Traditional Karate Kata Quiz | Martial Arts

Traditional Karate Kata Trivia Quiz

These are questions about traditional karate kata from Okinawan and Japanese karate styles.

A multiple-choice quiz by kata71. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What style does the kata Anan come from?

Answer: Ryuei Ryu

This kata has won 1st place at several WKF World Karate Championships. And it is quite old. The Ryuei ryu style was founded by Kenko Nakaima. It is of Chinese origin.

2. What does the kata Suparempei mean?

Answer: 108

The 108 meaning comes from Buddhist teachings. It stands for the 108 evils of man. It is believed to come from China and is 200 years old. Learned Kanryo Hiagoanna in China and taught to Chojun Miyagi the founder of Okinawan Gojy ryu.

3. What is the old Okinawan name for the kata Hangetsu?

Answer: Seisan

The name was changed by Gichin Funakoshi of Shotokan karate. He changed many of the names of kata to make them more acceptable to the Japanese when he introduced his karate in the early 1920s. The name seisan means 13.

4. Kusanku and kanku dai are the same kata.

Answer: true

Kanku dai and Kanku sho of Shotokan karate were created from the original Okinawan kata Kusanku, which is the name of a Chinese military attache which traveled to Okinawa and taught martial arts to several indegenous people about 200 years ago.

5. The Pinan kata series was created by Ankoh Itosu.

Answer: true

Itosu created the kata in 1904 for the Okinawan school system so that children could learn karate more easily, and it could be included into the physical education system.

6. The Okinawan kata wanshu and the Japanese kata empi are the same kata.

Answer: true

This is another kata that Funakoshi of Shotokan changed the name for the Japanese during the 1920s. The katas have been changed so many times over the last 80 years that now they barely look the same. Wanshu was the name of another Chinese official that taught martial arts about 150 years ago. Empi means flight of the swallow.

7. The kata Sanchin is a body building kata, and is used to harden the body against attacks.

Answer: true

The kata is used by several styles of karate for body hardening.
(Goju ryu,Uechi ryu,and Shito ryu). It translate as "three battles".
It is believed to be of Chinese origin and is over 200 years old.

8. Which kata is not a Shotokan kata?

Answer: Seipai

Seipai is from the Okinawan Goju ryu karate style, but is also taught in several other styles of karate. It is not part of the 26 katas of Shotokan karate. It is taught in the Shotokan karate international federation (Kanazawa organization), but it is not a Shotokan kata.

9. The Okinawan karate kata Gojushiho means 54 steps.

Answer: true

The original tranlation is 54 steps of the black tiger. It is also believe to be of Chinese origin. It is taught in most styles of Okinawan karate as a single kata. Many Japanese styles teach two versions of the kata, Gojushihodai and Gojushihosho.

10. The Okinawan kata Sunsu is from the Isshin ryu style.

Answer: true

It was created by the founder of the Isshin ryu style, Tatsuo Shimabuku, around the 1950s.

Source: Author kata71

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Traditional Karate Kata Trivia Quiz

These are questions about traditional karate kata from Okinawan and Japanese karate styles.

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