2004 WKF Women's Champion - Atsuko Wakai

[openmicsurgery]

she did a seminar in florida last year and it was amazing. she's so strong and power. perfect form too. absolutely amazing. <3 her.

[aikifan77]

to karateofla. Thankyou for your response. Don't get me wrong I wasn't inferring that the kata itself changes, the techniques and basic movement should be treated as LAW lol. What I was trying to say was that each individual puts their personality into their kata, whether they see it as powerful, flowing, rigid or meditative. That's where the interpretation lies for me. The bunkai side of things is more like putting the clues together to evolve into practicality. Still loved it.

[aikifan77]

I'm not a karate-ka but an aikidoka and I thought the kata was fantastic. Our katas are like chalk to your cheese as ours involve 2 people etc but the principles are the same, to show understanding of the flow of techniques. To call this boring is ridiculous, to point out the mistakes is irrelevant. Kata in itself is open to interpretation and hers is obviously one of power and re-direction. I thought it was beautiful to watch and it tiold the story of karate very well. Magnificent

[shotojojo1986]

@aikifan77 Thank you so much. Im not even shotokan and I loved he she is Goju Ryu, but she performed a Shito Ryu Kata in this video.She did a Seminar in our dojo when I was a Kid. AMAZING IN PERSON. Nicest woman EVER. She is better to watch in person, one of the best Kata players I have seen. I have notice too that other Japanese Martial arts there Katas are very slow and short. Just wondered why?

[Saltkringlan101]

Atsuko = t3h 1337 hime of Karate xD

I can totally understand why she is the world champion, her techniques are close to flawless : )

[shotojojo1986]

@Saltkringlan101 You should see her preform in person. AMAZING. 

[hoodaw]

THAT WAS AN AWESOME SUPARINPEI!

[aiko4321]

Is sh from Ryuei Ryu?

[Angelusfighter]

Her style is Goju-Ryu

[DirtyRamires]

awesome.

Great Kime.

OSS!!

[bulacankaratedo1]

atsuko wakai is great.

[chai35]

Just wanna add that Atsuko Wakai started Karate because she suffered from a serious injury from car accident when she was very young. She had problem with her movement, and simply learned Karate to help with her physical condition.

That alone is already an inspiration in itself. For people who critizing her, ask yourself first is there anything you are doing for other people except posting some negative comments on the internet.

[seigokanhongkong]

>>>Can she kick anybody's ass, or keep someone from kicking her's?

Well, maybe she can, maybe she can't.

FYI, Ms Wakai was also the kumite champion in Japan 1991-1994 before she took up kata full-time.

[lukkiop]

No way! Are there any vids of that?

[shotojojo1986]

@seigokanhongkong You shoulld put that as a reply!!!! She is a Bad ass. See her in person as well.

[commissar1969]

"Karate is not for dancing. Can she kick anybody's ass, or keep someone from kicking her's? This video was boring as hell."

I really wasn't going to say anything, but your ignorance is really appalling. It's one thing to be ignorant - it's another to be aggressively and unrepentantly ignorant.

How do you know what Karate is? Do you really think everyone trains for the same reason? Do their reasons really have to be your own in order for people to benefit from it?

[seigokanhongkong]

Can she kick anybody's ass, or keep someone from kicking her's? Well, maybe she can, maybe not.

FYI, she was also kumite champion in Japan 1991-1994 before she concentrated on kata.

[brink01]

you know this is not a dance at all. yes it may look like it but if you are a practitioner of any form of traditional martial arts then you should know how to apply any of the moves in this kata.

all "real" practitioner of this form of martial arts doesn't practice to gain some popularity and fame. discipline is the main reason of karate. that is why our 1st "dojo kune" is "strive for the perfection of character". not kick the ass of everyone who kicked your ass

[sempai34]

nice kata of shito ryu advance...like shotokan kata unsu,

[Karadota]

that's goju not shito ryu

[shisoshin0]

boredom is a stae of mind..

[luinewton]

and what good is that for...

[1URESAM]

start training karate and you will see what it's good for. that's the only way you'll see.

