my favourate GKR kata is seisan because of the strength and speed in which you perform it. in response to kancho's kata, yes you can learn it but you won't need it till your 7th dan grading.

Wow, 7th dan... I think I'll be dead before that....


Hi Craig, welcome to the forums!

my favourite kata is Sepai but I also like kata Kanku Sho

Goyle well if you take up Goju Ryu instead then Seisan is the kata required for 2nd dan.

but then again Goju Ryu is one of those styles that has what others claim as "a lot of kata" before you get to that stage

But back on topic I think my favourite Goju kata would be Seienchin or Unshu

Tensho for me.

do we need another poll??

Hmm topic was started on March 17, 2003... I still rather like Sepai though I do it a little differently now.


Mick

wow - its outlasted the "lesson quality thread!'

*Cough, Splutter, Fall over laughing*

2nd dan?!?!?! At the moment I think I'll be on 5th kyu for ever, so I dont think I need to worry about changing styles to do a BB kata...

Hey is (other than kancho's kata) Sochin the highest kata we learn in GKR?
What happens say if you're competing in tournaments, and wish to move up and onwards. Are there any other options? (Thinking nidans/sandans here...)

GKR tournaments it won't matter, there's no other options. And NAS tournaments it won't matter cos it doesn't really matter which kata you do. And it's not likely they'll be entering AKF tournaments where the kata could become an issue...


Mick

What would happen if some students wanted to enter an AKF tournament?
Whats the AKF kata criteria?
Surely not all AKF clubs do the same thing

well I study Goju Ryu- Shushin Kai and we are affiliated with the AKF.

I can speak to my Sensei and see if I can locate the criteria and post it here if possible.

also www.akf.com.au may possibly have something as well.

Not greatly important, but did you ever find out anything?

haven't had an opportunity to ask my instructor unfortunately.

got training tonight , so will ask him then and hopefully have something for you tomorrow.

Months since the last posting yet people are still voting! How about some commentary, explain what it is you like about a kata? Is it just to show off how "high" a kata you can do? Do you like the way it "flows"? (Such an answer would require clarification methinks) Are you fascinated by how different kata have common sequences, though sometimes they're similar but not exactly identical? Do I have to say "exactly identical" or would just "identical" do the job? Why has nobody voted for Hangetsu? Whose turn is it to fetch morning tea?


Mick

Mick - you mentioned the tea, you have to fetch it

I origionally voted for kanko sho, mainly because it was my sensei's tournament kata, and he did it for us last year.
And he's pretty damm good at it. *Nods emphatically*

Now, after going to tournaments, and seeing other BB katas, my vote is still for kanko sho, and not just for the flashy jumpy bit
I like how kanko dai and kanko sho fit together, but still I lean towards the minor kata.

Sepai is an interesting kata, but I'm not too sure of the bunkai for that one, therefore didn't get my vote.

Sanseru - I like it much more after going through tensho. Makes more sense.

Hangestu - haven't really seen it that much. Maybe it's not a show-offy kata, and that's why no one has voted for it?

Kururunfa - oww my head!!! Al those crazy movements!!!

And can't really comment on the other three. Have only seen them once or twice.

Quick question - If Kanko dai and sho are obviously related, then why aren't they both the grading kata for nidan? Wouldn't it make sense to learn both parts for the same grade?

Put down Kururunfa. I love watching the katas with jumps in em, but must admit it's mainly for the jump so dont really feel right in putting Kanko sho or Empi as my favourite kata. I just love wacthing kururunfa, not really sure why

Kururunfa, Kanko Sho and Sepai are the only katas in this poll that I can actually recognise when I see them though. Which one's Hangetsu?

Kanku Dai and Sho are interpreted alternatively as "greater" (Dai) and "lesser" (Sho) or "newer" and "older". But nobody has ever answered why the GKR kata are ordered the way they are. Seemingly it would be in increasing order of degree of difficulty of performance and not any other reason.

Hangetsu is also known in some circles as the red-headed child of Shotokan and generally misliked. It's functionally the same as Seisan and many believe it was included in the Shotokan syllabus to make up for a lack of a kata equivalent to Sanchin.


Mick

Yaknow - thats the same for me. I used to hate sanseru because it was 'boring'. I now know this meant I didnt know what I was doing. I started learning the applications and found it much more relevant - yet again hilighting how important it is to practice more than just performance.

Most people in GKR associate their favourite kata as a black belt kata for no apparent reason beyond it's a black belt kata or that it looks good....

My favourite kata has been for years and still is Seiunchin. I feel this kata is one of "GKR's" best and offers the student a chance to learn fundamental aspects, such as ibuki breathing and, after proper comprehension, more detail aspects, such as tuite and atemi waza.

JC

Ditto that - love seiunchin but wrong thread
Most of these bb kata I don't even know at all.

OK - beyond black belt oops!

Kururunfa as it is a good lesson in how your hand/hip/feet coordination has progressed.

Seisan because it offers a myriad of hidden detail that I'm yet to understand.

JC

I rather like Bassai Dai. And Rohai (still working on that one). Seishan is interesting too, I may find time to have a look at it over the next few weeks.


Mick

I've started learning Kanku-Dai finally, and it's pretty crazy. Espeically how long it is. Around 70 moves it felt like... But because it steals a lot from Bassai Dai, it's not as daunting as I thought it used to be.

...Kurunfa on the otherhand >>