Possibilities Shotokan Style has a rule. According   to   Gichin   Funakoshi,   a   Kata should    not    be    changed.    Each    Detail (Breathing,   Tension)   has   to   be   done   in the Kata origins way. A     Kata     has     been     done     with     full concentration every time. For   to   save   the   origin   of   a   kata   from generation   to   generation   it   should   not be   changed.   Every   changing   means   a historical lost. Unless the origin will remain. In    Okinawa    many    versions    of    the same   Kata   exist.   But   each   of   this   kata has   beside   it’s   name   the   name   of   it’s master.

We   can   see   this   at   Kushanku.   Sakugawa   no   Kushanku,   Itosu   no Kushanku,   Chibana   no   Kushanku   or   Chatanyara   no   Kushanku which is the well known one. So   we   can   see   Kata   can   be   changed.   Can   be   developed.   And   can become something private. We   can   choose   a   Kata   as   our   favourite   one.   But   also   we   can choose the way how we do it. Of   course   it’s   not   possible   to   use   the   private   version   in   the   dojo. But   Karate   is   no   sport   which   can   be   done   only   in   dojo.   We   can practise    erverywhere.    We    even    don’t    need    a    suite.    We    can practise   in   the   living   room   as   well   as   on   a   meadow.   Even   the office   could   be   used.   For   example   Kata   Tensho   needs   less   than   a square metre. Kata   is   more   than   a   way   of   practise   Karate.   Kata   can   be   used   as gymnastic   exercise.   Kata   can   be   used   as   mental   training.   It’s possible   to   do   the   whole   Kata   only   in   the   mind.   So   we   can practise Karate sitting on a couch. But there are more interesting possibilities. Nearly   every   Kata   can   be   done   in   a   hard   and   soft   way.   Each movement   can   be   done   fast   and   slow,   hard   or   soft,   with   and without power. It’s   possible   to   do   a   Kata   (even   Tensho)   hard,   fast   and   with maximum tension. But also totally slow and soft. Using   all   possibilities   we   can   do   a   Karate   Kata   as   it   would   be   a form   of   Tai   Chi.   And   this   ist   even   more   interesting.   Chi,   the mysterious   energy   of   our   body   is   also   an   important   thing   for Karate. It’s   not   possible   to   learn   Chi   by   doing   movements   with   high tension   of   the   muscles.   For   to   learn   how   to   feel   and   to   control Chi,   it’s   necessary   to   do   soft   movements   with   the   right   breathing and the right relaxation. One   of   the   rare   Kata   which   are   able   to   lead   the   student   to   Chi   is Happoren.   But   only   if   Happoren   will   be   done   in   the   way   of   Tai Chi. The   strange   thing   of   Happoren   is,   that   the   Kata   seems   to   like   it to be done in different ways. Normally   Happoren   is   a   slow   done   Kata   with   concentration   of Breathing   and   the   tension   of   the   muscles.   But   different   ways   are possible. Hard   execution:   Slow,   with   high   tension   and   concentration,   hard breathing. (Sanchin) Soft     execution:     Slow,     without     tension,     soft     and     flowing breathing. (Tensho) Fast    execution:    Changing    Speed    from    slow    to    fast,    different breathing. (Empi) Medidative execution: Nearly identical with Tai Chi. Using   all   of   this   Happoren   ist   a   kind   of   “All   in   One”   Kata.   You have one Kata for to exercise different parts of Karate. Happoren   is   the   best   Kata   for   to   practise   the   different   ways.   But every traditional Kata can be used so. ’’Only   those   who   knows   the   possibilities   can   use   them.      (H. Haß 2017)