Tekki Shodan

Quick Facts

About the kata

Tekki Shodan is the first of the three katas in the Tekki series and one of the oldest katas practiced in karate. Unlike most katas, the practitioner does not move forward or backward: the whole kata runs along one horizontal line to the side, almost entirely in the low horse-riding stance kiba-dachi. According to JKA material it has 29 movements and two kiai shouts; karatevancouver.ca counts 25 movements – the difference comes from the way of counting. The kata teaches mainly stability and hip work. Sources point to three common mistakes: a weak or unstable kiba-dachi, mistaking hip rotation for a brief shake of the hips, and omitting the sharp head turns, which are counted in the kata as separate movements. It also features the leg block nami-gaeshi, the "returning wave". According to karatevancouver.ca, Kentsū Yabu used to tell his students: "Karate begins and ends with Naihanchi." Before Ankō Itosu compiled the Pinan series, this kata was taught first in the shuri-te and tomari-te schools. In the JKA grading syllabus, as given by northstowekarate.com, it is today required for 3rd kyū.

The kata in different styles

Meaning of the name

Funakoshi named the series Tekki (鉄騎), which translates as iron horseman; the name refers both to the horse-riding stance in which the kata is practiced and to its strength. The English Wikipedia interprets the original Okinawan name Naihanchi (ナイハンチ) as "internal divided conflict".

Creator and history

According to the English Wikipedia, the kata Naihanchi reached Okinawa from China via the port of Fuzhou. Ankō Itosu learned it from Sōkon Matsumura, who had taken it over from a Chinese man living in the Okinawan district of Tomari; the oldest surviving written mention of it is in the books of Motobu Chōki. Who created the second and third katas of the series remains open: some researchers attribute them to Itosu, others name Tokumine Pechin or Motobu Chōki, and some believe it was originally a single kata later split into three. Gichin Funakoshi renamed the kata Tekki. Sources differ on when: jaapkooman.nl gives the year 1924, while historyoffighting.com writes that in his book Karate-dō Kyōhan Funakoshi still called it Kibadachi.

Differences between styles

Shito-ryu, Wado-ryu and Shorin-ryu keep the Okinawan name Naihanchi; the official WKF kata list lists it as both Naifanchin and Tekki. Kyokushin took over Tekki from Funakoshi – Masutatsu Ōyama studied under him – but according to Jaap Kooman it initially dropped it from the curriculum, and it was only Hatsuo Royama who reintroduced it for black belts at international summer camps.

Bunkai – applications

Interpretations differ significantly. Karateobsession.com gives up to ten applications for the leg block nami-gaeshi – from the sweeps ko-soto-gari and ko-uchi-gari, through evading a kick, to the stamp fumikomi. Andy Mierzwa (senseiando.com) reads some movements as ground fighting: the crossing step as an escape from under a seated attacker, and stacked hands as a head grab.

Competition status

• Sport karate (WKF) — Official kata list · valid from 1/1/2026 ↗
• WUKF (World Union of Karate-Do Federations) – Isshin-ryu Karate — Shitei (compulsory) · valid from 4/26/2024 ↗
• WUKF (World Union of Karate-Do Federations) – Shito-ryu — Sentei (selected) · valid from 4/26/2024 ↗
• WUKF (World Union of Karate-Do Federations) – Shorin-ryu — Shitei (compulsory) · valid from 4/26/2024 ↗
• WUKF (World Union of Karate-Do Federations) – Shotokan — Sentei (selected) · valid from 4/26/2024 ↗
• WUKF (World Union of Karate-Do Federations) – Wado-ryu — Tokui (free choice) · valid from 4/26/2024 ↗

In grading syllabi

• IKO grading (traditional honbu): 3rd Kyu – Green belt with black stripe

Technique Sequence — Shotokan

Breakdown source: jkakarate.co.uk

1. #1
   Kosa Dachi
2. #2
   Fumikomi GeriKiba DachiKake Uke(R)
3. #3
   Kiba DachiEmpi Uchi(L)
4. #4
   Kiba DachiKoshi Gamae(R)
5. #5
   Gedan Barai(L)
6. #6
   Kiba DachiKagi Zuki(R)
7. #7
   Kosa Dachi
8. #8
   Kiba DachiUchi Uke(R)Fumikomi Geri(L)
9. #9a
   Kiba DachiNagashi Uke(L)Gedan Barai(R)
10. #9b
    Kiba DachiUra Zuki(L)
11. #10
    Kiba Dachi
12. #11a
    Nami Gaeshi(L)
13. #11b
    Kiba DachiUchi Uke(L)
14. #12
    Kiba Dachi
15. #13a
    Nami Gaeshi(R)
16. #13b
    Kiba DachiUchi Uke(L)
17. #14
    Kiba DachiKoshi Gamae(R)
18. #15
    Kiba DachiSeiken Choku Zuki(L)Kagi Zuki(R)
    kiai
19. #16
    Kiba DachiKake Uke(L)
20. #17
    Kiba DachiEmpi Uchi(R)
21. #18
    Kiba DachiKoshi Gamae(L)
22. #19
    Kiba DachiGedan Barai(R)
23. #20
    Kiba DachiKagi Zuki(L)
24. #21
    Kosa Dachi
25. #22
    Kiba DachiUchi Uke(L)Fumikomi Geri(R)
26. #23a
    Kiba DachiNagashi Uke(R)Gedan Barai(L)
27. #23b
    Kiba DachiUra Zuki(R)
28. #24
    Kiba Dachi
29. #25a
    Nami Gaeshi(R)
30. #25b
    Kiba DachiUchi Uke(R)
31. #26
    Kiba Dachi
32. #27a
    Nami Gaeshi(L)
33. #27b
    Kiba DachiUchi Uke(R)Fumikomi Geri
34. #28
    Kiba DachiKoshi Gamae(L)
35. #29
    Kiba DachiSeiken Choku Zuki(R)Kagi Zuki(L)
    kiai