Shotokan Karate kata Martial arts stubs. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Unsu is another kata thought to have been derived from an Okinawan folkdance, perhaps paying homage to the gods Fujin god of the wind and Raijen god of thunder and lightning. In the Shotokan kata, the style-typical techniques are repeated from the first to the last kata, again and again. This is the right way to do it since, as we all know, one cannot practice enough if one wishes to master a technique completely.
- Heian Shodan *
- Heian Nidan *
- Heian Sandan *
- Heian Yondan *
- Heian Godan *
- Tekki Shodan *
- Tekki Nidan *
- Tekki Sandan *
- Bassai Dai *
- Kanku Dai *
- Jion *
- Jitte *
- Enpi *
- Gankaku *
- Hangetsu *
* The 15 core katas of the Shotokan style by Funakoshi Gichin
History
Shotokan (松濤館 Shōtōkan) is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin was born in Okinawa[1] and is widely credited with popularizing “karate do” through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including those at Keio, Waseda, Hitotsubashi (Shodai), Takushoku, Chuo, Gakushuin, and Hosei.
Funakoshi had many students at the university clubs and outside dojos, who continued to teach karate after his death in 1957. However, internal disagreements (in particular the notion that competition is contrary to the essence of karate) led to the creation of different organizations—including an initial split between the Japan Karate Association (headed by Masatoshi Nakayama) and the Shotokai (headed by Motonobu Hironishi and Shigeru Egami), followed by many others—so that today there is no single “Shotokan school”, although they all bear Funakoshi’s influence.
As the most widely practiced style, Shotokan is considered a traditional and influential form of karate do.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotokan
We appreciate that many Shotokan Dojo practice more kata, but here, we are just going to mention the 27 standard Shotokan kata that are practiced by thousands of karateka all over the world.
Several Shotokan groups have introduced other shotokan kata and kata from other styles, into their training, but when the JKA (Japan Karate Association) was formed by Nakayama Sensei, he put forward these 26 kata (not including takyoku shodan or kihon kata), as the training kata for the JKA karateka. Even today, many thousands of Shotokan Dojo practice these 26 Kata only (leaving out 1. Taikyoku Shodan or Kihon Kata) .
Many other shotokan dojo have added Taikyoku shodan to the JKA list, which gives us the 27 kata below.
![Karate stances pdf Karate stances pdf](http://www.santenkarate.com/uploads/7/6/2/1/76217999/170107-25-shotokan-kata-review-session-ska_orig.jpg)
If you practice other shotokan or non shotokan kata, please let us know.
![Shotokan Shotokan](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125841787/257671186.jpg)
Here Are The 27 Shotokan Kata.
