Karate Syllabus

Taught by Paul Plevakas Sensei
Third degree Back Belt (SanDan) Shotokan Karate
Member of the United States Ju-Jitsu and Shotokan Karate Associations.
Training in Shotokan, Shorinji-Ryu, Goju-Ryu karate, Tang Soo Do, and Ju-Jitsu.

Black Belt Hall of Fame
International Martial Arts Association Man of the Year 2004, Instructor of the Year 2009.

Your gentle teacher, Paul Plevakas Sensei

Contact
phone (215) 778-2634
e-mail Paul@PaulPlevakas.com
web site www.PaulPlevakas.com

Equipment
Do gi and belt
No shoes or socks

The first of the Niju-Kun: Never forget: karate begins with rei and ends with rei. Rei means courtesy or respect, and is represented in karate by bowing.

Fall seven times, stand up eight.
- Japanese proverb

"shichi ten battou" also pronounced as "nana kolobi ya oki"

Senseis (teachers) Yudansha (Dan - black belt rank), Mudansha (kyu rank)

Never forget: karate begins with rei and ends with rei. Rei means courtesy or respect, and is represented in karate by students respecting the dojo.

Dojo Kun – Training Hall Rules

These kun are the guide, philosophy, mind set to your training. Each rule is numbered "1" because each has equal merit.
With each training session at the JKA dojo, students kneel in seiza and repeat these five precepts out loud.

1) Seek Perfection of Character - Jinkaku kansei ni tsutomuru koto.
1) Defend the Path of Truth (be sincere) - Makoto no michi o mamoru koto.
1) Foster Spirit of Effort (put maximum effort into everything you do) - Doryoku no seishin o yashinau koto.
1) Honor the Principles of Etiquette (respect others) - Reigi o omonzuru koto.
1) Guard Against Impetuous Courage (develop self-control) - Kekki no yuu o imashimuru koto

Click to hear native pronunciation of the Dojo Kun by student Lisa Nakata

calligraphy by NakayamaSan

Class Textbook

Healthy Martial Arts by Dr. Jolie Bookspan. Click BOOKS page to order on-line, or request in class at discount to our students.

Kata

There are Mudansha or kyu kata, and Yudansha or Dan (black belt) kata. We start with Mudansha.

First kata, Heian Shodan. 10th Dan KanazawaSan demonstrates (twice). Click arrow to run:

Second kata, Heian Nidan, demonstrated first quickly, then again slowly step by step:

Third kata, Heian Sandan:

Fourth kata, Heian Yondan:

Fifth kata, Heian Godan

In Shotokan Karate, after the first five Heian katas, come the Tekki katas.

Here is first Tekki, Tekki Shodan, by OSensei Gichin Funakoshi, recorded 1924:

Second Tekki, Tekki Nidan, 1924 recording of O-Funakoshi San (the very honorable Gichin Funakoshi):

Tekki Nidan, again, by KanazawaSan:

Third Tekki kata, Tekki Sandan:

Anaku Kata
Done completely differently in Shorin Ryu, Kenpo, Shotokan, Shito Ryu. Teaches not to argue which is "right."
Ananku means "peace (or safety) from the South." Here is a Shotokan Anaku by Seibukan Shorin Ryu Chief Instructor of India Renshi MalaysianRaegoo:

Laugh and Learn

Etiquette first in combat:

No Drugs:

See Paul Sensei in a Karate Computer Simulation study: Computer Fight Simulation

The Kru Ba, Photos and story of fighting drug violence at the Thai Burmese border: Muay Thai Monks on Horseback

Thaipusam festival. Pious Hindus walk miles pierced with hundreds of skewers. Read why: Thaipusam - Exercise of Body and Spirit

Karate Terms
Native Japanese pronunciation audio files follow terms

Location/Direction
Migi right
Hidari left
Ageh rising
Jodan upper
Chudan middle
Gaedan lower
Naka - from inside to outside
Soto - from outside-to-inside

Stances - Tachi (Pronounced with "T" when the word comes first or stands alone: tashi)
Heisoku dachi. Blocked foot stance. Stand straight feet together, toes facing forward. (The "t" sound changes to "d" when the word follows another: Heisoku dachi)
Musubi dachi. Open foot stance. Stand straight heels together, toes facing outward.
Sansen dachi. Fighting stance. (sen means "fighting") Feet apart, toes facing inward.
Soto hajichi dachi. Arch eight stance (outer figure 8 stance, feet apart toes out)
Naka dachi. Inner eight stance (inner figure 8 stance, feet apart toes in)
Heikou dachi. Parallel foot stance. Stand straight feet apart, toes facing forward.

