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krian_89
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Taikyoku : The Ultimate Training Kata

Hello,

I am new to this forum ( been following it actively since a few months) and this is my first post. One of the kata, I am really obsessed with is the taikyoku series (not the extremely proficient, but very fond of it).

Over the last few months, I have been experimenting around with the applications of kata ( inspired by good old youtube and creative experimentation on my brother/students). One thing, I have noticed (maybe I'm overthinking) is that taikyoku tells us:

  1. Most of the kata seem to be variations of the I line of movement
  2. Shifting weight forward,backward and sideways to some extent
  3. How to position oneself ( Very well explained in the articles by Iain )
  4. It teaches the simple principles of moving out of range(either stepping or rotating) and attacking (groin,face,ribs,etc.) by using the gedan barai and oi-zuki as a strike
  5. It teaches using oi-zuki as something like a distance check, following which (1) can be applied
  6. It teaches how to throw ( neckwrings , shoulder throws?, a bit of hip throwing?)
  7. It teaches the basic idea of grab hit, grab hit, grab release hit .

Also, In Funakoshi's karate-do-kyohan , the author talks of it as the ultimate training kata.

Because of its simplicity, the kata is easily learned by beginners. Nevertheless, as its name implies, this form is of the most profound character and to which, upon mastery of karate, an expert will return to select it as the ultimate training kata.

Which seems to make sense as far as i have seen from points ( 1- 8), making it plausible to conclude that it's a very rich(in terms of applications) and condensed kata.

Also, He says the following:

Once one is able to perform the Taikyoku forms with proficiency, he can understnad the other kata with relative easy. For this reason, the Taikyoku form should be considered elementary as well as the ultimate form. In fact, the Taikyoku kata is the very prototype of a karate kata, a combination of the down block and middle level front punch ( basic techniques in any training), the front stance , the typical body movements of karate, and a defined line of movement.

This too seems to make sense, as from the above points ( 1-8) these seem to be the basic principles involved in most of the katas.

Also, we have funakoshi mentioning that it's a product of many years of his research into karate

This kata and the Ten no Kata to be describe below are the product of my many years of research into the art of karate. If they are practiced regularly, they will result in an even development of the body and in a sound ability to bear the body correctly.

Thus, it definitely doesn't make sense just to treat it as a kihon kata with no applications, rather to look at it as a highly condensed fighting form makes more sense.

We also have the following:

Moreover, the study who has gained proficiency in basic techniques and understands the essence of the Taikyoku Kata will appreciate the real meaning o the maxim, " In karate, there is no advantage in the first attack." It is for these reasons that I have given them the name Taikyoku.

It seems to me, that as in the lines of heian which could mean Peaceful mind, Peace and Tranquility, Safe from harm (Thanks Iain) etc., that the essence of taikyoku lies in the fact that everything is one. ( maybe my interpretation might be off, but that's how I seem to see it ).

I am not sure if this is how forum posts are to be written , but I hope that this will generate some interesting discussion on the taikyoku, it's training,and applications along with anything else.

Regards

Ananthakrishna

Tau
Tau's picture

Interesting kata in terms of their creation and role. I had a play with them some time back and felt that the exploration had merit but I was better off investing the time in other kata that had more to offer in terms of principles and enjoyment of performing. But I did record this:

Leigh Simms
Leigh Simms's picture

Hi!

Welcome to the forum - you've made a well thought and clear post, so something tells me you will get on around here just fine :) 

Personally, I never learned these when I started training in Karate - I began with the Heian Kata.

I have dabbled with them since then and even introduced Taikyoku Shodan into my childrens syllabus for a while - but eventually I found it so similar to Heian Shodan, that I really didn't see the need to have both kata - and Heian Shodan has enough variety and fits better with the overall syllabus I have.

Interestingly, I do see a lot of value in Taikyoku Shodan as it has a lot of valuable information (as it is essentially a stripped down Heian Shodan), so much so I taught a 2 hour seminar just on the applications to this Kata once! If I find the long drill which the seminar culminiated with, then I shall add it to this post.

Tau
Tau's picture

Out of interest, what versions of Taikyoku are there?

In Budokan Karate I learned Shodan and Sandan for the first grade. I should add "learned" as I skipped over them as I triple-graded on my first grading. To my recollection the only differences were gedan barai in zenkutsu dachi for shodan and "outer block" (uchi uke in that system) in kokutsu dachi for sandan. In both cases the punches were mid-level. I gather in nidan the punches were head level. 

Sensei told me there were ten of these with them all basically the same but using different blocks, one used reverse punch, one used front kick instead of the punch. I never learned them and had no desire to.

Am I correct in understanding that Itosu created them?

