How many katas are in Shotokan Karate?

26 katas
Shotokan Karate is comprised of 26 katas, each with their own emphasis on fast and slow or controlled and powerfull movements. Virtually all of the katas taught today in the Shotokan system have two kiai points.

What is the first karate kata called?

Taigyoku Shodan
The first two kata that we learn in GKR Karate are known as Taigyoku Shodan and Taigyoku Nidan, but they are more commonly referred to as First and Second kata.

Is Taikyoku Shodan a kata?

Taikyoku Shodan is the first kata in the Taikyoku series. It is the most basic of all kata and has only 20 moves with three recurring techniques: down block, lunge punch, and front stance.

What does Heian Shodan mean?

Peaceful Mind – level one
Heian Shodan translates as ‘Peaceful Mind – level one’. In many ways, the symbolic significance of the ‘Heian’ series represents the spirit and attitude that accompanies Karate-Do as a Martial Art, so these five kata that make up the series are truly significant, both fundamentally and philosophically.

Who created Taikyoku Kata?

Gichin “Shoto” Funakoshi Sensei
Taikyoku (First Cause) Gichin “Shoto” Funakoshi Sensei named the set of three Taikyoku kata developed by his son Yoshitaka “Gigō” Funakoshi Sensei. In his book “Karate-do Kyohan” Funakoshi, he explains the development of the kata and why he named them Taikyoku, which translates as First Cause.

What is the kata of 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.

What does age uke mean in karate?

rising block
Age-uke (上げ受け), which translates to “rising block”, or “upward block” is the Japanese term for a technique used in martial arts. There numerous variations in how the technique might be executed, and nothing implicit in the term itself restricts its use to unarmed techniques.

What does Bunkai mean in karate?

analysis
Bunkai (分解), literally meaning “analysis” or “disassembly”, “is a term used in Japanese martial arts referring to process of analysing kata and extracting fighting techniques from the movements of a ‘form’ (kata). The extracted fighting techniques are called Oyo.”