Shotokan   is   based   on   the   Shuri-te   of Yasutsune   Itosu.   As   Gichin   Funakoshi did   start   to   teach   Karate   in   Japan   he did   use   15   Kata.   Probably   more   Kata have   been   added   to   the   style.   Probably a work of his son Yoshitaka Funakoshi. So   the   Kata   Bassai   Sho,   Kanku   Sho, Ji’in,   Chinte,   Wankan,   Nijushiho,   Unsu and    Gojushiho    (Dai/Sho)    are    taken from   the   Shito-Ryu   style,   but   has   been changed.   I’s   not   for   sure   who   did   this. Also   unknow   is   who   made   Meikyo.   In case    of    Sochin    Yoshitak    Funakoshi made the Kata.

Anker History of Shotokan Born   in   Shuri/Okinawa   Gichin   Funakoshi   was   accept   as   a   student of    Karate    by    Anko    Azato.    First    he    did    learn    the    authentic Naihanchin     Kata     (Tekki),     which     includes     more     than     100 movements   in   their   orignal   version.   Yasutsune   Itosu,   but   maybe firstly   Sokon   Matsumura,   did   separat   the   Kata   to   the   now   known three Naifanchin Kata. In   the   age   of   50   Funakoshi   went   to   Tokoy   for   to   teach   Karate   to the   japanese.   The   official   story   is   that   he   did   go   there   by   advice of   a   group   of   Okinawa   Karate   masters   as   a   sign   of   understandig between   Okinawa   and   Japan   by   teaching   them   the   secret   Art   of Karate.   And   though   the   Butokukai,   the   main   organization   for   all japanese    Martial    Arts,    was    interest    in    Karate,    it's    said    that Funakoshi   did   need   a   couple   of   years   to   build   a   Dojo   with   a   small group   of   students.   Funakoshi   did   mainly   teach   the   Karate   which was   from   Itosu   for   to   teach   Karate   on   elementary   schools   of Okinawa   with   the   original   forms   of   Heian   and   Tekki   Kata.   Looking at   Funakoshi   on   old   images   doing   Kokutsu   Dachi   with   Heiwan   Uke the   picture   is   tilted   with   technique   of   Heian   Shodan.   And   this   is correct.   Because   the   names   has   been   exchanged   later.   Also   he did'nt name his Karate Shotokan. To   be   asked   for   the   different   styles   of   Karate   his   answer   was: "There   is   only   Karate!"   A   big   lost   for   Funakoshis   work   was   the second   world   war.   In   this   time   he   lost   many   of   his   advanced students   and   there   was   no   possibility   for   a   normal   training.   After the   war   Funakoshi   was   more   than   80   years   old   and   his   son Yoshitaka   Funakoshi   was   the   main   person   in   the   Dojo.   Allthough today   we   nearly   nothing   find   written   about   Yoshitaka,   we   can guess   that   the   present   Shotokan   is   mainly   his   work.   He   probably did   change   the   Kata   and   the   biomechanics   to   the   typical   Kihon   of Shotokan.    Also    the    Kata    Sochin    is    created    by    Yoshitaka Funakoshi.   The   stance   Fudo-Dachi   and   also   the   development   of Kokutsu Dachin in length and depth shall be his work. In   the   beginning   Gichin   Funakoshi   did   teach   15   Kata   which   was the   five   Heian   the   three   Tekki,   Bassai   Dai,   Kanku   Dai,   Jion,   Jitte, Hangetsu,    Gankaku.    Later,    probably    from    Yoshitaka,    the    Kata Bassai   Sho,   Kanku   Sho,   Jiin,   Meikyo,   Chinte,   Wankan,   Nijushiho, Sochin,   Unsu   and   Gojushiho   has   been   added   to   the   style.   From Gojushiho   someone   made   the   two   versions   Dai   and   Sho.   Except the   Kata   Meikyo,   which   is   a   summary   build   from   the   Kata   Rohai Shodan,   Nidan   and   Sandan   and   the   Sochin   which   was   made   by Yoshitaka,   all   other   Kata   was   taken   from   Shito   Ryu   based   on   the contact   Gichin   Funakoshi   had   to   Kenwa   Mabuni.   But   in   Shotokan these   Kata   was   strongly   changed   in   many   parts   and   got   also   the typical Shotokan Kihon. After   Yoshitaka   passed   away   too   much   early   because   of   illness,   it was    Masatoshi    Nakayama    who    found    the    JKA    (Japan    Karate Association)   and   did   probably   start   to   use   the   name   Shotokan (Shoto = a nickname of Funakoshi, Kan = house). He   did   organize   a   very   strong   training   for   Instructors   which   was   5 times   a   week   for   4   hours   at   all.   Also   he   was   mainly   involved   into the   change   of   Karate   to   a   Karate   for   to   use   in   tournaments. Famous   master   like   Kanazawa,   Enoeda,   Shirai,   Yahara,   Kawasoe, Tanaka,   Abe,   Asai,   Kase   are   the   proof   for   the   success   of   these kind of training. The   JKA   did   send   these   instructors   out   of   Japan   to   teach   Karate worldwide.   So   Kanazawa   went   to   Germany,   Enoeda   to   England, Kase   to   France,   Shirai   to   Italy.   These   masters   are   mainly   standing for   the   success   to   spread   Shotokan.   But   Nakayama's   work   was not   without   any   disucss   and   older   students   of   Funakoshi   like Shigeru   Egami   didn't   accpet   Nakayama's   way.   So   Egami   found 1958   the   style   of   Shotokai.   After   Nakayama   passed   away   also   in the   Shotokan   and   the   JKA   a   separation   did   start   and   some   master found    their    own    schools,    like    Kanazawa,    Asai,    Shoij    and Nishijama.   And   in   fact   this   is   some   kind   of   return   to   the   former times,   where   no   Karate   style   was,   but   only   Karate   masters.   And masters   like   Kanazawa   also   study   the   old   traditionell   ways   of Okinawa Karate.