Zenkutsu dachi. Forward stance
Migi zenkutsu dachi, Right forward stance
Hidari zenkutsu dachi. Left forward stance
Koukutsu dachi. Back stance
Migi kokukutsu dachi. Right back stance
Hidari kokukutsu dachi. Left back stance

Kiba dachi. Horse stance. Feet wide and pointed forward.
Shiko dachi. Sumo stance. Feet double shoulder width, feet pointed out. Like horse stance with feet out.
Tsuru ashi dachi. Crane stance. One leg, other foot on outside knee.
Neko dachi. Cat stance
Neko ashi dachi. Cat foot stance

Click to hear native pronunciation of the tachi by student Lisa Nakata

Keri - Kick
Keri ageh. Rising kick (pronounced with "k" when the word comes first or stands alone: keri and keri-ageh)
Mae geri. Front kick (the "k" sound changes to "g" when the word follows another: Mae-geri )
Mae geri ageh. Front kick rising
Jodan mae geri. Upper front kick
Chudan mae geri. Middle front kick
Gaedan mae geri. Lower front kick
Yoko geri. Side kick
Yoko geri ageh. Side kick rising
Yoko tobi geri. Side jump kick
Mawashi geri. Roundhouse kick
Ushiro geri. Back kick
Hiza geri. Knee kick
Oi geri. Lunge kick
Kansetsu geri. Kick to joint or knee
Kakato geri. Heel kick
Booshi geri. Hat kick (kick off someone's hat)
Tabako geri. Cigarette kick (kick someone's cigarette from their mouth or hand)
Tama geri or kogan geri. Kick to testicles. Kokan geri (spelled with 'k') is general any-gender groin kick and more polite

Click to hear native pronunciation of the keri by student Lisa Nakata

Uke - Block
Mawashi uke. Roundhouse block
Morote uke. Two hand block
Morote naka uke. Two hand inside block
Juji uke. X block ("Ju" is number ten. Written as X)
Gedan tegatana juji uke. Lower body hand-sword X block
Hiza naka uke. Knee inside-to-outside block
Hiza soto uke. Knee outside-to-inside blockUchi - Strike
Age uchi. Rising strike
Mawashi uchi. Roundhouse strike

Tsuki - Lunge Punch

Katana - Sword (pronounced with "k" when the word comes first or stands alone: Katana)
Te gatana. Hand sword, also called shuto. (the "k" sound changes to "g" when the word follows another: te gatana)
Se gatana. Reverse hand sword
Ashi gatana. Foot sword
Gedan tegatana. Lower body hand-sword
Gedan tegatana juji uke. Lower body hand-sword X block

Body - Kalada
Te. Hand
Ashi. Foot
Hiza. Knee
Hiji. Elbow
Kokan. Groin
Soto. Arch of the foot
Koteh. Forearm
Ago. Jaw
Kakato. Heel
Kombushi. Fist, when used alone. (Changes to "ken" when the word follows another: Uraken -Back fist. However, "ken" alone is sword.)

Te - Hand
Te gatana. Hand sword (shuto)
Nukite. Piercing hand
Ippon nukite. One finger piercing hand
Nihon nukite. Two finger piercing hand

-ken - Fist
Uraken. Back fist
Koken. Arc fist (bent wrist strike with back of wrist)
Heyken. Flat fist (leopard hand)

Mawashi - Roundhouse, go around, using circular or turning movement
Mawashi geri. Roundhouse kick
Mawashi seashi geri. Roundhouse instep of foot kick
Mawashi kake. Roundhouse hook
Mawashi uke. Roundhouse block
Mawashi uchi. Roundhouse strike

Moro - Moves Using Two
Morote. Two handed
Morote naka uke. Two hand inside block
Moro ashi. Two foot
Moro ashi dachi. Two foot stance

Naka - From Inside to Outside
Naka uke. Inside to outside block
Naka hachiji dachi. Inside figure 8 stance
Naka ashi. Ball of the foot

Soto - Inside-to-Outside
Soto uke. Knee outside-to-inside block

More Classes With Paul Sensei

Self Defense. Sensei Paul also teaches Self Defense. What a great class. Click to see the Self Defense syllabus

Home Repair and Home Repair GREEN. Not only is Sensei Paul Plevakas an experienced and gentle martial arts teacher, he is a licensed general contractor, and member of NARI - National Association of Remodeling Industry. Learn in your home with your personal home repair coach. Take his fun, hands-on Home Repair Class.Click here for class schedules and here for the Home Repair class syllabus. Private home repair coaching - www.PaulPlevakas.com

Class Texts

Healthy Martial Arts
Wealth of training for body and mind. Avalable at discount in class to students.

The Ab Revolution™ No More Crunches! No More Back Pain! Revised THIRD edition expanded.
Revolutionary core training method - No crunches. Combines sports medicine with fun exercise to get a workout at the same time that you retrain your abs andback for healthy movement. Burn more calories and get incredible abs. Used by military, law enforcement, and the nation's top spine docs.

Health & Fitness in Plain English- How To Be Healthy Happy and Fit for the Rest of Your Life
New Revised THIRD edition. Thirty-one chapters on health, nutrition, exercise, and pain prevention.