1. Taikyoku Shodan also known as Kihon kata (太極初段) Means ~ first cause first level Introduced by ~ Gichin Funakoshi
2. Heian Shodan (平安初段) Means ~ Peaceful way first level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
3. Heian Nidan (平安二段) Means ~ Peaceful way second level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
4. Heian Sandan (平安三段) Means ~ Peaceful way third level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
5. Heian Yondan (平安四段) Means ~ Peaceful way fourth level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
6. Heian Godan (平安五段) Means ~ Peaceful way fifth level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
7. Tekki Shodan (鉄騎初段) Means ~ Iron Horse first level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
8. Bassai Dai (披塞大) Means ~ To storm a fortress (dai=major) Introduced by ~ Peichin.
9. Kanku Dai (観空大) Means ~ To view the sky (dai=major) Introduced by ~ Kung Hsiang Chun
10. Enpi (燕飛) Means ~ Flying swallow Introduced by ~ Wang Ji
11. Hangetsu (半月) Means ~ Half Moon Introduced by ~ Bushi Matsumura
12. Jion (慈恩) Means ~ Thought to be named after the Chinese temple Jion-ji. kata and comes from Tomari te
13. Sochin (壯鎭) Means ~ Preserve Peace Introduced by ~Yoshitika Funakoshi
14. Meikyo (明鏡) Means ~ Mirror of the soul and comes from ~Tomari-te
15. Ji’in (慈陰) Means ~ Named after the saint and comes from Tomari te
16. Gojushiho Dai (五十四歩大) Means ~ 54 steps Introduced by ~Yasutsune Itosu
17. Jitte (十手)Means ~ Ten hands and comes from Tomari te
18. Gankaku (岩鶴) Means ~ Crane on a rock Introduced by ~ Bushi Matsumura
19. Tekki Nidan (鉄騎二段) Means ~ Iron Horse second level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
20. Tekki Sandan (鉄騎三段) Means ~ Iron Horse third level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
21. Chinte (珍手) Means ~ Incredible hands Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu?
22. Bassai Sho (披塞小) Means ~ To penetrate a fortress (sho=minor) Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
23. Kanku Sho (観空小) Means ~ To view the sky (sho=minor) Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
24. Nijushiho (二十四步) Means ~ 24 steps Introduced by ~ Seisho Aragaki
25. Unsu (雲手) Means ~ Hands of a cloud Introduced by ~ Seisho Aragaki
26. Wankan (王冠) Means ~ Crown of a king Introduced by ~ Gigo Funakoshi
27. Gojushiho Sho (五十四歩小) Means ~ 54 steps Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
2. Heian Shodan (平安初段) Means ~ Peaceful way first level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
3. Heian Nidan (平安二段) Means ~ Peaceful way second level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
4. Heian Sandan (平安三段) Means ~ Peaceful way third level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
5. Heian Yondan (平安四段) Means ~ Peaceful way fourth level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
6. Heian Godan (平安五段) Means ~ Peaceful way fifth level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
7. Tekki Shodan (鉄騎初段) Means ~ Iron Horse first level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
8. Bassai Dai (披塞大) Means ~ To storm a fortress (dai=major) Introduced by ~ Peichin.
9. Kanku Dai (観空大) Means ~ To view the sky (dai=major) Introduced by ~ Kung Hsiang Chun
10. Enpi (燕飛) Means ~ Flying swallow Introduced by ~ Wang Ji
11. Hangetsu (半月) Means ~ Half Moon Introduced by ~ Bushi Matsumura
12. Jion (慈恩) Means ~ Thought to be named after the Chinese temple Jion-ji. kata and comes from Tomari te
13. Sochin (壯鎭) Means ~ Preserve Peace Introduced by ~Yoshitika Funakoshi
14. Meikyo (明鏡) Means ~ Mirror of the soul and comes from ~Tomari-te
15. Ji’in (慈陰) Means ~ Named after the saint and comes from Tomari te
16. Gojushiho Dai (五十四歩大) Means ~ 54 steps Introduced by ~Yasutsune Itosu
17. Jitte (十手)Means ~ Ten hands and comes from Tomari te
18. Gankaku (岩鶴) Means ~ Crane on a rock Introduced by ~ Bushi Matsumura
19. Tekki Nidan (鉄騎二段) Means ~ Iron Horse second level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
20. Tekki Sandan (鉄騎三段) Means ~ Iron Horse third level Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
21. Chinte (珍手) Means ~ Incredible hands Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu?
22. Bassai Sho (披塞小) Means ~ To penetrate a fortress (sho=minor) Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
23. Kanku Sho (観空小) Means ~ To view the sky (sho=minor) Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu
24. Nijushiho (二十四步) Means ~ 24 steps Introduced by ~ Seisho Aragaki
25. Unsu (雲手) Means ~ Hands of a cloud Introduced by ~ Seisho Aragaki
26. Wankan (王冠) Means ~ Crown of a king Introduced by ~ Gigo Funakoshi
27. Gojushiho Sho (五十四歩小) Means ~ 54 steps Introduced by ~ Yasutsune Itosu