Curriculum Overview

Shito-ryu karate

FKU teaches Shito-ryu karate — a combination of styles originating from the Okinawan Naha and Shuri villages. The Naha-te style is characterized by steady and rooted movements with rhythmical breathing, whereas in Shuri-te, the feet travel more slowly on a crescent-shaped line. Our kata come from both styles. Where available, translations of the names are provided for the kata in the lists below.

Belt progression

FKU students begin as white belts. Progressing to the first colored belt requires learning the basic blocks and kicks. As a yellow belt, the student learns their first open-hand kata. From wikipedia, a kata is a “detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements made to be practised alone.” As a blue belt, the student begins their kobudo, or weapons, practice. Self-defense training and sparring practice round out the FKU curriculum.

Open-hand kata

Foundational kata

The Kihon family of kata are the simplest kata in the FKU curriculum. Kihon means basic. There are six Kihon kata:
  •  Kihon Kata Ichi
  •  Kihon Kata Ni
  •  Kihon Kata San
  •  Kihon Kata Yoen
  •  Kihon Kata Go
  •  Kihon Kata Roku

The Pinan kata come from Shuri-te or the Shorin-ryu practice. Pinan means peaceful mind. There are five Pinan kata:
  •  Pinan Sho Dan
  •  Pinan Ni Dan
  •  Pinan San Dan
  •  Pinan Yoen Dan
  •  Pinan Go Dan

Intermediate kata

From the Shuri-te or the Shorin-ryu practice:
  •  Ananko (light from the south)
  •  Ji kata:
    ◦  Ji’in (temple ground)
    ◦  Jitte (temple hand, or 10 hands, meaning one fights like 10)
    ◦  Jion (temple sound)
  •  Matsukaze, derived from Shotokan
  •  Rohai kata (vision of a white heron, or mirror of the soul):
    ◦  Rohai Sho Dan
    ◦  Rohai Ni Dan
    ◦  Rohai San Dan

From Sensei Chuzo Kotaka, founder of IKF:
  •  Ananko Henka (henka means variation)
  •  Fugetsu (wind moon)
  •  Kenseidai
  •  Matsukaze Henka

From Kenwa Mibuni, founder of Shito-Ryu:
  •  Aoyanagi (green willow)
  •  Jyuroku (“16”)

Advanced kata

From Shuri-te or the Shorin-ryu practice:
  •  Bassai kata (to breach a fortress):
    ◦  Bassai Sho
    ◦  Bassai Dai
    ◦  Tomari Bassai
    ◦  Matsumura-ha Bassai
  •  Empi (flying swallow)
  •  Kosokun kata (viewing the sky):
    ◦  Kosokun Dai
    ◦  Kosokun Sho
    ◦  Shiho Kosokun
  •  Nihanchin kata (iron horse):
    ◦  Nihanchin Sho Dan
    ◦  Nihanchin Ni Dan
    ◦  Nihanchin San Dan
  •  Nijushiho (24 steps)
  •  Nipaipo (28 steps)

From Naha-te or the Goju-Ryu practice:
  •  Anan
  •  Kururunfa (holding your ground, or “17”)
  •  Sanchin
  •  Seinchin (the lull of the storm)
  •  Seipei (18 hands)
  •  Seisan (half moon, or 13 hands)
  •  Suparenpei (108 hands)

Weapons kata

In addition to the requirements for empty-hand techniques, students must demonstrate proficiency in kobudo at levels appropriate to each rank. The weapons taught at FKU are the bo, also known as kun, and the sai. These are the kobudo kata in the order that they are learned:
  •  Bono Kihon Kata — first Bo kata
  •  Sai No Kihon Kata Ichi — Kihon Kata Ichi with Sai
  •  Sai No Kihon Kata Ni — Kihon Kata Ni with Sai
  •  Shushi No Kon Sho — second Bo kata
  •  Sai No Kihon Kata San — Kihon Kata San with Sai
  •  Sai No Kihon Kata Yoen — Kihon Kata Yoen with Sai
  •  Shushi No Kon Dai — third Bo kata
  •  Rohai No Sai — a Rohai kata with Sai
  •  Rohai No Kon — a Rohai kata with Bo
  •  Tsuken Shita Haka No Sai
  •  Kai Bo Ten No Kata — first Kai Bo kata
  •  Kai Bo Jin No Kata
  •  Kai Bo Chi No Kata
  •  Kobo — back to Bo
  •  Chatanyara No Sai — last Sai kata

Kai bo (left) and Bo (right)

Sai

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