For the students who are training at home, we have posted Bassai Sho, which is the Tenth kata you will need in your training for 1st Brown Belt. You can pause the video if needed. Many of you will have smart TVs that are compatible with your computers and with YouTube. If so, you can down load the katas to your TV and practice your katas from the TV which may give you a larger screen to practice from.
Bassai-Sho (Shotokan)or Passai in Okinawan styles and Bassai in Japanese styles. These two kata focus on the idea of changing disadvantage into advantage by strong and courageous response, switching blocks and differing degrees of power. These very old Kata can teach us agility, hip movements, strength and the change from fast to slow techniques. They also have a variety of blocks and hip rotations. The Bassai kata also teach a certain power that can be described as “Breaking Power”. The Bassai (To Penetrate a Fortress) kata are believed to have been designed to complement each other as Bassai Dai, (Dai means major/large) represents getting into a fortress and Bassai Sho, (Sho means minor/small) represents getting out again.
The 2 Bassai katas, Bassai Dai and Bassai Sho are thought to have been authored by the martial arts genius, Soken Matsumura. Matsumura was head bodyguard to the King of Okinawa in the mid to late 1800’s. Bassai is often translated as “storming the fortress”, which is very ironic, as Matsumura, being head bodyguard for the King, with most of their official work being conducted in the Shuri Castle in Shuri, would in fact of been defending the fortress (Shuri Castle) rather than storming it.
Important techniques of Bassai Sho are: Morote Teisho Barai, Sokumen Awase Uke, Bo Tori, Haimen Kaki Wake Uke, Morote Ura Tsuki, Sokutei Uke, and Mawashi Uke/Neko Ashi Dachi.
This Kata teaches you better balance and how to control your body center (tanden) through the three block techniques called Morote Teisho Barai.
Happy Training.
See You Soon!
Sensei Anderson
Rokudan,6th Degree Black Belt-Shotokan
Rokudan, 6th Degree Black Belt- Kodokan Judo
Rokudan, 6th Degree Black Belt-Okinawan Kenpo Karate
Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt – Hoteikan Jujitsu
Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt – Tai Lui Chuan Fa Karate
Edited the Book – Judo: History, Theory, Practice by Vladimir Putin
National and International Champion – Judo 1978 – 1986
National and International Champion – Karate 1992 – 2000
National Self-Defense Seminar Instructor
