Taikyoku Shodan (Kihon Kata)

First Cause

Kata History / The Moves / Back to Kata Main Page

Kata History

Taikyoku Shodan - first cause - is the first Kata all students learn. It contains just one stance, one block, and one attack, making it easy for beginners to assimilate. Yet the Kata is also known as the most difficult to master, for beneath the simplicity of it's movements lie the underlying principles of Karate-do. The Embusen is a capital letter 'H'.

The Moves

The Kata exercises the following moves and stances, in sequence, and takes around 26 seconds to complete at high speed: