEN DO YU HAVE A WHOLE BODY OF FIVE SENSES WHICH IN TIME FREE OF YUR CONTROLING STUFF WITH YER THINKING CHATTERING MIND .....ONLY THEN WILL WHAT THE UNEXPERIENCED UNTRAINING UNEDUCATED SILLY PEOPLE HAVE A LIVE THAT JUST TAKES CARE OF ITSELF. this is the reason that in the classes of ninjutsu you will often hear said just train just shut up and freaking train and your life will take care of itself! Sehingfranciswinddragonschool@gmail.com Slice and Dice on CZcams czcams.com/video/hz1_ISOVTQM/video.html

When you train eight hours a week as you do in the West, you don’t have time to do both.

Lmao

Spirituality and karate has nothing in similaries. Sorry to say! 😔

every sensei i have ever known says "something no one else will ever tell you". i wish they would just drop that bullshit

Very good explanation Sensei. Hangetsu, if it is well done, is one of the most difficult katas. Thanks for sharing

As a Shotokan practitioner myself, even as the Spiritual aspect is very important, what Nakayama failed to discuss is that unless you learn the whole technology of Bunkai, two man drill, Kakie, hojo undo and toide plus the actual self defense techniques that the Okinawans did not teach the Japanese. Shotokan karate developed its own specialized way of fighting as the Japanese come from a Martial culture, however when have you seen a shotokan stylist use the moves of kata in fighting? The beauty and depth of kata can be discovered in Okinawa. Imho.

What is the use of going on to the knee when you block I'm really curious cos the blocks themselves look functional but I can't come to a conclusion as to why you go to your knee. Is it just a way of increasing strength in the legs?

In Funakoshi's biography, he mentions Buddhism and religion a couple of times. But it is mentionned in a way that is culturally taken for granted. What he defines as religion is a way of life: Etiquette, respect for the tradition and rituals. Also never using karate for attack. A part of spirituality in karate can be as simple as not walking with your shoes on the tatami. It's being humble and grateful. Or fighting for justice. Being mortally right. Discipline. Strengthening the body and the mind. Concentration. It's all those aspects that do exist but that you can not touch nor see. You can only experience them. They are the things inbetween, or the results of actions or interactions.

Thank you for highlighting this excellent point. I have three comments. Firstly too many kata are being learned too quickly. The Japaneses say this is what westerners want and I am inclined to believe them. Performing Heian Shodan or Hangetsu 20 times will take you to the point where you can nearly watch your body doing the moves. For me this is moving Zen. It’s not how you look to others, it’s about how you feel inside as you perform kata and you should not be thinking. Secondly I hate the minor changes some Sensei make to kata. From now on I am sticking with the moves in the Best Karate series. Thirdly, have you ever asked yourself why you want to be second, third or fourth Dan? Yes, grades are a motivational tool but are they not more ego driven and this is far from Zen. Thanks again.

This is a modern sport interpretation where kata is used for exhibition performance and not for actual combat anymore. When Karate was introduced as Do and not jutsu to the public.

Interesting

Interesting

Great content. Please give us more!

Good explanation! Thanks for sharing, sensei. Thank you for the key points to consider in kata practice.

You hit it right on. That is exactly how I feel in a tournament. Need to 😌

Perfect statements.

Shotokan, my introduction to Martial Arts, of all the arts I learned, Shotokan still has a firm place in my heart. I took Karate to fight off bullies in school, they fled in terror when they learned I was doing Karate, that was the 90s so they all thought I was going to be like Chuck Norris. But I stayed with Karate all these years because I loved it so much.

