Test Review Information

 I hope everyone is able to access these documents.  If you are part of our dojo Google group, you should be able to view and download.  As promised...

Orange Belt Test Review 

Yellow Belt Test Review

Orange Belt Written Test (blank)

Instead of typing out a glossary, here is a pretty good one from Black Belt Wiki, which is a pretty good resource for other material about karate and all budo styles.

Glossary from Black Belt Wiki

NaihanchI Shodan

Kihon Katas

"Kihon" means basics.  In Chito Ryu Karate Do, we have "basics" kata which are intended to be tested at the "two" level:  Green 2 (go kyu), Brown 2 (ni kyu) and Black 2 (ni dan).  They are not intended as a historic recording of a system or set of moves open to interpretations of application, but a linking together of basic techniques in which the student must demonstrate competence according to rank or grade.

Beyond our student manuals (please ask if you don't have one!), there are some online resources available at Black Belt Wiki with pictures, written descriptions, and videos: 

https://blackbeltwiki.com/chito-ryu-katas

A word of caution:  some of the video demonstrations are better than others.

 

You may also want to look at the Beginner Manual from the International Chito-Ryu Karate-do Federation of Australia.  Please note while this organization has "Chito Ryu" in its name, it is in no way affiliated with USCKF.  Some of the information is a little different than what you will see in our manuals, especially the descriptions of ranks and grades.  That said, the section with Kihon Dosas and Kihon Katas provides photographs which may be easier to understand than the line drawings in our manuals.  The link below is for a PDF (about 3.5 MB)

www.chitoryu.com.au/resources/pdf/ICKFA beginner manual v5.0.pdf

 NOTE - Some important differences are: 

• Belt ranks:  We do not have blue or purple belts, and we only use stripes on green and brown belts.
• Test Katas:  We use kata, not kihon kata or kihon dosa for testing.  While you may be asked to perform one of these during a test, it is not a specific requirement.
• Kihon Dosa Ichi:  We do outside blocks (uchi uke), and our shiko dachi is off-line (hanmei)
• Kihon Dosa Ni:  We do inside blocks (soto uke), and shiko dachi hanmei
• Nijushichi Te Waza:  Similar to our San Ju Ko, with these exceptions:  We have a head-level knife hand strike (jodan shuto uchi), mid-level fingertip strike (chudan nukite), and NO palm-heel strike (teisho zuki).  All techniques are performed in uchi hachi dachi for our style.  It is also important that proper eye vectoring is used, something not shown in this case.
• Kihon Kata Ichi:  Similar to Kihon Dosa Ichi, we do outside blocks rather than inside blocks.

 If you can keep these points in mind it will avoid confusion.

 

 

 

 

Kusanku

This is another very old kata which exists in many versions and in many styles.  Named after a Chinese Tang warrior, the idea behind this kata is attack and defense in the dark, or at night.  Handed down from Master Sakugawa, this kata was taught to Dr. Chitose by Kyan Chotoku.


Here is a link to the Mukashi School of Karate, part of the International Chito Ryu Karate Federation website where a good version of this kata is presented in two different angles.  Sorry, but this video is not available to be embedded:

http://mukashikarate.com/kihon-katas/kusanku/

Here is Kusanku performed by Dr Chitose's son, Yasuhiro:



Sanshiryu

Sanshiryu is a very old kata.  According to the USCK Black Belt Manual, "[m]any people have attempted to master this kata, but only a few have been successful."  I believe that applies to most katas, especially the very old ones.


Chito-ryu kata Sanshiryu at a tournament in Tochigi, Japan:




...Sanshiryu performed by Stéphane Joyal:



Terry Valentino, chief instructor at the Koshin-ha Yoseikan Karate Dojo in Marshall Twp PA demonstrates several applications from a signature movement in the Chito-ryu version of Sanshiryu kata:



Disclaimer: I do not know this kata nor the performers, but these videos appear legitimate.

Kihon Kata San

Kihon katas are katas of basic techniques, of which there are three.  These are supposed to be taught at the "two" level, that is, Green II, Brown II, and Black II.


The link below goes to a page with video of kihon kata san, produced by the Mukashi School of Karate, which is apparently part of the International Chito Ryu Karate Federation.  I do not know anything about this particular dojo, but the USCK split from the ICKF back in the 1990s.  Unfortunately, I cannot embed the video here, but it is definitely a Chito Ryu kata.  The nice thing about this link is that the kata can be viewed from two different angles.

http://mukashikarate.com/kihon-katas/kihon-kata-san/

A big hint was dropped at the March clinic that kihon katas will be included in the testing before the national board in October.  Anyone testing for Ik Kyu should be familiar with the first two kihon katas, and I will try to find video to post for these.  The first two are certainly less complicated than the third.  

