Ronin Karate School Syllabus

A Karateka should be a complete all-rounded fighter, learning to fight in all ranges and using the following skills

Atemi-Waza (striking),
Nage-Waza (throwing or takedowns),
Kansetsu-Waza (joint-locks & manipulation),
Shime-Waza (choking),
Ne-Waza (ground fighting & submission)
Kyusho Jitsu (human pressure points)

Learning and understanding the true meaning of kata will teach you all that.

Karate bunkai is the very reason for the existence of kata. It's the purpose of Karate kata. A kata is a collection of fighting techniques against common habitual acts of violence. Therefore, Karate kata teach us Karate bunkai (application of techniques) to defend ourselves from common attacks. Having a set of movements ingrained in us through regular practice of Karate kata will help us remember these collection of fighting techniques, provided we know correctly what each movement means.

Kata

The core of Karate is Kata. Kata contain a mixture of movements, which were designed to strengthen the body and drill particular combinations of techniques, which would enable practitioners to handle physical threats. Applicable Knowledge of the Kata is the single most important aspect of all training and every grading.

The Core Kata around which the syllabus is based is the five-stage Heian (Pinan) Kata. This ensures that Ronin Karate shares common technical roots with the majority of Okinawan and Japanese karate styles (those descended from Sokon Matsamura (c1809 - 1901)). The emphasis in Ronin Karate is on the depth of Kata knowledge rather than superficial study of multiple sequences of movements, as a result only 5 Heian Kata are directly taught.

Flow Drills (Tegumi)

The aim of Flow Drills is to train Karateka to be able to use their techniques in controlled fashion at appropriate speed and distances against another person. It is through Flow Drills that we learn how to apply the knowledge gained from our study of Kata. The quality of Flow Drills will be the most important criteria in grading since these illustrate how well as student can apply their Kata against simulated habitual acts of violence (HAOV). Students will be given drills of varying complexity based on HAOV all of which can be found in Kata. Advanced students are encouraged to begin to formulate their own application drills from new forms studied.

Basics (Kihon)

The aim of Kihon is to improve through drilling basic postures and techniques. The ultimate aim of this is to improve Kata application. While different training combinations are listed here, most Kihon training across all grades will consist of the drilling of specific combinations found within the Kata not the supplementary combinations listed in the syllabus. Senior Kyu grades will often be expected to train independently upon their own weaknesses in Kihon and Kata whilst instructors are drilling the junior and intermediate grades. All grades will be expected to be able to demonstrate the speed, power and accuracy of their basic techniques against focus gloves and pads.

Kihon Kata (Taikyoku Shodan)

Kihon (Taikyoku Shodan): - "First Cause" - Taikyoku Shodan is the most basic kata taught in the syllabus. This kata is used primarily to teach beginners the fundamental aspects of kata. This kata contains 20 movements and should take the student approximately 35 seconds to complete.

Heian Kata

The old name for the Heian Kata was Pinan. These Kata were developed by Yatasune Itosu as intermediate Kata to the much longer main Kata of Shorin-Ryu. He did not make them up however; they were based on much older training forms called Channan, which had their origin in China.

Master Funakoshi considered Pinan Shodan too difficult for an introductory Kata so he changed Pinan Nidan to Heian Shodan and Pinan Shodan to Heian Nidan.

Heian Shodan

Heian Shodan: - "Peaceful Mind Number One" - This is the first of the kata taught in the Heian series, which consists of five kata. This kata introduces the student for the first time to several new hand techniques such as jodan-age-uke (upper level rising block), jodan-tetsui-zuki, (upper level hammer fist strike), shuto-uke, (knife hand block) and shuto-zuki, (knife hand strike) as well as the concept of tai-sabaki (body shifting).
This kata contains 21 movements and should take the student approximately 45 seconds to complete.

Heian Nidan

Heian Nidan: - "Peaceful Mind Number Two" - The second kata in the Heian series this kata requires the student for the first time to include a kick in their kata. In this instance there are two of them, a chudan-yoko-geri-keage (middle level side snapping kick) and a chudan-mae-geri-keage (middle level front snapping kick). In addition several new hand techniques are also introduced for the first time, they are chudan-uraken (middle level back fist), chudan-nukite-zuki (middle level spear hand strike), chudan-gyaku-zuki (middle level reverse punch) as well as an augmented or supported technique, morote-chudan-uchi-uke (supported middle level inside outward block).
This kata contains 26 movements and should take the student approximately one minute to complete.

