A Brief History of Karate

One of the most famous instructors in the Japanese Karate Association (JKA), Sensei Kanazawa, (3 times JKA champion) was invited to Engand in April 1965 to do Karate exhibitions.  A year later the first British Shotokan Association, the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB) was formed.  Several years later in 1974, Sensei Kanazawa started Shotokan Karate International (SKI) with the headquarters based in Japan.  He reached the pinnacle of Karate, by being the only one of a few to achieve 10th Dan.  As Kanazawa rarely came to Britain, the senior instructors of the E.S.K.A having trained and graded with Sensei Kanazawa in the 1960’s and 70’s fromed the English Shotokan Karate Association in 1979, to carry on Shotokan in the style of Sensei Kanazawa.

ESKA is one of the oldest Karate Associations in the country, was nurtured by Sensei Michael Nursey (9th Dan) b.1949 -d. 2024, it’s Chief Instructor for 45 years.

ESKA Kihon Ippon Kumite (Sets) ESKA KATAs

KATA – Pre brown belt

TAIKYOKU SHODAN
(FIRST CAUSE)

Taikyoku Shodan, Involves only two basic moves: the gedan barai (low block), and chudan (middle) oi zuki (sometimes “oi tsuki”), or lunge punch.  All stances, except at the beginning and end, are zenkutsu dachi (front stance).  There are 20 moves to this kata and you only turn inwards to the embusen.

HEIAN SHODAN
(PEACEFUL MIND FIRST LEVEL)

Heian Shodan,  builds on the moves in Taikyoku Shodan: Age uke block (upper rising block) and shuto uke (knife hand block).  The majority of stances are zenkutsu dachi (front stance) but the shuto uke moves are in kokutsu dachi (back stance).  There are 20 moves to this kata.

HEIAN NIDAN
(PEACEFUL MIND SECOND LEVEL)

Heian Nidan, builds includes some of the moves in Heian Shodan but also includes additional moves such as shihon nukite (spear hand strike), morote uke (augmented forearm block) and mae geri (front kick) and mikazuki geri (crescent kick).  There are 21 moves to this kata.

HEIAN SANDAN
(PEACEFUL MIND THIRD LEVEL)

Heian Sandan, introduces some new combinations which includes uchi uke or inside block , kosa uke or cross arm block, tetsui uchi or hammer fist and mikazuk igeri There are 21 moves to this kata.

HEIAN YONDAN
(PEACEFUL MIND FORTH LEVEL)

Heian Yondan, more moves and sequences introduced, including juji uke (x block),  empi uchi (elbow strike) and kakiwaki uke (reverse wedge block).  There are 21 moves to this kata.

HEIAN GODAN
(PEACEFUL MIND FIFTH LEVEL)

Heian Godan, (The Kata of all Katas as Sensei Stones would say) brings further combinations including the around the world hand rotation,  maizanonugeri (waterflow down the arm) and the first kata with a jump.  There are 21 moves to this kata.

KATA – Brown belt

TEKKI SHODAN
(IRON HORSE FIRST LEVEL)

Tekki Shodan, is the first kata in the Tekki series and is also the first kata that does not start in the traditional yoi position and emphasises strong and powerful techniques. There are 25 moves in this kata.

BASSAI DAI
(STORMING THE FORTRESS – MAJOR)

Bassai Dai, meaning that one must exhibit the power and spirit required to break through an enemy’s castle.  This is particularly evident in the kata’s first movement, when the karateka launches forward with soete-uchi-uke.  There are 42 moves in Bassai Dai.

KANKU DAI
(VIEWING THE SKY – MAJOR)

Kanku Dai, having 65 movements, Kanku Dai is the longest kata in the Shotokan syllabus. Kanku translates as “Looking at the Sky” or “Viewing the Sky,” referring to the kata’s opening sequence. Kanku Dai is an amalgamation of the Heian and Tekki kata.  It is common to mistakenly start with Kanku Dai but move into a previous kata in error.

KATA – 1st Kyu

ENPI
(Flying swallow)

Enpi, also frequently transliterated as Empi, is a kata practiced by Shotokan and other karate styles. Enpi means Flying Swallow and comes from the Okinawan martial art of Tomari-te, where it first appeared in 1683. due to the dynamic form of combat, this kata resembles a swallow in flight.  There are 39 moves in this kata.

JITTE
(Ten hands)

Jitte, Mastery of the kata is supposed to imply that the karateka is able to perform the actions of ten men, further inferring that one has the ability to fight off ten armed opponents. Even within the Shotokan style, this kata has many variations.  There are 27 moves in this kata.

JIIN
(JIIN temple)

Jiin, the primary technique is the kosa-uke (uchi-uke/gedan-uke), similar to the one found at the beginning of Jion.  There are 35 moves in this kata.

JiOn
(Jiin temple)

Jion, is believed to be named after the Jion-ji, a Buddhist temple in China.  Jion is a simple kata and is comprised mostly of pieces from Heian and Tekki kata. There are 47 moves in this kata.

KATA – 1st Dan

HANGETSU
(Half Moon)

Hangetsu, an advanced kata that incorporates semi-circular movements and the Hangetsu-dachi (half-moon stance), which is a key feature of the kata. The name Hangetsu is a more recent designation; the original Okinawan name for the kata was Seisan (十三), meaning “Thirteen”.

Bassai Sho
(Storming the Fortress – Minor)

Bassai Sho, It’s a smaller, shorter version of the Bassai Dai kata, retaining similar movements and line of attack but with fewer movements and a more compact style. While Bassai Dai emphasizes power and strength, Bassai Sho focuses on inner calm and subtle energy. The kata involves defenses against stick attacks, often using grasping blocks and unusual variations of standard techniques.

Chinte
(Strange Hands)

Chinte, is known for its distinctive hand techniques and movements not found in other Shotokan kata. The Chinte kata is also considered a highly advanced kata.

Gankaku
(Crane On A Rock)

Chinte, it’s a complex kata known for its graceful movements, diverse stances, and unusual techniques, including the crane stance and one-footed pivot. Gankaku is also related to the Chinto kata, which is practiced in various systems of Shorei-ryu karate.

Tekki Nidan
(Iron Horse Level 2)

Tekki Nidan, it’s a grappling-focused kata, emphasizing in-fighting techniques and close-range combat, all performed primarily in the horse stance (kiba-dachi). The kata consists of 24 movements and introduces new techniques, building upon the foundation laid by Tekki Shodan.

KATA – 2nd Dan

Kankusho
(Viewing the Sky – Minor)

Kankusho, it’s a more advanced, smaller version of the Kanku Dai kata, known for its dynamic movements and two jumping techniques. Kanku Sho is often preferred by younger, more athletic black belts.

Nijushiho
(24 Steps)

Nijushiho, it’s known for its challenging nature and is often reserved for advanced black belt level students. The name “Nijūshiho” (or its Okinawan counterpart, “Niseishi”) reflects the number of foot movements or steps in the kata.

Meikyo
(Highly Polished Mirror)

Meikyo, it is the name of a kata, or form, that was redeveloped and renamed from Rōhai by Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan. The name likely refers to the opening movement of the kata, where the practitioner pulls both palms up to the face as if looking into a mirror.

Sochin
(Preserve Peace)

Sochin, it’s characterized by a dynamic rhythm featuring slow, deliberate movements interspersed with explosive bursts of speed. The kata is known for using the fudo-dachi (rooted or immovable stance).