Kata is often described as a set sequence of karate moves organised into a prearranged fight against imaginary opponents. The kata consists of kicks, punches, sweeps, strikes, blocks and throws. Body movement in the various kata includes, stepping, twisting, turning, dropping to the ground and jumping.

In this article we list the 26 standard Shotokan kata that are practiced by millions of karateka all over the world.

Several Shotokan groups have introduced kata from other styles into their training but when the Japan Karate Association (JKA) was formed by Nakayama Sensei, he laid these 26 kata down as the training kata for the JKA karateka. Even today, many thousands of Shotokan Dojo only practice these 26 Kata.

Everybody’s different, some karate-ka like high kicks, some like low kicks, but which one is better?

Tae kwon do, perform very high kicks, that are fast and powerful, some karate groups only practice kicking below the belt and some practice both high and low kicking.

I believe it’s all down to the individual involved. I personally wouldn’t recommend high kicks in self defence, but then again, I’m sure there are people who do recommend high kicks.

Really, it doesn’t matter what someone says or doesn’t say, because when it comes to self defence, you will do, whatever you practice! So if you practice head kicks, day in day out, there’s a high chance, that if you kicked whilst defending yourself, in a self defence situation, the kick will probably target the head.

This shotokan kata, as can be seen from the name, is a very strong karate kata. This kata is an essential part of the shotokan karateka’s early development.

In many shotokan karate associations, Bassai dai is the first intermediate kata to be taught. Basai dai usually comes after the 5 Heian kata and Tekki Shodan have been practiced thoroughly and a certain level of expertise has been reached. Normally, brown belt (3rd Kyu) level, is the first time Basai dai is practiced thoroughly.

Between shotokan groups there are many, small technical differences in all the kata, but whichever shotokan association you belong to, 95% of the kata is the same and the basic fundamentals apply to all shotokan kata.

It seems everywhere you look in the shotokan world, karate sensei are debating kata applications.

I find kata bunkai very interesting, but my karate training mainly consists of the three k’s (kihon, kata and kumite), every now and then, we will practice kata applications, classical (as the moves are performed in the kata) and self defence versions of the same moves.

As I have said many times before, I personally, do not practice karate just for fighting, don’t get me wrong, fighting definitely plays a part in my karate, but if I just wanted to fight, I would practice mixed martial arts.

Jion (love and kindness, temple sound or temple bells), is one of three kata, that begin with the same characteristic kamae, which is, feet together, legs straight and left hand wrapped around the right fist at chin height.

The Chinese monks of the old Shaolin Buddhist Jion-ji Temple, greeted each other by wrapping the left hand around the right fist, in a similar way to Jion’s yoi position.

The monks practiced Kempo, so there is a possible connection between the ancient Chinese Jion temple and the shotokan karate kata, Jion. There is also a well-known Buddhist saint named Jion.

The founder of shotokan karate, master Gichin Funakoshi may have studied Jion under master Itosu. This is only a few of many theories regarding the history of this kata.