Kankusho Shotokan

This is a video of me in a Chiba city tournament. Taken in November of 2006. I did not get past the second round. I did the kata using things I learned in ITKF which does not always go well with tournaments here in Japan.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Kankusho
• Chiba
• Shotokan
• ITKF
• Karate
• Kata

[johnpricekataoka]

To all, there is nothing wrong with a fast lunge punch and a slow uchi uke( it is not an uchi uke really. It is breaking a grab and pushing my opponet's grabbing hand/arm into my opponet, which allows me to lunge forward for another punch.

[Bassai]

Hi, I'm in my late 30's and have been practising Shotokan most of my life. I started in a JKA branch-out (cut-off) dojo in the Philippines, and continued practicing in a JKA dojo in New York since 2001. I was always taught by my Japanese teachers (JKA or not)to step with minmal sound and only stomp when the technique calls for it (However, stomp HARD). Maybe that's why they didn't took you kata so well? Did Nishiyama teach you the same thing? I'm curious...

[johnpricekataoka]

Nishiyama never taught me to stomp into the floor. Stomping is a side effect of other things. Stomping itself was not the goal. If you were using your lower body, and your legs to deliver the technique, and using return force from the floor, then you might get a stompping sound.

[karatefella]

Overall a very nice performance, but I think your stances are slightly too high/short.

I am wondering why you have a fast Oi Tsuki, followed by a slow Uchi Uke ?

In our Association ( JKA method ) we use a fast Uchi Uke following the punch.

[johnpricekataoka]

I do high stances because that is the way it is taught in ITKF. The slow Uchi Uke is because I see it as a pressing block forward, not a pulling back action. I feel it is a power move and should be done slowly. I also did it, to slow down the pace of the kata and to show proper hip motion. Thank you for your comments.

[karatefella]

As a matter of personal interest, who is the chief instructor of the ITKF ?

I didn't realise that in competition, one can change the timing etc of the techniques of a Kata.

I thought that the techniques of a Kata and the way they are performed are "set in stone", as it were.

Andy 4th Dan BMAA (Wirral Shotokan Karate Club)

[johnpricekataoka]

The cheif instructor is Heditaka Nishiyama in California. In competition you can change the timing of the kata. Kata techniques are "set in stone" if you think they should be. But, I feel as you move along on a karate path, sometimes kata techniques, or the way of doing techniques in general may need to change. Each to his own is what I say. I hold nothing against those who do not want to change techniques, and those who do it for sound reasons. I feel my changes are sound. Thanks for commenting

[yippe]

yes in western society it would appear strong, threatening and the way we would feel a martial art should be displayed but shotokan should laid down traditionally when done in its home town.

[DonalPhelan]

By and large, it was a good kata, well performed. The current trend in ultra-fast tournament kata does nothing for me. The "stomping" in your kata does not appear forced by you, and it's probably a consequence of the floor, and your weight (no offence intended). Performing this kata in the dojo wrecks my head (and my legs)... but if could offer you any advice it would be to try getting the rear foot to face more forward in zenkutsu.. that will stop the knee from collapsing.

[Psycho888999]

I dunno, I thought it was a good change from the uber fast tournament katas you see all the time. Nice, stable and strong.

[moritzkunow]

I think the stomping is a fatal flaw, if I may say so and if this is a grading, he would have failed. But my respect still goes out to him for posting, I think it takes a lot of courage to post one's karate videos on the internet and I can also hope that I can still perform kata as powerful as him when I reach my late 40s.

[moritzkunow]

I train in JKA under Ochi sensei here in Germany. The performer looks very dedicated and powerful in his kata performance. This is commendable especially since he's probably in his mid to late 40s/early 50s. However my main criticism is the stomping. Whether intentional or not, it shows poor execution of technique and makes the whole performace look clumsy and at times comical.

[Svlasov55]

Nice, but you have to get rid of that stomping. It's not good.

[weaseldragon]

The kata looks great to me, but what do I know?