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The Road to Karate – A Budoka’s Way To Live
By Hiroshi Shoji. Shihan of the Japan Karate Association.

Part 20 - Unsu

There is no movement in Kata which is meaningless. Kata consists of the basic techniques of Uke (blocks), Tsuki (punches), Uchi (strikes) and Keri (kicks) that are structured in the most rational way.

Unsu is the name of one of the Kata’s. As it is said that Karate starts with Kata and ends with Kata, Kata consists of a sequence of techniques and movements for defence and offence developed by many grand masters based on their experiences and efforts. There is no movement in Kata which is meaningless. Kata consists of the basic techniques of Uke (blocks), Tsuki (punches), Uchi (strikes) and Keri (kicks) that are structured in the most rational way. As Kata is made on the assumptions of fighting against 4 to 8 or sometimes more opponents, Kata contains most of the movements that a human being can possible perform, where every movement is systematised to become a weapon for defence or offence. Therefore, by mastering Kata, at a time of danger, one can utilise it unconsciously in self-defence.

Kata can be categorised in two different groups. The first group of Kata, e.g. Bassai, Hangetsu and Sochin, is simple but grandiose, purported to train and increase the strengths of the muscles and body. The other group of Kata, e.g. Kanku, Empi and Unsu, is swift and purported to acquire fast movements and techniques. Unsu is the Kata for high ranks that contains many specific aspects, which cannot be learned in other Kata. One of such specific aspects is Mawashi Geri (round house kick) whilst ducking the opponent’s attack lying down on the ground, or Mae Geri Fumikomi (front thrust kick with the heel) after grabbing the opponent’s punch. It contains many techniques that can be applied to quickly respond to changing situations.

Due to the leg trouble, I could not compete in the second and third All Japan Championships. My leg was finally cured and I obtained my 4th dan in November 1959.

I was taught Unsu strictly by Nakayama Sensei and around 1957, I was able to somewhat perform Unsu (I was 3rd dan at that time). I was struck by an unknown leg disease and was thrown into the unfortunate situation that I had to commute to the JKA with a walking stick. Due to the leg trouble, I could not compete in the second and third All Japan Championships. My leg was finally cured and I obtained my 4th dan in November 1959. I was peaking as a Karate-do person.

The 4th All Japan Karate-do Championships were held under the auspices of the Japan Karate Association in June 1960 where I expected to show my maturity stage and to see some results of it. I competed as a designated competitor (only those recommended by the tournament committee as the competitors with excellent techniques can become the designated competitors) in the Kata division and advanced to the finals as one of the best eight.

My win, which was achieved over him, was deeply meaningful to me.

Competitor Takayuki Mikami had techniques that were accurate. Competitor Tetsuhiko Asai was light and swift. The finals were of high quality. Although any one of the best eight could have won the championships, I won it with my favourite Kata, Unsu. As people complimented that my Kata was a masterpiece, which no one could easily copy, I did not think that I would lose. I was convinced that I could win. The runner-up was competitor “M”, who was excellent in both Kata and Kumite. My win, which was achieved over him, was deeply meaningful to me.

After my win at the championships, the students of the Karate Club of K University where I was teaching Karate at that time congratulated me. I told them, twitching my nose, “This is how you perform Kata”. When I think back now, I must have been very boastful wrapped in over-confidence. It makes me blush. From the following year’s 5th All Japan Karate-do Championships I became a judge. Therefore, the 4th All Japan Karate-do Championships were the last tournament which I participated in as a competitor. For this reason, the win at the 4th All Japan Karate-do Championships was the most memorable to me.

The outcome of the sweating efforts made by the competitors over one year will be crystalised through the form of a competition, which is evaluated one way or another at the will of the judges. Judges are also competitors called judges.