Tekki Shodan: - "Iron Horse Number One" - The first of the three Tekki kata this kata was originally called by it's Okinawan name Naihanchi a name which it is still known by today in several other styles of karate. Thought to be Chinese in origin this kata is known for the introduction of several unique inward kicks commonly known as wave kicks. It is widely believed that the three Tekki kata we know and practice today within the Shotokan system were once linked together and taught as one single continuous kata but that this kata was then ultimately broken down into three parts we practice today for ease of teaching by Gichin Funakoshi’s teacher Master Itosu. Gichin Funakoshi changed the name of this particular kata from Naihanchi to Tekki Shodan when he introduced the art of karate to Japan in order for it to be more easily accepted.
This kata contains 29 movements and should take the student approximately 35 seconds to complete

Basai Dai

Basai Dai: - "To Penetrate the Fortress" - The first of the two Basai kata Basai Dai is one of the longest kata in the Shotokan syllabus and is a good test of the student’s ability to make maximum use of hip movement. This kata introduces the student to several new hand techniques including chudan-tate-shuto-uchi-uke (middle level vertical inside outward sword hand block), chudan-choku-zuki (middle level straight punch), ryo-sho-tsukami-uke (two handed grasping block), gedan-sokuto-kekomi (lower level sword foot thrust kick), morote-jodan-uke (double rising block) and many other advanced techniques. This kata is very well suited to those students who can bring out the power this kata portrays when done properly. The term Dai means "greater" and in this instance refers to the length and strength of this kata.
This kata contains 42 movements and should take the student approximately one minute to complete

Heian Sandan

Heian Sandan: - "Peaceful Mind Number Three" - The third kata in the Heian series and popular with many junior students this kata is noted for the introduction of a very strong stance known as kiba-dachi (horse riding stance). Also introduced for the first time is the students requirement to perform a simultaneous two handed combination block, in this case a gedan-barai (lower level down block) and a chudan-uchi-uke (inside outward block), both of which are performed on the first movement of this kata. Other new hand techniques introduced are chudan-haishu-uke (middle level back hand block) and jodan-mawashi-zuki (upper level hook punch). One of the more difficult elements of Heian Sandan occurs coming back down the "I" of the embusen (line of attack) in which the student is required to perform a series of movements in kiba-dachi (horse riding stance) while simultaneously blocking and striking.
This kata contains 23 movements and should take the student approximately one minute to complete.

Heian Yondan

Heian Yondan: - "Peaceful Mind Number Four" - The fourth kata in the Heian series, the student will find this to be the longest kata taught to date, in addition, more emphasis is placed on kicks in this kata than in any previous kata found in this series. There are three chudan-mae-geri-keage (middle level front snapping kicks) and two chudan-yoko-geri-keage (middle level side snapping kicks). Once again several new hand techniques are introduced for the first time, they are gedan-juji-uke (downward X block), chudan-empi-zuki (middle level elbow strike) and kake-wake-uke (reverse wedge block) as well as one new stance, kosa-dachi (cross legged stance). This kata also introduces the student for the first time to two new concepts. One is the "leaping step", this is where the student is required to follow up a technique, in this case a jodan-mae-geri-keage (upper level front snapping kick), with a "leap" forward into a kosa-dachi (cross legged stance), the distance travelled will usually be equal to one full length zenkutsu-dachi (front stance) in distance. The second new concept is that of shifting from one stance to another without moving the feet from the present line they are on. In this case from a kokutsu-dachi (back stance) to a zenkutsu-dachi (front stance), the dynamics of this movement are done entirely without stepping off line.
This kata contains 27 movements and should take the student approximately one minute to complete.

Heian Godan

Heian Godan: - "Peaceful Mind Number Five" - The Fifth and the last kata in the Heian series this kata is without a doubt the most popular of all the Heian kata. This kata amongst other things is noted for the introduction of a jump from one position to another, a new kicking technique, chudan-mika-zuki-geri (middle level inside crescent kick) two new hand techniques, chudan-mawashi-zuki (middle level round house punch) and jodan-shuto-juji-uke (upper level open hand X block).
This kata contains 25 movements and should take the student approximately one minute to complete

Traditional Practical Karate