About the Author

Introduction

Hello and welcome to theKarateHandbook; my name is Matthew Rowland.

I began studying Shitō-ryū in 2011 and earned my black belt in the style in 2017; since then my focus has branched beyond the style into karate as a whole. I've been studying tōde-based Okinawan kobudō since early in my karate career; my early experience was primarily through Kenshin-ryū and Kotaka-ha Kobudō.

Outside of the dōjō I have a Masters in Education and work primarily in the field of special education. My passions for teaching and for karate are a big part of what drove me to create and share this collection of notes.

If you are interested in seeing my karate, you can find videos on my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@Mattrow_Karate

Thoughts on karate

Regarding belts and styles

It's become my view that karate styles are effectively the route through which one reaches the beginning of their study of karate. We're all familiar with the idea that black belt marks the true beginning of one's karate journey, but I go so far as to think of styles themselves as per-requisite courses of sorts—one of these courses needs to be completed before you actually learn "karate." Styles are not full fighting systems to be mastered, they are teaching systems that help one build a foundation upon which they can learn their own karate.

Colored belts mark your progression through your chosen route, and black belt marks your official completion of that route. Once you achieve black belt in your style, you can begin to study karate itself. Up until that point you've not studied karate, you've studied your style; and from that point on (except in regards to teaching) you should no longer be studying that style; you've learned that style, now you should be studying karate.

I have a black belt in Shitō-ryū, not a black belt in karate. There are no belts in karate, karate is not a structured curriculum. When I earned my black belt I reached the beginning of my journey in karate through the Shitō-ryū route; now I no longer study Shitō-ryū, now I study karate.

My kata

Below is a selection of the kata that I've studied to one degree or another. Of these kata, there are only a handful (maybe three or four) that I have studied deeply enough to call myself proficient in. My study of the rest of these kata has been from curriculum expectation and/or from personal interest in the tradition and exploration into the variety of karate.

The style from which I learned each kata is noted in parentheses; if no style is noted, assume the kata is a Shitō-ryū form. For more information on these kata, see the Kata Glossary, also accessible under the Kata tab in the site menu.

Empty-handed kata

Ānan (Ryūei-ryū)
Ānankō
Aoyagi
Bassai-dai
Enpi (Kotaka-ha Shitō-ryū)
Fukyū-gata Ichi (Shōrin-ryū)
Fukyū-gata Ni/Gekisai Dai'ichi (Gōjū-ryū)
Gojūshiho
Gōsoku Yodan (Gōsoku-ryū)
Haffā
[Mabuni] Hakuchō
Hēkū (Ryūei-ryū)
Ji’in
Jion
Jitte
Jūroku
Kensei Shō (Hayashi-ha Shitō-ryū)
Kihon Kata Ichi
Kihon Kata Ni
Kihon Kata San
Kihon Kata Yon
Kihon Kata Go
Kime Ni no Kata (Gōsoku-ryū)
Kōsōkun-dai
Kōsōkun-shō
Kururunfa (Gōjū-ryū)
Matsukaze
Naifanchin
Nēpai (Tō’on-ryū)

Bubishi Nēpai (Koryū 'Uchinādī)
Nīpaipo
Nīsēshī
[Koryū] Pāpūren
Paihō (Ryūei-ryū)
Pinan Shodan
Pinan Nidan
Pinan Sandan
Pinan Yondan
Pinan Godan
[Matsumura] Rōhai
[Kotaka] Rōhai Shodan (Kotaka-ha Shitō-ryū)
[Kotaka] Rōhai Nidan (Kotaka-ha Shitō-ryū)
[Kotaka] Rōhai Sandan (Kotaka-ha Shitō-ryū)
Sanchin (Gōjū-ryū)
Sansēru (Gōjū-ryū)
Sei'enchin
Sēpai (Gōjū-ryū)
[Naha] Sēsan (Gōjū-ryū)
[Shuri] Sēsan (Shōrin-ryū)
Shihō no Kata (Kotaka-ha Shitō-ryū)
Shinsei
Subete no Kihon Kata (dōjō-specific kata)
Sūpārinpē (Gōjū-ryū)
Tenshō (Gōjū-ryū)
Uke no Kata (Gōsoku-ryū)
Unshū

Chinese forms

Bā Bù Lián (Míng Hè Quán)
Èr Shí Bā Sù (Míng Hè Quán)

Personal kata

Tēfa (personal kata)

Rokushakubō kata

Kubō no Kon (Kenshin-ryū)
Tenryū no Kon (Kenshin-ryū)
Shūshi no Kon-shō (Kenshin-ryū Kobudō)
Shodan no Kon (Kotaka-ha Kobudō)
Nidan no Kon (Kotaka-ha Kobudō)
Kubō no Kon (Kotaka-ha Kobudō)

Ēku kata

Ten no Kata (Kotaka-ha Kobudō)
Chi no Kata (Kotaka-ha Kobudō)
Futen no Kata (Kotaka-ha Kobudō)
Tsuken Akachu no Ēku De (Matayoshi Kobudō)

Gūshan kata

Tenryū no Gūshan (dōjō-specific kata)
Shūshi no Gūshan (dōjō-specific kata)

Kamizashi kata

Kōsōkun no Kamizashi (dōjō-specific kata)
Mē nu Jīfā (Uechi-ryū Kobudō)

Sai kata

Rōhai no Sai (dōjō-specific kata)
Chatan Yara no Sai (dōjō-specific version)

Tanbō kata

Pinan no Tanbō (dōjō-specific kata)

Tonfā kata

Matsukaze no Tonfā (dōjō-specific kata)
Jūroku no Tonfā (dōjō-specific kata)
Hamahiga no Tonfā (version of unknown origin)

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse