Karateka go back to fundamentals

Sensei Frik Willemse from Shorin-Ryu Butokukan hosted a Pinan Shodan seminar on Saturday.

The seminar focused on techniques from katas, involving the initial exchange of limbs such as kicking and punches.

“We also looked at fundamentals, such as the purpose of stances and the real applications of uke-waza, blocking techniques. By doing so, the applications of the kata will become much clearer,” Sensei Willemse explained.

He said karateka should remember each kata was a stand-alone fighting system. “With the Pinan series, the five kata make up a complete system covering all the basic fighting ranges.”

Karateka who participated in the four-hour seminar left more confident about their newly acquired skills.