Shotokan

The   Kata   Meikyo   isn't   a   tradtitional   form,   but   a   summary   of   the Kata    Rohai    Shodan,    Rohai    Nidan    and    Rohai    Sandan.    Empi, Hangetsu,    Gankaku,    Wankan    are    based    on    Tomari    Wanshu, Seishan, Chinto, Matsukaze. The   names   of   the   Kata   Heian   Shodan   and   Nidan   was   exchanged. So    the    Shotokan    Heian    Shodan    is    representative    for    the traditional   Heian   Nidan   and   the   Shotokan   Heian   Nidan   for   the traditional Heian Shodan. Many   of   the   great   masters   don't   bind   theirself   to   a   number   of Kata,   but   study   Kata   also   behind   the   frontier   of   the   own   style. Shihan   Kanazawa   did   add   the   Tomari   Chinto,   which   is   known   in the   Shorin   Ryu   Seibukan   as   well   as   in   the   Matsubayashi   Shorin- Ryu   to   his   school   and   gave   it   the   name   Gankaku   Sho.   Also   he practise    the    Happoren    from    the    Shito-Ryu    style    and    the Seienchin.

Heian Shodan Heian Nidan Heian Sandan Heian Yondan Heian Godan Tekki Shodan Tekki Nidan Tekki Sandan

Original Kata of Shotokan of Gichin Funakoshi

Bassai Dai Kanku Dai Jion Jitte Empi Hangetsu Gankaku

Taikyoku Shodan Taikyoku Nidan Taikyoku Sandan Heian Shodan Heian Nidan Heian Sandan Heian Yondan Heian Godan Tekki Shodan Tekki Nidan Tekki Sandan

Bassai Dai Bassai Sho Chinte Kanku Dai Kanku Sho Empi Jion Ji’in Jitte Gankaku

Hangestsu Meikyo Wankan Nijushiho Sochin Unsu Gojushiho Dai Gojushiho Sho

The   fact   that   Kata   Bassai   Sho,   Kanku   Sho,   Ji’in,   Chinte,   Wankan (Matsukaze),   Nijushiho,   Unsu   and   Gojushiho   has   been   taken   from Shito   Ryu   and   that   Kata   Meikyo   obvisious   is   a   summary   of   Kata Rohai   Shodan,   Rohai   Nidan   and   Rohai   Sandan   create   the   question if   Gichin   Funakoshi   did   know   these   Kata   properly.   If   he   did   know, they must’nt have taken from Shito Ryu.