Some notes on Bassai Shô

Tora Jo dôjô: Supplementary materials for kata training - дополнительные материалы для тренировки по ката: Bassai Shô

I provide the names of techniques as well as their numbers according to the book of Nakayama Masatoshi "Best Karate. Vol. 9. Bassai Shô, Kankû Shô, Chinte". Kodansha International, 1987. If some other names are used, then the source is provided.

1a-1b. ryô shô de kôhô o harau; ryô shô jôdan yoko barai - don't jump high, but move horizontally.

2a-2b. migi shô hitai mae ni kazasu, hidari shô hidari koshi mae; hidari te hidari kata mae, migi shô migi kata ue - for a better understanding, practice against a partner with bo (jô, or any suitable stick), like we did in dôjô.

3a. migi maeude gedan sukui uke - don't bend too much, while blocking.

16. ryo shô tsukami uke - hips are in gyaku hanmi.

20b, 23, 25. migi ken migi yoko chûdan zuki (tsuki uke), hidari ken migi yoko chûdan zuki - left punch is chûdan zuki, not kagi zuki.

24. hidari ken hidari yoko chûdan zuki (tsuki uke), migi ken hidari yoko chûdan zuki - right punch is chûdan zuki, not kagi zuki.

26. hidari shô chûdan tsukami uke, migi shô gedan tsukami uke - there are several versions of this technique. I consider none to be wrong, as long as 1) the principles behind the techniques are not violated (nothing should be additionally invented) and 2) student knows the application of the version he/she performs.

27. migi shô chûdan tsukami yose, hidari shô gedan tsukami yose - see notes for 26.

I will update this list further, adding some more notes. Please watch the announcement list above!

I sincerely hope that this will help you to perfect the kata further. Osu!