Zanshin Kai Karate Do – Kata Series – Volume 01. Zanshin Kai Karate Do and Kobudo presents: KIHON KATA (TAIKYOKU SHODAN) Information, history, hints, tips, secrets – all revealed… by Gary Simpson 雅利 真風尊 © 2020 Gary Simpson & Zanshin Kai Karate Do & Kobudo 1 Zanshin Kai Karate Do – Kata Series – Volume 01. IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER NOTICE This manual is intended for educational purposes only. None of the material within these pages should be regarded as a substitute for ‘hands-on’ training. Every student of karate has different goals and expectations. This combined with vast differences in personality, knowledge, discipline, training, experience, understanding and ability means that every person will reach a different outcome. The information depicted within is the experience of the author over the many years of his karate journey. The material presented is offered in good faith and in the spirit of karate-do. There is no intention whatsoever to decry or criticize any other person, club, style. You are who you are. I am who I am. The author and publisher will not accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions. This material has been extensively checked. However, no responsibility whatsoever is accepted by the author for any material contained herein that may be inadvertently incorrect. To the best of his knowledge it is correct. Again, there is no intention by the author to disrespect any individual, style or organization with any of the material shared in this booklet. This booklet is about sharing knowledge and technique ONLY. Zanshin Kai Karate Do & Kobudo Published by: PO Box 396 Leederville Western Australia 6903 v 7.8-240520 © 2017, 2020 Gary Simpson & ZKKD. This publication is protected by copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, review or criticism, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced or copied in any form, in any language, whether by graphic, visual, electronic, filming, audio recording, any method via the internet or any other means without the prior written permission of the author. © 2020 Gary Simpson & Zanshin Kai Karate Do & Kobudo 2 Zanshin Kai Karate Do – Kata Series – Volume 01. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 – WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES: .......................................................................... 4 2.0 – HISTORY OF TAIKYOKU SHODAN: .................................................................................................. 6 3.0 – CREATOR(S) OF TAIKYOKU SHODAN: ............................................................................................. 7 4.0 – MEANING BEHIND THE NAME OF THE KATA: ................................................................................ 7 5.0 – WHERE DOES TAIKYOKU SHODAN FIT?.......................................................................................... 7 6.0 – WHAT DOES TAIKYOKU SHODAN TEACH? ..................................................................................... 7 7.0 – TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED IN TAIKYOKU SHODAN: ......................................................................... 8 8.0 – LIST OF TECHNIQUES AND DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT: ............................................................... 8 9.0 – BUNKAI-OYO OF TAIKYOKU SHODAN: ........................................................................................... 9 10.0 – SECRETS: ....................................................................................................................................... 9 11.0 – KANJI OF TAIKYOKU SHODAN: ................................................................................................... 11 12.0 – GENERAL NOTES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF KATA: ................................................................. 11 13.0 – ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ................................................................................................................. 13 14.0 – BONUS KARATE INFORMATION – RANKS AND GRADES EXPLAINED: ........................................ 14 15.0 – COMING IN THE NEXT ISSUE: ..................................................................................................... 16 © 2020 Gary Simpson & Zanshin Kai Karate Do & Kobudo 3 Zanshin Kai Karate Do – Kata Series – Volume 01. 