Karate was a secret and deadly martial art - not suited for kids in public school. But, they didn't know Itosu had a masterplan. The Heian/Pinan kata system acted as a Trojan horse, allowing Itosu to bring Karate from its secretive darkness into the light of modernization. First Basic kata is the first kata taught to Wado Ryu students. It was initally a Shotokan karate form created by Master Otsuka's former Sensei, Shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi. He named this kata "Taikyoku Shodan" which translates into "First Cause Number One". The kata is now found in many karate styles that are based on Shotokan. Having said that, there are some kata that are widely practiced in many styles of karate, which are designed to introduce beginners to the practice of kata itself and/or to begin developing the core of one's karate foundation. Kata typically found in this category are: Taikyoku Shodan, Taikyoku Nidan, Taikyoku Sandan, Pinan Shodan (aka Heian Itosu kata employ powerful, explosive, and linear techniques and long stances; Higaonna kata involve shorter fighting methods with emphasis on circular movements and the use of both soft and hard techniques. However, Mabuni also sought knowledge from other karate masters resulting in a very long list of kata in the karate style that he created. Ki = Energy. Ai = Join. In other words, kiai is the convergence of your energy. Simple as that. Nothing mysterious or magical about it. Thus, when you scream kiai, you are not only "screaming", but more importantly compressing and delivering an instant release of your stored energy. Kata is the essence and foundation of karate and it represents the accumulation of more than a thousand years of knowledge. Formed by numerous masters throughout the ages through dedicated… The following excerpt is taken from "The Essence of Karate", by Harry Rosenstein Kata "Karate begins and ends with kata. Karate Kata. Originally kata was the only way Karate techniques were practiced. Karate bunkai was emphasised as application not presentation.. Karate basics kihon and sparring exercises kumite came much later.. Karate kata is taught and practiced in stages.The basic katas 'lead' a student through the early stages of learning and prepare her for the 'advanced' stages. Kyokushin Karate Techniques Kyokushin Katas. Taikyoku Sono Ichi - It helps the color belt students practice certain techniques such as kicking, self-defense and certain kinds of strikes.; Pinan Sono Ichi - This helps to improve the concentration and physical conditioning of a color belt student.; Sanchin - Sanchin allows a student to practice and perfect his muscle memory and balance Download Article. 1. Meditate. (5+ minutes) Clear your mind of all thoughts; concentrate on breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth; steady deep breaths and a clear mind will prepare you to learn Karate. There is no time limit, but meditating for at least 5 minutes should clear your thoughts enough to allow you to concentrate. Karate is a type of martial arts, and there are countless iterations and styles. All types of karate include katas, which are groups of choreographed movements that often include kicks and SgJee.