The shock of discovering "Shotoisms."
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 8:48 amI decided to post a message regarding the sheer shock of discovering "shotoisms." Simply put, Shotokan students are required to "master" ten kata for their black-belt test, where the word "master" refers to exacting standards of performing the kata. If any part of a kata is skipped, added, or performed incorrectly within very narrow limits, the student fails the test. We are admonished that the katas must be memorized, performed and taught exactly as prescribed by Master Funakoshi. Some teachers go so far as to state that the Shotokan katas have not changed (at all) in the last thousand years since they were invented at the Shaolin Temple.
It is a shock, therefore, to discover that our Shotokan katas have been extensively modified to make them more dramatic and more difficult, all for the purpose of gaining points in kata competitions. The list of changes is rather shocking. Our modern katas are a hash of original techniques mixed up with stances, techniques and athleticisms that do not appear in historical karate at all, let alone in historical katas. These techniques were not just added to the katas, they were invented for the katas. We refer to these added moves as "shotoisms."
Here is a brief list to give you some idea of the scope of the problem. These techniques were added to Shotokan katas to make them more difficult and more dramatic:
This is what happens when you create a contest where the winner is the best dancer rather than the best fighter. The katas start to change, in some cases quite dramatically, to become more impressive dances. This section of the website catalogs and explores these added moves.
It is a shock, therefore, to discover that our Shotokan katas have been extensively modified to make them more dramatic and more difficult, all for the purpose of gaining points in kata competitions. The list of changes is rather shocking. Our modern katas are a hash of original techniques mixed up with stances, techniques and athleticisms that do not appear in historical karate at all, let alone in historical katas. These techniques were not just added to the katas, they were invented for the katas. We refer to these added moves as "shotoisms."
Here is a brief list to give you some idea of the scope of the problem. These techniques were added to Shotokan katas to make them more difficult and more dramatic:
- Ki-ai (spirit shout)
- Deep, low stances
- Jumps in the Heians/Empi
- Yoko geri keage (side-snap kick)
- Renzuki (flurry punches) Heians/Empi.
- Kiba dachi (side stance) The deep stance we use in Tekki/Heians.
- Kokutsu dachi (back stance) The long deep stance.
- Shuto-uke (knife-hand block). Many modifications of original techniques.
- H-shaped katas.
- Opening kamae of Empi kata. Used to be fist-in-hand in front of heart.
- Hangetsu dachi
This is what happens when you create a contest where the winner is the best dancer rather than the best fighter. The katas start to change, in some cases quite dramatically, to become more impressive dances. This section of the website catalogs and explores these added moves.