Customer Reviews

JKA Shotokan Karate Kata Series-Vol 1 Heian 1-3 (Tsunami) [VHS]

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In case you are curious, volume 1 contains Heian 1,2,3; volume 2 contains Heian 4,5, & Tekki 1; volume 3 contains Tekki 2,3; volume 4 contains Bassai Dai; 5 contains Kanku Dai; 6 Jitte; 7 Hangetsu; 8 Enpi; and 9 Jion. I have only seen volume 1. The tape seems like it is a bad copy of a bad copy, so it is a little difficult to watch and will make you question the high price tag. It is a good guide to use outside of your karate class, but you would not want to try to learn kata from this video alone. They touch on some important points, but leave out a lot. For instance, they assume you know your stances, foot positioning, etc. They do not even mention those things, even though they are extremely important in achieving proper form. They show the kata in slow motion, which is nice, but from one angle only, which hides some moves from view. I would recommend this video if you're the type of person who needs a refresher on new katas outside of karate class. But don't expect any huge new revelations to come from watching it. This is a bargain-basement production that only goes through the motions for you. Your instructor will still need to help you fine tune your kata. Perhaps there are other kata videos out there?

The video series, that this is the first volume of, has been floating around since the 1980s. As they were originally done in Japanese, you are at the mercy of whoever did the translation for this version. For die-hard Shotokan karateka of the JKA flavor, this tape covers kata Heian 1 to 3 as taught by Masatoshi Nakayama. Nakayama was perhaps the most dynamic of the Chief Instructors of the Japan Karate Association (JKA). My bias shows, my SHODAN (1st Degree, Black Belt) certificate is from the JKA and bears Nakayama's signature. This is about SHOTOKAN kata as it was done by THE MAN, Nakayama Masatoshi Sensei. Check out Nakayama Sensei's books here on AMAZON.COM -- I think you'll be happier with those than this version of the JKA tapes.

For anyone seriously interested in Japanese Shotokan Karate this series is a must. The kata are superbly demonstrated, with explanations and applications clear and unequivocal. Osaka Sensei, who performs the kata has won the All-Japan and World Championships more times than any other karate-ka. From the video, it's easy to see why. As an invaluable source of reference, this should be a part of every Martial Artist's library. There is now no longer any excuse for misunderstandings or variations in kata, brought about by misinterpretation. The wealth of knowledge and expertise of Japan's finest, is now available for everyone.

Most people will buy this video because it features all the top JKA Shotokan instructors like Nakayama, Osaka, Tanaka, Yahara, etc. but the real value of this video, and the series it is part of, is the thought that has gone into the content and its quality of delivery. Clearly a great deal of money was spent on the production which features location shoots at temples and places of natural beauty. The techniques are shown in excrutiating detail and the voice over (in English) supports the action well. Is is high level, so it might go over the heads of some, but it is after all the definitive work on the subject by the top people in the style. Duplication of this series takes place in the U.S. and is of high order. Quality problems referred to have all be traced to pirated copies. If you buy from a legitimate source you will be delighted both with the quality and content

This outstanding series of VHS tapes is now available on DVD. If you purchased it from Tsunami, you can get the 5 DVDs for $20 each. The 5 DVDs contain all 15 VHS tapes. Each DVD has an introduction that is different and worth the $20, e.g., photos of a young Funakoshi Sensei and his teachers, photos of Takushoku University karate and how JKA began, video of Nakayama Sensei doing Tekki Shodan, Nishiyama Sensei showing blocks, Kanazawa Sensei doing kata, JKA tournament bouts, etc.