Dojo Kun
Everyone who trains in karate must know the dojo kun. At the end of each training session—whether it be at the dojo, after class, or after a tournament, which Okazaki Shihan always calls "special training"—the dojo kun is repeated all together by the students as a reminder of why we train. The dojo kun states the basic philosophy of karate, according to its founder, Master Gichin Funakoshi. Master Funakoshi believed that, for the true karate–ka, the dojo kun should not only be considered a set of rules of conduct in the dojo, but a guide to everyday life. Everything we learn in the dojo, we should apply to everyday life.
Jinkaku kansei ni tsutomuru koto
Seek perfection of character This is the ultimate goal of karate. The other four principles of the dojo kun, as well as the entire nijyu kun, all tell us what it means to seek perfection of character—how we can go about pursuing this highest objectives. But this is the most important thing. We seek perfection of character from the inside out. It is something we should do every moment of every day of our lives.
This means we should never stop learning. Karate training, like life itself, is an ongoing process of growth and personal education, a process that lasts for a lifetime. It is good to set goals, but as soon as we accomplish them, it is important to set our sights on the next goal, to improve. To seek perfection of character is to always seek to improve oneself, to always endeavor to learn and grow.
Makoto no michi o mamoru koto
Be faithful To be faithful means to be sincere in everything you do. Here we are talking about making a total effort, all the time, in whatever you do.
To be faithful of course means that you have to be true to other people, to your obligations—but it also means you have to be true to yourself. And to do so means you have to do your best in everything you do.
When you are faithful to yourself, others will have faith in you. This creates mutual trust between people. Being faithful to yourself is essential to realizing the first goal of being the best person you can be.
Doryoku no seishin o yashinau koto
Endeavor Try hard at everything you do. No matter what you are doing, whether it's training, working, having a relationship—give it one hundred percent. To do anything else is to cheat yourself and others. If you don't endeavor to do your best, you are not being faithful to yourself and others, and you are not trying to seek perfection of character.
Reigi o omonzuru koto
Respect others A true martial artist always shows respect to other people. And it is something you ought to feel in your heart. Showing respect is a sign of humility, and humility is necessary for an open mind, which it turn is necessary to learn, to grow. You can always learn something from every person you meet. Likewise, every person you encounter is a possible opponent of some kind, and that opponent can pose a threat to you, physical or otherwise. In either case, if you respect everyone, you will more clearly see things for what they are, and you will be able to get the most of every experience.
Keki no yu o imashimuru koto
Refrain from violent behavior This is a reminder to keep calm inside. Control yourself at all times, from within. Conflict within is a form of violence. It leads to violent actions, which is something you should try to avoid at all costs. A martial artist should always be in control, and that begins with an inner calmness, with peace of mind. If you are forced to defend yourself as a last resort, then it is all right to do so. But you will only be successful defending yourself when you maintain a calm, clear mind, in which case using karate technique to protect yourself will truly be your reaction of last resort.
Shihan Hiroyoshi Okazaki
- Chairman and Chief Instructor
- International Shotokan Karate Federation
Classes
Shotokan Winnipeg headquarters is located in South Winnipeg, close to the University of Manitoba. Sensei Larry Loreth is the chief instructor of the dojo, which has branches in the community of St. Norbert, as well as Fort Garry. In total, the dojo has approximately 60 students. Children's classes, beginners, intermediate and advanced classes are offered. Prior to developing Shotokan Winnipeg, Sensei Loreth was Chief Instructor of the University of Manitoba Shotokan Karate Club for 22 years. He has studied / taught karate for over 58 years and holds the rank of 8th Dan.
Locations
Park LaSalle School
190 Houde Drive
Monica's Danz Gym
Unit #4-25 Scurfield Blvd
Schedule
Fall/Winter/Spring Class Times
| Class | Park LaSalle School | Monica's Danz Gym | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Thursday | Sunday | |
| White - Green Belts | 6:00 - 6:45 p.m. | 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. | |
| Purple and Brown Belts | 6:45 - 7:30 p.m. | 11:15 - 12:30 p.m. | |
| Black Belts | 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. | ||
Summer Class Times
| Class | Monica's Danz Gym | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Thursday | |
| White - Orange Belts | 6:00 - 6:45 p.m. | |
| Green - Black Belts | 6:45 - 8:00 p.m. | |
Kata
Kata (choreographed fighting forms) are an integral part of karate training and have a history as full and as rich as karate itself. There are many different kata, as there are many different styles of karate. Some styles list as many as 60 different kata, some no more than 15. Shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi espoused the philosophy that 15 kata are a lifetime's worth of practice. Most of the kata taught and practiced in modern karate dojo (schools) are considered "traditional," meaning they embody the spirit and teachings of the original karate masters. A number of the kata practiced in today have their origins in China around the 16th century. Others were developed in Okinawa or Japan proper only a few decades ago. The majority of the kata taught today, however, are on average 75-100 years old.
