Bassai Sho - Shotokan Karate

The most popular image associated with kata is that of a karate practitioner performing a series of punches and kicks in the air. The kata are executed as a specified series of approximately 20 to 70 moves, generally with stepping and turning, while attempting to maintain perfect form. There are perhaps 100 kata across the various forms of karate, each with many minor variations. The number of moves in a kata may be referred to in the name of the kata, eg. Gojushiho, which means "54 steps." The number of moves may also have links with Buddhist spirituality. The number 108 is significant in Buddhism, and kata with 54, 36, or 27 moves (divisors of 108) are common. The practitioner is generally counselled to visualize the enemy attacks, and his or her responses, as actually occurring, and karateka are often told to "read" a kata, to explain the imagined events.

In teaching the open handed kata, most styles of Karate start with a series of three, or sometimes two, very simple kata called blocking forms before advancing to five basic kata named Pinan in some systems and Heian in others. By working through this series (in order: Shodan, Nidan, Sandan, Yondan, Godan (except in Wado Ryu Karate, where Shodan and Nidan are reversed)) the practitioner learns all the basic stances and techniques before moving on to more advanced kata. Traditionally, kata are taught in stages. Previously learned kata are returned to in order to show more advanced techniques or ways of doing things, as beginners do not have the same knowledge and experience that practitioners further up the ranks have. It is not uncommon in some styles for students testing for Shodan (first rank black belt) to have to repeat every kata they have learned from the first belt, but at a "black belt" level, for example, with better technique, power, amongst others. This system is often used for the lower grades as well. The student will perform one new kata and one or two previous ones, to demonstrate how much they have progressed and how quickly they can learn new things.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• karate
• shotokan
• kata
• black
• belt
• bassai
• sho

[shotokankataman]

Yes, this kata is from Shotokan Karate. Other styles often have essentially the same kata with slight modifications and sometimes a different name.

[Vooba]

Your talking about a tenth degree black belt. Hes so good your too stupid to understand.

[AlphMarco]

give us your video, and we will rate it...his stand is not like 20-30 years ago when he was young and everything, but it's still better than lot of black belts and colored belts that I met...his technique is pure, he misses the spot of standing,ok...but no1 is perfect,the katas should start and end on the same place, but it depends, you can't jump 2 times the same way...so , that's ok to miss, in stronger kata's, but in the first 5 it's not allowed,this is for 4. dan, master grade, so it's ok.

[BoltonShotokanKarate]

This one is easy just the end moves are hard.

[kurdioo]

damn, and I keep thinking that Bassai Dai was hard, this makes Bassai Dai look like Taikyoku Shodan =_=

[mkortz13]

@jonkingjk Really? Those movements blocked low level kicks in our bunkai. No worries, each dojo is a little different.

[mkortz13]

@Sheik06 We were shown the last move as being a trip/throw using your ankle as the pivot point.

[Carl2]

ok i got a beef....the ending with the leg sweeps, why did they modifiy it this days instead of just keeping things one way....dont that take away from the "tradition" part of it all besides the euqitte

[Sheik06]

Those are not leg sweeps. They are some kind of blocks or evations for leg attacks.

[jonkingjk]

There are leg sweeps in Tekki Shodan !!!!

[jonkingjk]

Knowing a pattern is one thing, understanding the mening is another matter. Concentrate on the \heian and Tekki katas for now

[deek77]

I've noticed that this is one of, if not the first shotkan kata that uses neko ashi dachi. Interesting how in Okinawan styles this is a fundamental stance, yet in Shotokan it's treated as advanced.

[Sheik06]

Is bassai sho the only kata with ashi barai (leg sweep)?