It is not only the competitors but also the judges who participate in tournaments. The competitors train hard and sweat for a year just to fight in a match which will last for a few minutes. When this fact is considered from the position of the judges, I believe that the judges are also competitors. If we judge a match with such a mind-set, we will understand the feelings of the competitors. We will know in advance which side is about to attack or which side is going to block and counterattack. This will make us judge easily whether an attacking technique gets the target or a counterattack scores a point. As movements in Karate are fast, it will be too late to start judging after a technique is executed, because the next movements will have been also executed. The outcome of the sweating efforts made by the competitors over one year will be crystalised through the form of a competition, which is evaluated one way or another at the will of the judges. Judges are also competitors called judges.

I have another memory of Unsu. On 29 April 1961, when Mr. Zentaro Kosaka, the current chairman of the Japan Karate Association (translator’s remarks: This book was written in 1976), was the Minister for Foreign Affairs, there was a celebration party hosted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the House of the Prime Minister, with ambassadors, consuls and military attaches of overseas countries based in Japan invited as guests. At this party executive members and instructors of the Japan Karate Association performed a demonstration of Karate. I was asked to demonstrate Unsu. The demonstration was to be made on the lawn of the courtyard of the House of the Prime Minister.

Unsu contained a movement of sweeping sideways with the leg, jumping and spinning in the air.

Unfortunately it was raining hard that day and we had to do the demonstration in the rain. After the demonstration, everybody came back to the changing room with their Karate-gi soaking wet. Unsu contained a movement of sweeping sideways with the leg, jumping and spinning in the air. There was water on the ground. I did not want to get wet and muddy. So, I did the movement of switch kicks from the ground quickly. My Karate-gi did not get very dirty.

“Oh. You don’t get dirty on your Karate-gi, even if you lie down and kick from the ground.”

I did the switch kicks quickly because I did not want to get dirty. But I did not cheat at all. I was surprised myself that this kind of thing was possible to do when we were technically at a peak.

It is important to fully master a Kata to the extent that they refer to it as such and such Kata of such and such person. In this sense, my Unsu is Shoji’s Unsu.

As Karate was developed separately in different areas of Okinawa, it is said that there are 50 odd Kata that have been passed on today. There are 30 odd Kata that we practice at the Japan karate Association. Of the Kata that we practice at the Japan Karate Association, the Kata of Heian developed by Funakoshi Gichin Sensei is an important series of Kata for the members of the Japan Karate Association, which have become the designated Kata for competition.

A strong block against a punch could cause the loss of fighting spirit on the part of the attacker.

Speaking about competitions, with Karate becoming more of a sport and Kumite matches becoming the main stream of competitions, it is amazing that many people misunderstand that Kumite is the whole Karate. This trend may be due to them regarding Karate only as a combative art for offence. As shown in the adage “There is no first attack in Karate”, a block itself in Karate will become an attack. For example, a strong block against a kick would inflict a pain on the attacker, which prevents the next kick from being delivered. A strong block against a punch could cause the loss of fighting spirit on the part of the attacker. There is a technique called block punch where a block is transformed into an attack simultaneously. Blocks are important in Karate. Those blocks are incorporated in Kata not as offensive kicks or punches. Karate was developed as a self-defence art.

It is desirable that Karate training is conducted diligently, understanding that Kata is Kumite and Kumite is Kata.

Karate training has been traditionally centred on Kata and today’s Kumite comprises some movements extracted from Kata. In other words, Kata is the core of Karate, the condensed essence of Karate with no waste. Kata is like a secret document containing the essence of Karate. This is why it has been said by many of the Karate forerunners that Karate starts with Kata and ends with Kata. From this viewpoint, Kata and Kumite are not two separate things. It is desirable that Karate training is conducted diligently, understanding that Kata is Kumite and Kumite is Kata.

In a Karate competition, the one who is stronger looks good, but those who have trained hard and well in Kata can maintain the correct techniques even when they grow older. In this sense, one can practice Kata even at an old age and appreciate how difficult Kata is.

Although young people tend to hurry to free sparring that is visibly fun, it is my wish that everyone endeavours to train in Karate without the training being lopsided towards either Kumite or Kata.

Read our Tribute to Shoji Sensei from November 2003

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