Kata and Bunkai

Articles on USAdojo.com about kata training and the bunkai that makes kata necessary in the martial arts.

Willie Lim Classical Dimension

Master Willie Lim Analyzing and Interpreting Kata

Master Willie Lim is known for his expertise at analyzing and interpreting kata and he has traveled around the world making a difference in our understanding...
Ron Shively Naihanchi's Drills

Naihanchi’s Mook Jong Drills – Karate’s Hidden Wooden Dummy Techniques

Naihanchi or Tekki kata is one of several traditional Chinese-Okinawan karate katas whose origins have been lost over the centuries. While the Naihanchi kata...
Martial Arts Internatioinal

The Role Of Kata For Contemporary Fighting Martial Artists

When many people see the name of the system I study, Progressive Protection Systems, they instantly think of a modernist system, which abhors the...
Willie Lim Classical Dimension

Willie Lim Unlocks Martial Arts Truths

Willie Lim likes nothing better than to unlock martial arts truths. He is demystifying martial arts, shattering illusions that many would like to keep...
Chris Thomas Teaching

Old Karate is About Interpreting Kata

I prefer "old karate." I mean this in three different ways. When I first used the phrase, I had been training for about ten years....
The Pinan / Heian Series

The Pinan / Heian Series as a Fighting System: Part 1

The Pinan / Heian series are often the first katas taught in the majority of modern dojos. This can lead to the Pinan /...
Practicing Kata

Katas: Closing the Skill Gap

Although they are often derided by the uninitiated for their perceived lack of practicality, the katas are the key to ensuring karate remains a...

Quest For The Truth – The Origin of Tang Soo Do’s Kata

This article is in response to John Hancock's article, Quest For The Truth : The Origin Of Tang Soo Do's Forms By Brad Dennison ~...
Practicing Sanchin Kata

Sanchin Kata

Kata (exercises or forms) are performed in many styles of martial arts. With the help of these particular forms of exercise, many diverse techniques...
Donald Miskel

Martial Art Subtleties: The Lessons Kata Teach

The kata were created in such a way that they required careful learning, training and much repetition to acquire the skill and learn the...

Taisabaki No Kata – The Body Movements of Form

By Dr. William Durbin ~ It has been acknowledged by most authorities, at least those who actually train in traditional martial arts, that Kata is...
The Pinan / Heian Series

The Pinan / Heian Kata Series as a Fighting System: Part 3

Welcome to part three of this series of articles. In the first part of this series we looked at the background of the Pinan...

Hyung: The Hidden Secrets of Tae Kwon Do

Many black belts and students of Tae Kwon Do don’t realize the devastating self-defense applications that are hidden within every hyung (forms) taught in...
KIAI

KIAI – The Powerful Shout

KIAI - ( Exhale - the strong shout ) KI ( chi ) – inner energy AI – uniting, joining Kiai is the consequence of a special...
Donald Miskel

Kata and Old School Karate

Many of the past masters knew and perfected one, two or a handful of kata. Now many practitioners know (or half know) many kata....
Iain Abernethy

Kata Naihanchi – Karate’s Most Deadly Kata?

The kata Naihanchi (Tekki) is practiced within the majority of karate styles. The word 'Naihanchi' is said to mean 'sideways fighting' due to the kata's...