1.0 – WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES: Hello and welcome to my series of publications about a subject that I have been studying now for some 50 odd years – karate. I’ve decided to create a series of these short booklets so I can share with others interested in karate the things that I have studied and learned. My main area of expertise is in Shotokan karate. However, the style of karate that I perform now has been morphing for approximately the last 20 years. This is because I have also been delving into the kata and techniques of other styles such as Goju Ryu, Kyokushinkai, Shito Ryu and of course ju-jutsu, which I began to learn way back in the early 1970’s under one of the great masters of that time (more on that later). I also have an avid interest in kobudo. It is my personal belief that karate and kobudo are inextricably intertwined. However, when Gichin Funakoshi took his ‘brand’ of ‘te’ from Okinawa to mainland Japan he decided that it was to be ‘kara-te’ – empty hand. That is, devoid of weapons. So, at that early point in the creation of karate from its original base, it was already severely altered and watered down. There are reasons for this but I will not go into them here. Along with my long-term student and colleague, Steven Andreazza, 6th Dan Shihan, we have been testing techniques and creating new kata and training methods to introduce to others. This booklet and the following ones that I am planning on releasing are a result of much of that. © 2020 Gary Simpson & Zanshin Kai Karate Do & Kobudo 4 Zanshin Kai Karate Do – Kata Series – Volume 01. You may not agree with all that I share here. You may not agree with a large portion of it or even any of it. That is your prerogative. My aim is to make you THINK! That is something that I believe far too many senior karate-ka simply do not do. (And not only karate-ka.) Many of them blindly follow the teaching of their senseis and rarely question anything that is presented to them, accepting it all as FACT because… that’s the way it has always been. I have seen many things that are taught and passed on in a further diluted manner to the next generation of students that defy logic. I have seen techniques in the guise of bunkai-oyo (I am using the two words linked together for simplicity of understanding even though they are vastly different in meaning) that simply do not work but being passed on as fact. I find this sad. But more so, it is simply lazy. A senior rank may publish a book with such false material, others then pick up on it and, all of a sudden, everybody seems to want to believe it. Everyone copies everything – even the lies, the so-called tatemae (deception or false technique). It is better to seek out honne (honest technique that works). Too many senseis spend far too much time teaching basics over and over again rather than develop themselves. In essence they have maybe 3 to 5 years of learning for themselves then it all stops. They then teach what they have learned. So after 20 or 30 years of doing that, what is their REAL experience? I contend that it is not 20 or 30 years. It is still 3 to 5 years. The rest is all just repetition with little or no growth. They become a 1st Dan black belt then get rewarded with a 2nd Dan and a 3rd Dan and on and on. Suddenly they find themselves at 4th Dan or 5th Dan and even higher and really, all they have is that same 1st Dan knowledge with a time factor that says they are now a senior rank. Do they have the accumulated knowledge of a senior rank? Are they able to explain in-depth new and innovative ideas they have learned from the building blocks of karate? Can they explain bunkai and then present viable oyo from their kata base? Some can. Many cannot. This series is for them. Just a few final comments in my introduction: Some senseis will love what I am doing here, some will scorn it and some will pretend they knew it all anyway. I know I have many detractors. That is OK by me. It merely tells me that those who pillory my ideas are not yet ready to open their minds to new information. Everybody comes at their own rate. If they are not ready now then they may be ready later. Some may never be ready. And that’s OK too. To each his or her own. I am sure that there is a smorgasbord of ideas and information for everyone in these short publications. Even if you pick up only one or two new ideas or learn something © 2020 Gary Simpson & Zanshin Kai Karate Do & Kobudo 5 Zanshin Kai Karate Do – Kata Series – Volume 01. that you never knew before – whether you are willing to acknowledge that or admit it or not – you will become a more complete karate-ka from it. I will start off with some fairly basic information and build on to that as the series progresses. Depending on the success of the series, I may even share some completely unique information known only to me and my followers. All I ask of you is to have an open mind… because that is when it works best for you! Yours in the spirit of karate-do, Hanshi, 9th Dan Zanshin Kai Karate Do & Kobudo 2.0 – HISTORY OF TAIKYOKU SHODAN: In many styles, Taikyoku Shodan is the very first kata taught. It is the most basic of all kata and is simple to learn and execute. Although this is the case in most Shotokan based schools, some instructors are not willing to teach this kata because they believe it shares too many similarities to Heian Shodan. The Shotokan style comprises 26 kata. However, technically, Taikyoku Shodan is not considered one of them. It is more of an introduction exercise dressed up in the guise of a kata. There are a number of slightly different versions which have been named in series from Taikyoku Shodan, Nidan, Sandan and even right through to Rokudan. There is little doubt that the slight variations merely add a bit of further interest to the main version by switching the blocks from gedan to chudan to jodan and also altering the punches to low, medium and high.