Sanchin

Founder Chojun Miyagi taugth, "Co-ordinate the muscles as you inhale and exhale to help you in your quest for mastery of offensive and defensive techniques and in achieving sound mind and body."

The ultimate objectives are to refine fighting skills, exercise self-control and create strong spirit and body. To this end, one must improve through training that is appropriate for his or her physical strength, the proper stance and breath control in techniques that are faithful to the basics, defensive moves from proper footwork, concentration from proper punch and defense and endurance from total muscle strength.

"When struck, strike back!" "When striking back, strike to destroy!" These basic but ironclad rules of Gojuryu can be found in Sanchin.

Gekisai 1 and Gekisai 2

These kata were created in 1941 by founder Chojun Miyagi for beginners to promote the spread of karatedo. At the time, Karatedo Expert Committee in Okinawa defined basic Kata 1 and basic Kata 2. Gekisai is the Basic Kata 2 has become widely spread to schools and the general public today.Gekisai 1 incorporates the basic stance and offensive and defensive techniques of Goju ryu, and allows pupils to learn beginner’s techniques as well as more advanced skills.

A major feature of Gekisai 2 is that is adds Neko Ashi Dachi to the basic tachi of Goju ryu and also incorporates Kake-uke, Mawashi-uke and Ruo-Shotei-Ate, which are representative techniques of Goju ryu. One practices these techniques use his or her martial arts talents to make Gekisai 2 an extremely interesting kata.

Saifa

Although this kata involves relatively few hand movements and a short enbu time, it is by no means an easy kata. Saifa is a difficult kata that requires a high degree of proficiency in attacks to different parts of the body. The kata requires a continuous flow of movements from Hane-Hazushi in Irimi position to the surprise of the opponent to Shotei-Otoshi or Uraken-Uchi and a kick from Hiza-ate in Kata- Ashi-Dachi stance.

Seiyunchin

Seiyunchin is the only kata in Gojuryu without a kick. As the kata consists of many Shikodachi as well as many such basic stances as Neko-Ashi-Dachi and Sanchin-Dachi it has an importance significance as a kata for training.

The Hazushi that is executed when the attacker grabs your arm or one that is executed when the attacker holds your body from the back are designed to accommodate various scenarios and the Tsuki, Harai-Otoshi, Ate and Uke techniques incorporate the hard and soft techniques. The kata also features a Kuri-Uke that is unique in Gojuryu: the directly confronting force is swept away, without countering the force, by gently drawing an arc with the elbow as though to gouge the kick.

Seiyunchin is an exquisite kata that combines techniques that are at times powerful as to break an arm or leg and at other times, tenacious, soft and flowing.

Sanseiru

You brush off the attacker’s hand holding your arm by Suri-Otoshi and immediately execute Ashi-Tori and execute Oi-Keri on the attacker who is now on the ground and attempting to escape. From such practical techniques, the pupil learns Tate-Hiji-Ate Shoken Tsuki, Kansetsu-Keri and other nimble, fast and bold techniques. The kata also provides the pupil the opportunity to acquire the superb techniques from Tenchi to Tsuki-Hanashi with both hands in Irimi and Ko-Uke.

Shisochin

This kata is practiced primarily with open hands. The kata is a sequence of techniques with a focus on twisting the hips, from Nuki-te and Yoko-Uke to Hiji-Kansetsu-Ori, Ushiro-Hiji-Ate Shito-Tsuki and Shotei-Nagashi-Uke Shotei-Ate. Furthermore, the kata requires the karate-ka be thoroughly familiar with the distribution of power in in open hand techniques and angles of techniques (by Maai) in Ate-Waza by Hane-Hazushi and by twisting the hips, executing Hiji-Kansetsu-Gyaku-Ate.

Shisochin is said to be one of founder Chojun Miyagi’s favourite kata.

Seipai

It is said that in ancient China, there were student warriors who were considered as technique thieves, or those who went from one dojo to another to steal techniques of each master.

To deceive the unscrupulous people, it is said many masters intentionally created and taught difficult kata on purpose. Seipai includes many such techniques that take the opponent by surprise. This kata features a series of combination offensive and defensive techniques that mix slow and fast moves from an attack for Hazushi to Hazushi using both hands, moving inside the opponent in Kokutsu position and executing Kinteki-Ate from Ura-Uke, executing Shuto-Uchi after Kakehiki, executing Ude-Kansetsu-Katame to the surprise of the opponent after grabbing and pretending to pull the arm fromHarai-otoshi and executing Ura-Kake-Tome and Kinteki-Ate to the surprise of the opponent. You then throw the opponent by Ryote-Gyaku-Tori-Nage and execute Kentsui-Ate.

Seisan

Requiring accurate offensive and defensive techniques and flowing body movements, Seisan is characteristic of Naha-te Gojuryu. The kata is characterized by a series of complex and varied techniques from continuous movements of Shotei-Ate to Hiza-Kansetsu-Keri-Shotei-Ate, Sukui-Ura-Kake-Uke to Kake-Osae, Nodo-Tsukami from Yubi-Tori-Kakaekomi Rasen-Uke, quick movement by Tsuri Ashi, series of five continuous Age-Tsuki, Ura-Uchi, Hiji-Otoshi, Harai-Uke, Sun-Tsuki, Kakato-Otoshi from Mae-Geri, Suri-Nagashi-Uke Seiken Tsuki and Shotei-Ate (toraguchi).

Kururunfa

Open Hand offence and defence are a major feature of this kata, which begins by moving away from the opponent’s attack and executing Kansetsu-Geri from Hiji-Kiri-Uke without resistance.

The centre of gravity remains relatively constant throughout the long enbusen as the karateka quickly moves from soft movement. Combined with a series of quick movements, the kata produces an effect of larger movements.

Suparinpei

Founder Chojun Miyagi told his disciples, "this kata is called Pechurin or Superinpei". It is said That Chogi, the second son of Lord Yoshimura, who supported Kanryo Higaonna Sensei and financed sensei’s trip to Fukien, was trained by Kanryo Higaonna Sensei and acquired Pechurin based on Sanchin.

It is believed in ancient times this kata was a longer kata made up of three individual kata, Jyo, Chu and Ge. It is believed that the kata being taught today is only Jyo. The kata is a combination of Tenshin in four directions and requires accurate basic techniques. Superinpei incorporates various techniques, including an extremely difficult Harai-Osae technique called "Noon" which is executed from Awase-Tsuki