Reccomended Reading Update

Here are some additions to the recommended reading on the sidebar:

• The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate:  The Spiritual Legacy of the Master by Gichin Funakoshi
• Break the Box of Karate by Jesse Enkamp
• Dynamic Stretching and Kicking by Bill "Superfoot" Wallace

Thanks, Tim.

List of online karate links, books, and videos from Jesse Enkamp, the "Karate Nerd"

On-line resources:

• KARATEbyJesse.com - "Obviously."
• The IRKRS - McCarthy sensei is a demi-god in Karate research. Read. Learn. Think.
• Hawaii Karate Museum - The most extensive archive of historical Karate material.
• The Traditional Japanese Karate Network - A dynamic mix of articles and videos.
• Okinawa BB TV - An Okinawan hub for local info and original video material.
• Fighting Arts - A great collection of martial arts articles, including Karate.
• Iain Abernethy - My friend Iain has many useful articles/videos on his site.
• Mario McKenna - Mario sensei has translated many rare historical Karate books.
• Denshi Jisho - My go-to Japanese dictionary for, like, everything.
• Okinawan Karate Liaison Bureau - Visiting Okinawa? Tell Miguel-san I sent you.
• Charles C. Goodin - Goodin sensei shares his thoughts on Karate (and life).
• The Way of Least Resistance - My friend Dan has many well-researched blog posts.
• Traditional Fighting Arts Forum - A small but dedicated forum for martial talk.
• No Nonsense Self-Defense - Marc MacYoung spent many years researching violence.
• Ikigai Way - My friend Matt has a cool blog with some nice interviews too.
• Enter the Dojo - The #1 McDojoâ„¢ parody show - simply brilliant.
• One Minute Bunkai - My friend Angel-san loves bunkai. You'll love it too.
• The Karate World (in Japanese) - The official Japanese website for Karate news.
• The Official KARATEbyJesse YouTube Channel - Of course!

I guess you can add my popular Facebook page too.
 

That's it for awesome online resources.

Believe me, these few Karate links above will easily keep you occupied for a lifetime or more. But, as you can imagine, there are tons of other great websites, online archives, virtual directories and personal Karate blogs out there too - I encourage you to explore them on your own.

Just make sure to keep your BS detector on.

Next up, books and DVDs.

This time, without my comments though - just click the linked titles for more accurate info and sometimes even user/reader reviews.

Off-line resources:

• The Karate Code: Did You Ever Ask Yourself What Karate Really Means?
• Bubishi: The Bible of Karate
• The Anatomy of Martial Arts: An Illustrated Guide to the Muscles Used for Each Strike, Kick, and Throw
• History and Traditions of Okinawan Karate
• The 20 Guiding Principles of Karate
• The Karate Way: Discovering the Spirit of Practice
• Karate-Do: My Way of Life
• Shotokan Myths: The Forbidden Answers to the Mysteries of Shotokan Karate
• The Essence of Karate
• Okinawan Karate: Teachers, Styles and Secret Techniques
• Machida-do: Karate for Mixed Martial Arts (DVD)
• The Little Black Book of Violence: What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting
• Kata: The Key to Understanding and Dealing with the Japanese
• The 3 'Best of' KARATEbyJesse.com books/e-books
• Zen Flesh Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings
• One Karate to Rule 'Em All
• The Kids' Karate Workbook: A Take-Home Training Guide for Young Martial Artists
• Shin Gi Tai: Karate Training for Body, Mind, and Spirit
• The Great Lie of Karate
• The Art of Hojo Undo: Power Training for Traditional Karate
• In the Dojo: A Guide to the Rituals and Etiquette of the Japanese Martial Arts
• Break the Box of Karate
• Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts: Koryu Uchinadi (Vol. 1)
• Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts: Koryu Uchinadi (Vol. 2)
• When Buddhists Attack: The Curious Relationship Between Zen and the Martial Arts
• Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters
• 3 Major Schools of Okinawa Karate: Uechi-ryu, Goju-ryu, Shorin-ryu (DVD)
• Comprehensive Applications of Shaolin Chin Na: The Practical Defense of Chinese Seizing Arts for All Styles
• Okinawan Karate: A History of Styles and Masters: Volume 1: Shuri-te and Shorin-ryu
• Okinawan Karate: A History of Styles and Masters: Volume 2: Fujian Antecedents, Naha-te, Goju-ryu, and Other Styles