Kyokushinkai Kata

Northern Kata

The northern kata have their origins in Shotokan karate, which Oyama learned while training under Gichin Funakoshi.

• Taikyoku sono ichi
• Taikyoku sono ni
• Taikyoku sono san

• Pinan Sono Ichi
• Pinan Sono Ni
• Pinan Sono San
• Pinan Sono Shi (Yon)
• Pinan Sono Go

• Yantsu
• Tsuki no kata
• Kanku Dai
• Sushiho

Southern Kata

The southern kata have their origins in Goju Ryu karate, which Oyama learned while training under So Nei Chu and Gogen Yamaguchi.

• Sanchin No Kata
• Gekisai Dai
• Gekisai Sho
• Tensho
• Saifa
• Seienchin
• Gary(r)u
• Seipai

Kyokushin unique Southern Kata

The kata Gary(r)u is not taken from traditional Okinawan karate but was created by Mas Oyama and named after the village where he was born in Korea. The kata Yantsu is also often believed to be an original Kyokushin kata but there is enough evidence to suggest it finds its roots in Okinawa before Oyama created Kyokushin.

Ura Kata

Several kata are also done in "ura". This means that on every other step forward, the practitioner slides his back leg behind his front leg and around to the position it would have been in had he stepped forward. This in effect produces a spin on one foot.

pinan sono ichi ura
pinan sono ni ura
pinan sono san ura
pinan sono go ura