Kata of the Month

The purpose of the "Kata of the Month" is to create a community conversation about the movements, technique, applications, history, training experiments, and spiritual and philosophical concepts behind the kata. Within each kata, there contains a full "textbook" of information waiting to be distilled and digested. We hope that the conversation that evolves out of this process may be shared with the greater ISKA community; we encourage the sharing of ideas and feedback on the kata. 

Kata Movements

Every two months, we will feature an instructional video of the kata of the month and a video of other individuals performing the kata, if a high quality version exists so that the ISKA community may work on acquiring a functional ability to perform the kata. 

Bunkai Suggestions

We will provide videos or commentary regarding the suggested bunker applications of the segments of the kata. Of course, bunkai is only limited by your imagination and much of the understanding of the kata comes through understanding bunkai theory, and often times, thinking outside of the box. We welcome bunkai contributions in the form of short videos (Email us!). We will review submissions and include the best in the Kata of the Month page. 

Kata History and Context

Much scholarship exists on the history of the Shotokan kata. We aim to offer a brief overview of the kata and relevant information aimed at the beginning practitioner. There are many authoritative texts that go more deeply into understanding kata and we will link to those where available and appropriate. 

View Kata of the Month Videos and Commentary:

• Kata of the Month - November & December 2017 - Kanku Sho (観空小）
• Kata of the Month - September & October 2017 - Gojushiho Sho (五十四歩小) 
• Kata(s) of the Month - July & August 2017 - Gankaku 岩鶴 and Meikyo Nidan 明鏡二段
• Kata(s) of the Month - May & June 2017 - Gankaku 岩鶴 and Suishu  水手
• Kata of the Month - March & April 2017 - Bassai Sho  拔塞小