Nage no Kata
投げの型 · Nage no kata
Literally: „Form of throws“
A set of throwing forms in Ashihara Karate, built on the throws maki komi nage and ura nage in a small circle. Its first form answers kicks only, with throws.
Quick Facts
About the kata
Nage no Kata is a set of throwing forms in Ashihara Karate. Ashihara Karate International (AKI) translates the name as "form of throws," lists three forms, and names throwing technique and footwork as the main focus. The two basic throws are maki komi nage, AKI's forward rolling throw, and ura nage, a backward throw. Per AKI, most movements are done in a very small circle, in a confined space. The AKI kata guide describes the first form, Sono Ichi, in ten numbered steps. It opens in the fighting stance kumite no kamae; steps 2 to 9 each answer a kick, not a strike: a roundhouse kick mawashi geri to the body or head, or a front kick mae geri. Against mawashi geri to the body, the defender shin-blocks, steps into the first base position, and throws maki komi nage with a 360-degree turn. Against mae geri, he blocks, steps behind the opponent's front leg, slips a hand under the chin, and throws ura nage. The form ends with a knife-hand strike shuto uchi, a downward elbow hiji otoshi, and a return to kumite no kamae. In AKI's grading syllabus it ranks among the higher grades: Sono Ichi at 2nd kyu, Sono Ni at 1st kyu, Sono San only at 3rd dan. We could not find a kiai for it in the AKI guide.
The kata in different styles
| Style | Name in the style | Movements | Kiai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashihara Karate | Nage no Kata | — | — |
Meaning of the name
AKI translates Nage no Kata as "form of throws"; the Japanese organization NIKO (芦原会館) writes it as 投げの型. An everkarate blog instructor describes what each form teaches: the first is the throw itself, the second a counter from a throw, the third and fourth combinations of throws and counters. He adds that the set also includes strikes after the throw, once the opponent has lost balance, since a strike against a falling opponent carries great destructive force.
Differences between styles
AKI, and the South African mirror of its guide, both list three forms. A NIKO instructor on the everkarate blog writes of four, Nage no kata 1 to 4, and attributes all of them to the first kancho, Hideyuki Ashihara. The set's place in grading also differs: AKI requires the second form at 1st kyu, while in NIKO, according to everkarate, it used to be one of two set kata for the first-dan test, alongside Kumite no kata 4. The Okayama branch of NIKO ranks Nage no kata among the advanced forms, coming only after Kumite no kata 1 to 5.
Bunkai – applications
The AKI guide describes the harshest finish of the first form in step 9: against mawashi geri to the head, the defender jumps back, blocks, steps behind the opponent's front leg, and pulls him down with a hand under his chin; the left leg steps back 45 degrees into kiba dachi, the head rests in the defender's lap, and a downward push exposes the neck. From the second form, everkarate cites the third movement: against a right front kick, a retreat with soto uke, a crossing step, and an ura nage throw, the right hand guiding the opponent's face.