Keishinkan - The changes of the Kata in the 1970s

4/20/2018

10 Comments

Recently I had a conversation with Boon Heng Lee Sensei from Hong Kong about Karatedo in general and Keishinkan Karate in particular. Boon Heng Lee Sensei trained Keishinkan in Singapore in the mid-1970s.

In my book “Toyama Kanken – The Heritage of Shudokan” I wrote that Takazawa Sensei’s karate was modified a lot in the 1970s. The kata were altered during that time, influenced largely by the Shotokan.

These statements were confirmed to me by Boon Heng Lee Sensei. Uchida Sensei told him that in the 1960s all the Pinan Kata were more like Shito-ryu. In the early 70s, then the Pinan Kata were more like the Heians of Shotokan with the introduction of Shotokan back stance.
Boon Heng Lee Sensei was kind enough to share some photos from a 1970 kata book by the Malaysian Budokan Organization. In it, Takasaka Sensei, Yamazaki Sensei, Uchida Sensei and Kamae Sensei show some Keishinkan Kata. If one compares the pictures of Toyama Sensei with those in the book, then the influence of the competition karate and Shotokan Karate is already clearly recognizable.

10 Comments

About

In this blog I would like to answer some of your questions about the book. In addition, there are a variety of photos and interesting stories that have not found entry into the book. Furthermore, the blog should serve to give you new historical insights immediately, so you do not have to wait for the second edition of my book.

Barry Billups

4/20/2018 06:33:27 pm

I have been watching your site about Toyama sensei for a few weeks. I began my studies of Keishinkan karate in 1972. I was still in the kyu grades when the kata began to change. I felt then, as I feel now, that changing to the Shotokan forms and ignoring the traditional was a mistake.

Christian Bellina

4/20/2018 07:49:56 pm

Dear Billups Sensei,

I see it just like you. The Kata is the vehicle that connects us with the old masters. Through the Kata we have a chance to connect with the old masters like Iosu Sensei, Higashionna Sensei or Toyama Sensei. In my view, there is no reason to change the Kata, it does not make it better, it just gets different. If someone wants to contribute to the development of karate, he should create a new kata. I think that would be more reasonable.

What would Mozart say if you changed his 5th Symphony?

4/22/2018 10:41:07 pm

Sesei,
I believe that competition's benefits in comparing fighting styles to each other, has been offset by the "standardization" of the kata to "even the playing field". The uniqueness of styles is a chance to test techniques in a relatively safe and friendly(?) atmosphere. If a technique that worked for the master of a style does work for me, I always have the option of using something different. That's why students of the martial arts are taught so many basics, what works for me may not work for you.

Rod Murray link

4/22/2018 04:33:04 pm

I began under Robert Yarbrough and Jim Nelson who taught me "the old way" before the change. I had come from Sensei Tomasaburo Okano and Kenkojuku Shotokan because of the uniqueness of the kata...then in 70s Takazawa Sensei began changing them to look like Shotokan. He sdked me to do the new way which I agreed until one of us died...he did 1st do I now do ant teach the old way as taught to Jim Nelson and Bill Dye!

4/22/2018 08:36:31 pm

Thank you for your post and thank you for supporting my book project with great information a few years ago

Boon Heng, Lee

4/26/2018 07:11:56 pm

Hi sensei, I am curious how the Kata in the past before
modified. Is there a way for you to put like to show us?
Tks.

4/27/2018 07:11:47 am

Dear Lee Sensei,
unfortunately I can not look into the past. I trained in Japan with some of Toyama Sensei's students. Their movements and rhythm were very different to those in Shotokan. So I have a "clue" how these kata have been taught by Toyama Sensei, more unfortunately not!

4/27/2018 08:00:43 am

That's true. Even when I was in Singapore keishinkan, the movements and timing were also unique on its own. Some of the sempai were telling me that we were the offspring from Shotokan and so there were definite differences. Seemed that everyone was quite clueless about the actual history of keishinkan.

Chris Chan

3/7/2020 03:52:19 pm

HI Sensei Lee. i chance upon this blog when i am looking for Keishinkan history. This Karate style was mention to me by Sensei Leow Kwok In. He is one of my Senseis in Singapore. I ask him if your name rings a bell to him and Sensei Leow mention he used to help run errand for u like paying electricity bills. If you would be interested to connect with him again , i can pass u his number. Oss.

John Fulton

2/2/2021 11:52:01 am

Hello from Tasmania (Australia).

Thank you for the insight into the history of the Keishinkan kata. I have trained for over 25 years now, initially under Takazawa Sensei and currently under Uchida Sensei and still marvel at the depth of their knowledge in these arts. It is important for this lineage and their influence on it to be recorded for posterity.

Regards
John

Keishinkan - The changes of the Kata in the 1970s

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