Accademia del Karate

Wankan (wan: king; kan: crown) is a very short kata compared to other advanced kata, but requires the highest level of strategy, use of transition, and rhythm.
Its brevity enhances its essential point: kime, the total decision.
Wankan should be performed, in fact, with the calm and harmony a master of Shodō is capable of in the act of painting with his brush and, at the same time, with the strength and determination with which a master of laidō extracts his katana.

An ancient proverb says: "Meikyō Shisui" (明鏡 止水 / Bright mirror, quiet water) to indicate the perfect condition to which the mind must aspire.
As a bright mirror or calm water reflects the truth of people and things without distortion, so the mind must be. The first part of Meikyō is repeated in exactly the same way, both forward and backward, with a relaxed pace, yet confident and determined. In the second part of the kata, the pace changes with a crescendo that leads to a conclusion with a spectacular circular technique during a jump.

Chinte (Chin: unusual, rare; te: hand, technique) is a very particular kata, not only for the use of techniques that are not present in any other kata, such as the hit with the tip of the index and middle finger or the fist with the middle knuckle, but above all for the great strength and energy that the hara needs in order to make the circular techniques that characterize the entire kata powerful and effective.

The Jiin kata can be considered a complementary version of the kata Jion, presented in the first volume. Jiin shares with Jion the first part of the name (Ji), written with the same kanji, part of the pattern of ex*****on, and many strategies.
Another specific trait that underlines a close link with Jion is shown by the very first action in which the difference is only in the opposite position of the arms, as if to indicate formally that Jion and Jiin are each other's complement.

The spectacular nature of Gojūshiho Shō (gojūshi: fifty-four; ho: steps; shō: small) does not consist of athletic feats or particularly flashy techniques, but of something much finer and more difficult to understand and demonstrate, deeply connected to the idea of using one's energy smoothly and continuously.
This ability of energy management is especially important in this kata, as slow and fast movements follow each other in all the possible ways: from slow to fast, from fast to slow, from slow to slow, from fast to fast.

Gojūshiho Dai (gojūshi: fifty-four; ho: steps; dai: large) preserves all the characteristics and strategic dynamics of Gojūshiho Shō; however, it introduces difficult transitions in the cat stance (nekoashidachi) which, if performed correctly, show the full complexity and the charm of this kata.
The transition with a rotation of 180°, for example, performed simultaneously by moving the arm and leg from the beginning to the end of the action, without any pauses or hesitations, can be realized only with complete psycho-physical control, achieved only through a preparation of the highest level.

Unsu (un: cloud, su: hand) is perhaps the most fascinating and loved kata of Shōtōkan karate, but at the same time, one of the hardest, and not just from a physical perspective.
Launched techniques and real acrobatics, multiple bursts and lightning-fast changes of direction, interspersed with slow and intense actions, and a spectacular jump, involve rhythms and cadences of difficult interpretation and ex*****on.
Very interesting is the analogy that can be found between the name Unsu and the initial movement of the hands as they come together, rise, and then separate, recalling the famous phrase of Master Funakoshi: "Hatsuun Jindō".

If it is true that "power is calmness," Sochin (sō: solemnity, dignity, power; chin: to calm, to preserve peace) is the best proof of this concept.
Based on a position called "immovable" (fudōdachi), introduced by master Yosh*taka Funakoshi, from the very first technique, the kata fully expresses the concept of power and calmness.
This position is so solid and rooted to the ground that the hara collects and simultaneously distributes energy in all directions.

Nijūshiho (nijūshi: twenty-four, ho: steps) is a truly harmonious and elegant kata.
Its specific rhythm, characterized by continuous variation of the speed of movements, the sudden changes of direction, and the difficult transitions, calls for a total mastery of technique, a complete physical control, and an absolute strength of mind