[Pecherin72]

Sorry to see another dynamic kata made to look boring and dead in a WKF tournament. That's not how this kata should be.

[aikifan77]

That's not how YOU see the kata, fair enough. But it is obvious that it is how she interperates the kata, with power and redirection, and how the judges either saw it or could see what she was displaying. That's why she won.

[JerryDam]

Excellent, but I find a shame that world champions only perform Suparunpei or Unsu in finals, they're great katas but you should be able to vary and still win. They should like be imposed the kata to perform. And why wouldn't there be any Wado Ryu champions in kata finals?!

[nikkischroder]

The competitors perform the kata the referee wants to see, it's just like fashion. Whatever kata that is "in" at the moment, would be performed most. Just like Chatanyera Kushanku or Gangaku. You don't see Wado champions a lot because Wado doesn't have a good name with it's kata's in the WKF, although I think that's a shame tho.

[Pecherin72]

Agree, nor IOGKF Goju-ryu. I'd say she does this kata so perfectly, technically, yet the flare and flow has been taken out, for the benefit of the tournament and judges. BTW I think she is really good, I don't think I can ever reach her standards on concise technical movement, in case anybody thinks I'm being arrogant.

[1URESAM]

the wado kata i've seen doesn't seem very powerful or intense.  i must be missing something because i know that wado is a legitimate style.

[joa4705]

Slayer, thats Suparunpei one of the longest and beautiest kata's on Goju Ryu. Supperbly executed by the way. Atsuko Wakai Rulez!

[SlayerSteve777]

she's MAGNIFICANT! is this the UNSU kata? I think i've seen it before in other videos

[shima909]

For those who think it is boring, it just because u know nothing at all about Karate.

Wakai Sensei, 8 times japan champion and 4 times world champion -- this is the world record, she is unbeatable in women kata

If this is boring trying to beat the record for fun then and you will see how hard it is.

[Jh7478]

I totally concur with you.

[1URESAM]

i don't see how you can say it's boring unless you don't know anything about karate.  i agree with shima909

[zacbenloulou]

I got to train with her today! It was a huge honor. She came to duncan BC. My sato sensei aranged it all. She is truly amazing.

[R2Dancer]

Goju-Ryu it´s awesome

=DDD

Nice execution of kata

[svaran]

she's done better kata, thought the tempo was too slow, and some of the faster techniques were sloppy.

[imsgoalie]

Karate is not for dancing. Can she kick anybody's ass, or keep someone from kicking her's? This video was boring as hell.

[matiasdelnido]

Maybe she can't kick you ass, or maybe can.... Karate-Do is a martial art, is not only kick asses around.

[matiasdelnido]

Karate-Do isn't only kick ass*s around.... there is more than kick's and punch.

[AVbullet]

shes good

[bruninhomaster]

she's goju ryu. she's ever best woman kata former forever.

[mayumiiwaki]

is she gojiryu? -Mr.Shito-Ryu

[Colemandina]

5 kiais??? Is that what makes the performance? We don't do five.

[33Hatori]

She rocks it all.

[KarateWithTino]

that was not so good, but the performance is awesome (but its not the real kata, and the zensalute its too long that can gave her one minus point) never more than 3-5 seconds. And where is the 5 Kiais, not only in the end, but it depends of course also from her sensei and their style

[KarateWithTino]

a ok sorry i missed yuor description lol :-D

[Toxeh]

I do shotokan (JKA) and I can pick out a million actual mistakes from WKF shotokan Kata, is it the same for a Goju Ryu Practitioner?

Some of these people have excellent speed but if you can't coordinate arm, leg and hip speed then there's barely any power at all.

[simplykarate]

I do shotokan too. IMHO, the problem with WKF is the katas are not strictly to the book. E.g. in Gojushiho-Sho the 4th & 5th moves on tate uke before the double punches, kick & punch, most WKF players are on fudo dachi which strictly is not correct. it should be zenkutsu dachi. i think they do that so to get a better hip power when doing the double punches..

[sporo5521]

she's awesome...never fails to bore me