Zach Zinn
Zach Zinn's picture

I might be a minority, but I don't think these kata were intended as bunkai vehicles at all. That doesn't mean they can't be of course, it just seems likely to me that they were intended as training drills for large groups, and a way of keeping people interested while they practice kihon. You can still derive martial meanings from them, but they seem pretty inferior to the Heian/Pinan series to me, it's hard to make the justification for their inclusion if one already practices those, from my perspective.

Out of interest, where do you see the Taikyoku series teaching a hip throw?

For reference, here are the Goju Ryu equivalents, the Fukyugata series:

 

 

 

These increase in difficulty simply by adding techniques, Dai San was always used by my first Goju Ryu teacher as a form of conditioning, and it's pretty good for that. Basically a way to get people to practice coordinated kihon drills while tiring them out!

I don't remember who created these, I want to say Seikichi Toguchi. Again here I don't think the primary purpose of these kata is bunkai per se. As such, I also stopped practicing these as anything but an occasional fun conditioning thing.

Another interesting thing I remember about these from my tournament days, if you really wanted to test your presentation skill, winning a Kata trophy for performing one of these days was seen as an achievement, because there is no complexity to hide behind in them.

krian_89
krian_89's picture

Wow, never thought I'd meet a fellow Budokan practitioner here.

Initially, I too learned Taikyoku Shodan and Taikyoku Sandan. Later on, one of my seniors told me about the other taikyoku kata which I conveniently decided to skip, as like any other kid I was fascinated by higher-level kata such as kanku,bassai etc.

It's only now that I have started teaching, did I start experimenting around with basic kata, their principles and applications.

As far as I know, there are 5 taikyoku kata ( variations of punching/blocking) and 5 Keri kata (kicking variations), and from what I have read so far Funakoshi created the first 3, the others were later on introduced by his contemporaries.

P.S Nice video!

krian_89
krian_89's picture

Thanks! :-D

I have dabbled with them since then and even introduced  Taikyoku Shodan into my childrens syllabus for a while - but eventually I found it so similar to Heian Shodan, that I really didn't see the need to have both kata - and Heian Shodan has enough variety and fits better with the overall syllabus I have.

At one stage I too thought that it would be better off teaching Heian shodan directly, but I find that the love story of knife-hand blocks and back stances is tough to understand/explain to someone who has just started out, and taikyoku seems to be a good tool for a gradual build-up to heian shodan.

Maybe someday, I might be able to optimize this process, but for now it seems to be working :-D.

Interestingly, I do see a lot of value in Taikyoku Shodan as it has a lot of valuable information (as it is essentially a stripped down Heian Shodan), so much so I taught a 2 hour seminar just on the applications to this Kata once! If I find the long drill which the seminar culminiated with, then I shall add it to this post.

Looking forward to your video!

krian_89
krian_89's picture

I am not sure if it is exactly a hip throw ( hence the question mark) but it is on the steps wherein you turn from the straight line to the wings. ( steps 8 to 9 and Steps 16 to 17  I think). I haven't made videos before, but here's how it goes: Without loss of generality, let us consider taikyoku shodan since the main change here would be in the way that you destabilize/grab the opponent. 

In Steps 6,7 you hit/destabilize, step 8 you grab him well(you could headbutt along with a punch if you like) and when you turn it's basically the hip action which would be throwing him down.

It's a fun way to do group training :-D

These increase in difficulty simply by adding techniques, Dai San was always used by my first Goju Ryu teacher as a form of conditioning, and it's pretty good for that. Basically a way to get people to practice coordinated kihon drills while tiring them out!

Well, one could always change the body part that you grab in this step to change the kind of throw.

Out of interest, where do you see the Taikyoku series teaching a hip throw?

It reveals so much! A really good benchmarking tool :

Another interesting thing I remember about these from my tournament days, if you really wanted to test your presentation skill, winning a Kata trophy for performing one of these days was seen as an achievement, because there is no complexity to hide behind in them.

As you said, if one can practice heian, it doesn't serve much purpose to practice taikyoku but it's always good to comeback to the simple and basic stuff.

Zach Zinn
Zach Zinn's picture

There is definitely something to be said for taking something as minimal as Taikyoku Shodan and mastering it.

Tau
Tau's picture

Zach Zinn wrote:
I don't think these kata were intended as bunkai vehicles at all. That doesn't mean they can't be of course, it just seems likely to me that they were intended as training drills for large groups, and a way of keeping people interested while they practice kihon. You can still derive martial meanings from them, but they seem pretty inferior to the Heian/Pinan series to me

I agree.

I feel they do have a some value if only as a training exercise. An introduction. It's easy for us as experienced karateka to look back on them and see their limitations but for children and new adults they may well have some benefit