Shotokan has 26 kata ( 5 Heian, 3 Tekki, 4 Sentei, and 14 advanced) There are 2 types of kata in Shotokan: Shorin and Shorei. Shorin teaches speed and agility where as Shorei focuses on power. The important elements in Kata are speed, timing, coordination, muscle expansion and contraction and the correct application of power and technique. At the end of this section you can watch the first seven kata (patterns) required of each student on their way to the black belt level in Shotokan Karate. Here is a basic historical background of the kata you will be watching.
Heian
Known originally by the Okinawan name Pinan, Funakoshi is credited by many with being the first to refer to this kata series by the Japanese word Heian, meaning "peace of mind" or "peace and tranquility." The name change was likely due to the growing national spirit in Japan at that time, causing Funakoshi and others to change Pinan to a Japanese word. The word Heian was chosen by Funakoshi to demonstrate a philosophy of being confident in one's karate abilities. The thought was that, if you mastered each of the five kata in the series, you could enjoy the peace of mind the kata afforded. Funakoshi also reversed the order of the first two kata in the original series. The Pinan forms were developed by Okinawan master Yatsutsune Itosu (better known as Anko Itosu) for the Okinawan public school system. Itosu was one of Funakoshi's instructors and ultimately influenced him a great deal. Because Itosu considered most kata too difficult for the public school curriculum, he developed five new forms he called Pinan, and introduced them to students at the rate of one per year. Itosu developed the Pinan series from a pair of uniquely different kata called Kusanku and Channan. While Kusanku is still practiced today in one form or another, the channan form is lost to history.
Tekki
Tekki (iron horse) was originally referred to as the Naifanchi kata. As the name implies, this series of kata is performed exclusively out of a straddle or horse-riding stance (kiba-dachi). Naifanchi were originally the basic kata for the Shuri-te style. The originator of the first Tekki kata is unknown, but it is believed that Anko Itosu developed the second and third forms. It was because of the perceived difficulty of the Tekki kata that Itosu decided to develop the Pinan series as the initial forms taught to Okinawan public school students.
Bassai-Dai
There are actually two forms of the Bassai kata: Bassai-dai (bassai major) and Bassaisho (Bassai minor). Bassai-dai was originally known as Passai-dai, but was more commonly referred to as Matsumura-No-Passai. The original Passai form was developed by Bushi (Sokon) Matsumura, and was one of the first kata taught to Anko Itosu. After years of practicing the kata, Itosu developed the Passai-sho form, which is seldom practiced today. Even though the most common interpretation of Bassai is "to penetrate a fortress," another translation gives a more descriptive definition of the intention of the kata. Because of the variety of techniques in the kata, one of the best interpretations of Bassai is "to break through the enemy's defenses by shifting and finding the weak points." Although this is not a literal translation, it is ultimately the true meaning of the kata.
Heian Shodan
Heian Nidan
Heian Sandan
Heian Yondan
Heian Godan
Tekki Shodan
Bassai Dai
Events
2025 ISKF Manitoba Technical Schedule
Sensei Larry Loreth
- February 20th – 21st: Seminar and Testing with Loreth Sensei
- May 3rd: Spring Tournament
- June 6th – 13th: ISKF Master Camp (Philadelphia)
- June 19th – 22nd: Seminar and Testing with Okazaki Shihan
- November 20th – 22nd: Seminar,Testing and Provincial Championship with Sensei Loreth
- More details on each event will be provided closer to their date.
Forms
All the following forms can be downloaded to a computer and filled out electronically. You can also print them out and fill them in by hand if necessary. Be aware that some forms require signatures and/or photos, so those will need to be printed. Also, you will need some form of Pdf reader to utilize the forms. It is recommended that you have Acrobat Reader (it is a free download).
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- ISKF Dan Registration Renewal
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