Kanku Dai - 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
• kanku
• dai

[Mr23748]

Lyoto Machida, on April 30th UFC 129 used the jump front kick from this Kata to knock out Randy Cotoure.

[beccajen88]

believe it or not, this is done the way it is supposed to be done. It's not supposed to be flashy. Shoto Kan is a very punctuated style. not big and open like some of the mainland styles; ju jutsu, aiki jutsu, etc. it's focus is on economy of motion, so the movements are short bursts of energy. i may be wrong, i've only been studying for about 12 years or so, so i have a long way to go. But i talked with Motubu Sensei a few years back and he said this to me so it seems accurate.

[betterthanuian]

Compared to now, this looks shit..

[johnbsan]

@Fulkultur This is about as good as it gets in regard to the traditional Shotokan manner of executing this kata. The karateka performing this kata in the video is Kanazawa Hirokazu who is a 10th degree black belt and to many is a living legend. There are many variations of this kata and those under WUKO rules will perform this to a different rhythm. But this is the short, sharp, economic of movement traditional form.

[academiadragaopnn]

very good!! oss!

[Flexah93]

this kata is so dam hard

[runronggan]

heian godan and this kata are my favorite

i love the jump :P

[fruechtchen3xbla]

OMG! today we made this kata... the only thing i remember is the name of the kata and the first 3 or 4 moves^^ but hey: i have the 7th Kyu... we only have to repeat it abaout 50.000 times and i will learn it :)

[ezsurfer23]

@beccajen88 You really captured Shotokan with your comments! I've never heard it like that before.

[Fulkultur]

@TheSomnathchatterjee I love that saying! "Be like watah. Watah is smooth, but watah can cwash."

[Fulkultur]

Hmm...I do shotokan but my Kanku Dai isn't near as choppy. I am not insulting it! Don't get me wrong, I was just wondering if this was in Japan, or what else could make the difference.