What is Tekki Kata?
Naihanchi (ナイハンチ) or Tekki (鉄騎) is a karate Kata, performed in horse stance. The form makes use of in-fighting techniques (i.e. tai sabaki (whole body movement)) and grappling. There are three modern Kata derived from this; Shodan, Nidan and Sandan. Having 29 counts, it is performed almost entirely in a horse stance.
How many Tekki Katas are there?
List of 26 Shotokan Kata’s
| Kata | No. of moves | Kata meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Tekki Shodan | 23 | “Iron Horse One” |
| Tekki Nidan | 24 | “Iron Horse Two” |
| Tekki Sandan | 26 | “Iron Horse Three” |
| Bassai Dai | 42 | “Penetrating the Fortress-Big” |
What is the first kata in karate?
Heian Shodan is also known as Shotokan Kata 1. Heian Shodan is the first Shotokan kata and is followed Heian Nidan and Heian Sandan. It is a Shotokan kata for color belt (non-black belt) Shotokan Karate students.
What are the belts in Shotokan karate?
- 10th Kyu – White Belt.
- 9th Kyu – White Belt.
- 8th Kyu – Yellow Belt. Kata – Taikyoku Shodan.
- 7th Kyu – Orange Belt. Kata – Heian Shodan.
- 6th Kyu – Green Belt. Kata – Heian Nidan.
- 5th Kyu – Purple Belt – Some JKA schools use Blue Belts for this Kyu. Kata – Heian Sandan.
- 4th Kyu – Purple Belt.
- 3rd Kyu – Brown Belt.
What does Tekki mean in karate?
tekki (鉄騎), old:kiba-dachi (騎馬立ち) Naihanchi (ナイハンチ) (or Naifanchi (ナイファンチ), Tekki (鉄騎)) is a karate Kata, performed in straddle stance (naihanchi-dachi (ナイハンチ立ち) / kiba-dachi (騎馬立ち)). It translates to ‘internal divided conflict’.
Where did The Tekki kata originate?
The Tekki series of kata were renamed by Funakoshi from the Naihanchi kata, which were derived from an older, original kata, Nifanchin. Nifanchin was brought to Okinawa via Fuzhou, China, at some point in the long history of trade between the two kingdoms.
Was the Naihanchi/Tekki Shodan kata split?
The fact that only Naihanchi/Tekki Shodan has a formal opening suggests the kata was split. Whilst the kata is linear, moving side to side, the techniques can be applied against attackers at any angle. The side to side movements in a low stance build up the necessary balance and strength for fast footwork and body shifting.
Where did Funakoshi learn Naihanchi kata?
Gichin Funakoshi learned the kata from Anko Asato. Funakoshi renamed the kata Tekki (Iron Horse) in reference to his old teacher, Itosu, and the form’s power. The oldest known reference to Naihanchi are in the books of Motobu Choki. He states the kata was imported from China, but is no longer practiced there.