Karate Team "Kata"...

requires speed...

power...

and synchronization.

Watching Team "Kata" is an awe-inspiring experience.

Team "Kata" is so popular that it is always the last event on the program at the World Karate Championships.

The Japan Women's Team has won this event for the last three Championships in a row.

Their powerful performances never cease to thrill Karate enthusiasts around the world.

On today's show, we take a close look at the appeal of Team "Kata."

Karate's Team "Kata" combines speed, power, and dynamism.

Karate has been passed down through the teaching of "Kata,"

and Team "Kata" gives us an insight into how the sport has evolved and how it's been preserved.

Karate is a martial art which is said to have originated in Okinawa.

Karate later evolved into a competitive sport with two major disciplines.

"Kumite," where competitors battle an opponent for points.

And "Kata," a second discipline,

where an individual competitor performs a sequence of moves before a group of judges.

The systemization of this martial art grew from the prohibition of bladed weapons in Okinawa,

leading to the development of the unarmed combat techniques that eventually became Karate.

For many centuries, this martial art was passed down by masters

only to their children and selected students.

Nothing was written down, and all the "Kata" were transmitted to the next generation as physical movements.

The discipline we see performed today at the Olympics is Individual "Kata."

Each "Kata" represents a number of different moves strung together in a sequence.

This "Kata" is called the "Chatanyara Kushanku."

The "Kata" look spectacular, but they are not just for show.

Each movement assumes the presence of an imaginary opponent.

102 "Kata" are sanctioned for use in competition;

while the number of unofficial "Kata" is virtually infinite.

When three competitors join together to perform the "Kata," you have 'Team "Kata."'

Team "Kata" is all about the art of simultaneous movement.

The synchronization of the three team members is an additional factor in the judges' scores.

Taira Sae - a key member of the Japan Women's team

that won two consecutive Team "Kata" world titles in 2018 and 2021.

Nothing beats the feeling of power and unity fostered between the three members in Team "Kata;"

and it's the only event that includes "Bunkai."

"Bunkai" is only performed as part of the Team "Kata" event.

And it features a stylized combination of attack and defense moves.

"Bunkai" takes place after the initial demonstration of the synchronized "Kata."

Each of the three team members take on the role of either an attacker or defender

to demonstrate how the movements used in "Kata" are actually employed in the context of combat.

Both "Kata" and "Bunkai" are generally scored by seven judges,

who award technical points for precision and synchronization;

and athletic points for speed and intensity.

Team "Kata" incorporates the fundamental meaning of the "Kata" and the combat movements we see in "Kumite,"

taking the best of both to produce a spectacle even those who don't know too much about Karate can enjoy.

Japan are World Champions in Women's Team "Kata."

This "Kata" is called "Unsu."

With rapid changes in speed and intensity, "Unsu" is one of the most difficult "Kata."

"Unsu" assumes that one defender is surrounded on all sides by their opponents.

This "Kata" features a unique jumping move.

Let's take a look at the "Unsu's Bunkai."

While it may look like these kicks are actually landing,

contact is pulled at the last moment.

"Unsu"'s standout leap is actually expressed as a flying kick.

This intense, non-stop performance lasts around five minutes.

Whoa.

That was amazing.

I mean, you can feel how the atmosphere in the room's changed!

Look, they're out of breath.

Just watching your performance
was enough to take my breath away.

That's amazing.

So, is one of you the leader?

I'm the oldest, so I guess I'm the leader.

I try to keep us together!

What's your age gap?

She's three years younger.

And she's three years younger than me.

Taira Sae is a two-time World Champion.

I'm Ishibashi Saori.

Ishibashi Saori was a member of the winning team at the World Championships in 2021.

I'm Mizukami Chiho, the youngest.

Mizukami Chiho joined the team last year.

Do you think of yourselves as sisters?

When we perform as a team, yes.

I mean, your breathing.

It was, like, synchronized.

Thank you.

So, do you practice that?

If you only move after watching your teammate in front of you, it'll be too late.

So, the best way to move simultaneously is by breathing in sync,

which makes breathing very important.

If we superimpose the movements of all three women...

we can see that they are virtually identical.

When we face forwards and Taira is in the middle, we match her breathing,

but when we're facing sideways, we can't see her, so one of us has to take the lead.

Next, let's take a more detailed look at "Bunkai."

This movement is performed at the start of "Unsu."

It doesn't look like a fighting skill, but it contains a hidden meaning.

This first movement, when you do it as part of the "Kata"

it's like this.

But when you perform it as part of the "Bunkai,"

then it actually becomes a block called a "Keito-uke,"

followed by a strike, known as an "Ippon-nukite."

Like this.

The "Keito" of "Keito-uke," means chicken head; and the name comes from the shape of the hand.

The block is followed by the "Ippon-nukite," a strike with its energy focused on the index finger.

In the "Bunkai" sequence, the combined block and strike are executed in an instant.

"Unsu" also includes a crouching move which is interpreted in the "Bunkai" like this.

And, as we saw earlier, the leap becomes a flying kick.

So, are "Bunkai" moves pre-determined exactly like "Kata?"

Some teams will vary the order of the sequence,

but as it's about interpreting the "Kata," you shouldn't change it too much.

"But you can add your own flavor?"

That's right!