It's not just spiritual, it's also the bunkai too....that's the real essence of kata

Hi Marcus, schön Dich auf diesem Wege mal wieder zu sehen! Bin ganz zufällig auf Dein Video gestoßen. Ich bin nach der Auflösung unseres Vereins in Hütschenhausen im Shorin-Ryu in Landstuhl gelandet und lerne dort nun u.a. deren Versionen der uns aus dem Shotokan bekannten Katas. Pinan 1-5 > Heian, Naihanchi 1-3 > Tekki, Shinto > Gankaku, Kushanku > Kanku. Es gibt zwar nur eine Gojushiho (sehr ähnlich unserer 2 Versionen), jedoch sogar 3 Pasai (Bassai): Pasai Sho, Pasai Dai (oder auch Kuda no Pasai) und Matsumura no Pasai. In allen 3 dieser Katas findet man Elemente aus den Shotokan-Bassais, insbesondere aus der Dai. Ich interessiere mich seither sehr für die Entstehung bzw. Entwicklung der Katas. Ich fand z.B. auch die Videos von Naka Sensei sehr interessant, in denen er die selben Katas aus unterschiedlichen Stilen nebeneinander zeigte.

Meine Güte!

Very informative video and well put together my compliments. Just wanted to add my take on the great question that is being posed in this video. Traditional Karate should be taught to strengthen the practitioner physically but develop their character mentally and spiritually as they train. Is this being taught in majority of schools and systems on Karate? Unfortunately no…. However when you have a good teacher that respects and teaches tradition they are not only masters of the development of the physical when you come to class they are masters of weaving into every lesson character developing moments that as you go from white to black belt (If you don’t quit) you’ve become a different person not just in how you look physically. But how you treat others around you the good ones and the bad ones. There is no class to teach the spirit or develop the character. The class to develop those things are through pushing through the hard challenges that classes bring, opponents bring and a great teacher checking your ego at every turn. The masters of the past already knew to develop spirit and they weaved it into the training through the kicking, punching and repetition of kata. The real challenge is that as Karate has become more of a business worldwide……people come to the dojo expecting a service b/c they pay tuition. Not coming to really empty their cup and develop themselves as people or martial artist. Just the physical part. You should be sweeping your dojo, cleaning the mirrors, helping your Kohais, respecting your Sempai’s, getting sent home if you come late, being told you failed a promotion if you really did, being told by your Sensei you’re not ready for your next degree exam even though you think you are ready, teaching for your school whenever your teacher needs you to help for free, etc. All these activities and many more develop your spirit that’s why their isn’t a special class or mantra you can say to go along with your training to make you a better person. It’s only through the training and consistently showing up ego free every class humbling yourself to your Sensei and Sempai’s and Kohais that you develop the spirit. Few dojos operate in this manner. That’s why you can have the whole world training “Karate” but if they aren’t maintaining traditions of respect in the dojo. You’ll graduate “Black Belts” that still act just as bad as people who have never trained. Just my opinion on the matter. “Seek Perfection Of Character” OSU!!

It's a concentration kata. If you do it correctly, you're essentially winding your body up like a spring. It's actually a beautiful kata, if done properly. I agree in that it's sadly overlooked by a lot of practitioners. It's by no means flashy, but there's a lot to learn from studying it. If you were only going to practice two kata anymore, a compelling case could be made for Kwanku ( Kanku Dai) and Hangetsu.

Very good but why havent you done the second part too?

When i now started karate my sensi engraved these thoughts into us: "A fight should end as soon as possible. " "One hit, one technique or one opportunity is all you got in a life and death situation." "We train so we intend to live." "Our intentions, defend yourself as effective as possible." "Karate was not meant for show man ship or showing off. Its a way of life. The weapons are our body, the hands, the feet, the head, the fingers, the toes, the shoulders are for offensive use and defence purposes. We train to be mentally sound, physically fit and ready to respond to our present situations that may deem a danger to our wellbeing."

Great content and as soon as I'm done watching the other videos

Nice share this

very informative. thanks for explaining

You are lucky that karate practitioners are ignorant and you can tell them anything, and they drink it. You don't know any truth about anything. Especially if those who want to tell these "truths" practice shotokan of that factory of nothing that is the JKA. Keep fooling practitioners with your false knowledge. Remember, however, that lies have short legs.

You are lucky that karate practitioners are ignorant and you can tell them anything, and they drink it. You don't know any truth about anything. Keep fooling practitioners with your false knowledge. Remember, however, that lies have short legs.

You are lucky that karate practitioners are ignorant, and you can tell them anything, and they drink it. You don't know any truth about anything. Keep fooling practitioners with your false knowledge. Remember, however, that lies have short legs.