Tekki Shodan

鉄騎 初段

The Tekki series consists of three kata with always the same stance, namely Kiba-Dachi (or straddle stance), while moving side to side in a linear fashion, meaning that the embusen (or line of movement) is a straight line, running horizontally. Introduced by Gichin Funakoshi (1868 – 1957), the name Tekki ( 鉄騎 ) combines two Kanji characters: Tetsu ( 鉄 ), meaning ‘iron’ or ‘steel’, and Ki ( 騎 ), meaning ‘to ride on a horse’, ‘equestrian’, or ‘knight’. Put together, the name Tekki means ‘Iron Knight’ or ‘Steel Horse Riding’. The first kata of this straddle stance series is named Shodan ( 初段 ), meaning ‘first grade’. It serves as the primer of the Tekki series. In the video embedded below (recorded on 12 June 2023), budoka Johan Oldenkamp, a former national runner-up from the Netherlands, performs this first grade Steel Horse Riding kata of Shotokan ( 松濤館 ) Karatedo ( 空手道 ).

In the next video (recorded on 30 September 2024), budoka Johan Oldenkamp performs the Bunkai of this Tekki Shodan kata. Bunkai (or 分解 in Japanese) literally means ‘analysis’ or ‘disassembly’. In this Bunkai, the kata of Tekki Shodan is broken down and studied for its offensive and defensive elements in nine practical applications.

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