In 2021, the World Karate Championships were held in Dubai.

The Egyptian team, which placed third, performed the same "Unsu" as the Japanese team.

Here in their "Bunkai" routine, is a section where one competitor locks heropponent's arm before delivering an attack.

Now let's look at the Japanese team performing the same section.

Even though both teams perform the same "Bunkai,"

the Japanese team executes the whole sequence with greater fluidity.

"Unsu" is designed to represent the actions of a cornered defender.

That's why, with the Japanese team,

the defending competitor is always fighting two opponents at the same time.

Technical points are awarded for precision and synchronization...

with athletic points for speed and power.

The Japanese team, which scores highly on all elements,

continues to enthrall the world's Karate fans.

So, when the judges grade the "Kata," what elements do they take into account?

Well obviously, some performances will be better than others,

but we don't focus too much on trying to score more points than our opposition,

because the main issue for us is to perform the "Kata" and the "Bunkai" in line with our own aims

and see how much we can bring to the competition.

And taking that approach tends to produce better scores.

At least that's what I think.

What do you think?

I agree.

So, what is it about "Kata" that you find so appealing?

When people who don't understand Karate come to watch,

it's the Team "Kata" performance rather than the individual one that amazes them,

as they can enjoy the synchronized movements.

It's more impressive for them, more of a spectacle.

When three members come together as a team, there's more energy,

and when everyone's moving in sync with each other they create greater intensity.

I think that's the appeal of Team "Kata."

In 2022, the All Japan Karatedo Team "Kata" Championship was held for the first time.

In a break with tradition, the final and bronze medal match were held at a concert hall.

The event included music and lighting effects,

aimed to harness the energy of Team "Kata" to promote the appeal of Karate.

It was the brainchild of Sasakawa Yoshihiro of the Japan Karatedo Federation.

The best thing about Team "Kata" as a sport, is that it can also be enjoyed as an art form.

One reason we decided to hold the event in a concert hall was due to its excellent acoustics.

Halls amplify sound, and spectators can even hear competitors' uniforms brushing together.

I wanted them to experience that.

The next time we do this, we'll place more emphasis on quantifying the scores

so that people watching for the first time can understand, in an easy and fun way,

why one team was better and why they scored higher.

A growing number of children are falling under the spell of Team "Kata."

I get nervous performing by myself,
but in a group of three it's easier to relax.

That's why I love it.

I can show off what I do well.

At the same time, we can swap advice
on areas we need to improve on.

The Japan Women's team will be taking part in the World Karate Championships in Hungary in October 2023.

I hope that people around the world will enjoy watching the Team "Kata" competition.

And we'll do our best to give a model performance.

Spectators unfamiliar with "Kata" may simply see a routine performance,

but once you dig deeper, you can see that they reflect techniques that are centuries old.

When a team performs "Bunkai" routines, it's easier to see the combat context.

Through practice, these combinations reach the realm of art.

It's now time to wrap up with this week's GRAND SUMO Adventure.

We'll see you next time on J-Arena.

Today I‘m at Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine in east side of Tokyo.

The shrine has deep connection with "sumo."

This is Tomioka Hachimangu.

The "Shinto" shrine is about three kilometers from Ryogoku Kokugikan,

the home of "sumo" in Tokyo.

"Sumo" matches were held at the shrine during the Edo Period.

They later developed into the modern Grand "Sumo" currently organized by the Japan "Sumo" Association.

This is where "sumo" originated.

That's right.

The shrine exhibits drawings of "sumo" events from the early days.

The site is deeply associated with "sumo."

What's most famous about the place is this stone monument.

It's called the "Yokozuna Rikishi-hi."

The names of all "yokozuna," from the first - "Yokozuna" Akashi Shiganosuke

- to the current 73rd "Yokozuna" Terunofuji are inscribed on the monument.

When a "rikishi" gets promoted to "yokozuna,"

he will come to the shrine to attend a ceremony to carve his name on the stone.

On the same day, the newly promoted "yokozuna" performs a ring-entering ceremony before a large crowd.

The new "yokozuna" also receives an interesting gift from the shrine.

We give each new "yokozuna" a huge "kasutera" sponge cake that says "Yokozuna-Rikishi-hi."

This is the cake.

It has the same characters as the stone monument.

It looks too nice to eat!

In front of the "Yokozuna" Stone, there is a stone which looks relatively new and unique in shape.

Let's take a closer look.

An inscription on this 11-sided pillar says,

'Monument for "rikishi" who have won 50 or more consecutive matches.'

The pillar is dedicated to such wrestlers.

There have only been six so far.

"Yokozuna" Futabayama won 69 straight bouts... the all-time record.

"Yokozuna" Chiyonofuji has the third-most consecutive wins since the Showa-era.

Nicknamed "The Wolf," the sharp-eyed "yokozuna" overwhelmed his opponents with blazing speed.

And the second-best record was set by "Yokozuna" Hakuho,

who retired only two years ago and is still fresh in many fans' memories.

His name was not carved here until after his retirement,

due to the possibility of his surpassing his own record as an active "rikishi."

As you can see, there are four vacant spots after Hakuho.

Isn't it fascinating to imagine which "rikishi"'s name will be engraved on the stone in the future?

I'm getting goosebumps just to think about it.