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Seigokan Goju-Ryu SF Bay Area
Curriculum
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Grading and Belts
Seigokan Goju-Ryu follows a traditional grading system using belt colors to indicate each student's level. Click here for details on requirements and belt colors.
Techniques and Stances
Click here for a summary of Seigokan blocks, strikes, kicks, and stances
Click here for
illustrated stances and positions
Updated!
Overview
The core curriculum for Seigokan Goju-Ryu is standardized, but teaching methods and training schedules vary.
A student may join classes at any level of skill or physical
proficiency. New students will be taught basics and will be encouraged
to observe and follow the senior students. To prevent injuries and to
build on a strong foundation of skills, more advanced training
progresses as the student gains confidence, strength, flexibility, and
stamina.
All classes begin with a brief meditation, warm-up, physical conditioning, and stretching.
Classes usually include: 1) Kihon (basics) such as basic stances,
punches, kicks, and blocks; 2) Yakusoku kumite (set sparring
combinations); 3) Kata or pre-defined sequences of movements; 4) Jiyu
kumite, or free-sparring; 5) Shiai kumite, or point sparring.
For free sparring practice (Jiyu kumite), participants wear padded fist
protectors, mouth guards, groin cups for men, and chest protectors for
women. All sparring is non-contact or "touch" or controlled contact.
Beginners may not participate in kumite until they learn basic
stances,
blocks, and strikes.
For adults, a typical class is two hours. A recommended training
schedule consists of class three times each week, plus home practice
and cross-training activity at least twice each week. |
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The Typical Class
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Seiza - sit and kneel toward the front of the class
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Mokuso - close eyes, begin meditation in sitting position
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Shomen ni rei - bow to the dojo or master's photo
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Sensei ni rei - bow to the instructors
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General warm-up and stretching in place, from feet to head
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Kihon - Tachi kihon - stationary basic techniques
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Strengthening exercises - neck, abdomen, kake-te, suri-te, tsuki and uke
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Renzoku Kihon Dosa (Moving kihon)
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Yakusoku kumite preset sparring/self-defense combinations
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Katas prearranged patterns of multiple techniques
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Rangeki - Stationary free-sparring, hands only (heiko-dachi and shiko-dachi)
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Jiyu-kumite (free sparring)
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Ending "Cool Down" - shomen tsuki, shomen uke, kick techniques, light calisthenics
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Seiza - sit and kneel toward the front of the class, control breathing
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Mokuso - close eyes, begin meditation
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Shomen ni rei - bow to the front of the dojo (to the master sybmolically)
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Sensei ni rei - bow to the instructors
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Otogai ni rei - students bow to each other
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Yagoe - students hold belt and kiai, "eh - oh - oh"!!!
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Tachi Kihon - Stationary basic
techniques (waza)
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Uke (block) Waza
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Ate (strike) Waza
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Hiji (elbow) Ate
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Ura (backfist)
Uchi
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Geri (kick) Waza
Practice 10 kicks each leg
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Block
#1:
Soto uchi uke
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Shomen tsuki
(from heiko-dachi and shiko dachi)
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Mae (front)
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Mae
jodan (front, face height)
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Kinteki geri
(groin instep kick)
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Block
#2:
Soto (outside/inside forearm) uke
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Block
#3:
Harai (lower) otoshi uke
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Shita-tsuki
(back
knuckles) from shiko dachi with single knuckle (Nakadaka-ippon-ken)
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Yoko (side)
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Yoko
jodan (side, face height)
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Mae (front
ball-of-foot) geri
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Block
#4:
Shomen (inside/outside) uke
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Shuto (swinging knife hand) uchi
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Furi (hooking)
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Fukubu (side, stomach
height)
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Yoko (round/side ball-of-foot) geri
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Block #5:
Age (rising) uke
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Haito (ridge hand) uchi
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Ushiro (back)
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Furi uchi (swinging backfist)
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Kansetsu (dropping kick) geri
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Block #6:
Jyoge uke (shomen and harai uke together)
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Hiza (knee) ate
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Ushiro kinteki geri
(Kinteki geri to rear direction)
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Ushiro (rear) kinteki (groin) geri
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Fumi (stomping kick) geri, sokuto geri (straight side blade kick), mawashi geri (roundhouse kick)*
(not traditional Seigokan kicks)
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Renzoku Kihon Dosa - Moving
in Zenkutsu (front-leaning) Dachi, Shiko (straddle) Dachi, Sanchin
(tension) Dachi, Yoko Zenkutsu Dachi
| UKE
(block) WAZA |
ATE
(strike) WAZA |
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Shomen
(front) uke
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Jun (lunge) and
giaku (reverse) tsuki
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Soto uke
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Mae (front) geri
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Jodan
(upper) age (rising) uke
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Yoko (side) geri
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Kake (soft
hooking block) uke
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Sokuto
(blade of foot) geri
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Harai
(swinging) otoshi (downward) uke
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Mawashi
(round) geri
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Jyoge (up and down) harai (swinging) uke
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Ushiro (back) geri
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Ushiro mawashi geri
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Ura mawashi geri
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Renzoku Kihon Dosa - Moving
in other stances
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Sanchin and/or Zenkutsu Dachi
(for tsuki and uke)
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Koza (crossing feet) Tsuki Dachi
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Neko Ashi (Cat) Dachi (for geri)
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"T"-ji-Dachi (for geri)
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Tsuki to mae
geri (punch/front kick combo)
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Koza tsuki
chudan (middle)
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Tenshin
(moving backward and forward)
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Tenshin (moving all directions)
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Tsuki
to yoko geri (punch/side kick combo)
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Koza tsuki
jodan (upper)
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Tsugi-ashi
(shuffle step back foot moves first) and Okuri ashi (shuffle step
front foot moves first)
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Yakusoku
Kumite (Set Sparring)
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#
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Seigokan Yakusoku Kumite (set
sparring)
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Ganmen-tsuki:
Zenkutsu
dachi no tsuki (defending an upper lunge punch, zenkutsu dachi attack) |
Fukubu-Tsuki:
Shiko dachi no tsuki (defending a middle lunge punch, shiko dachi attack) |
| 1 |
Uchi uke suigetsu (solar plexus) tsuki |
Soto uke wakido (side) tsuki |
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2
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Soto uke wakido tsuki
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Uchi uke ganmen tsuki (straight
punch to face)
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3
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Kawashi (evasive) tsuki yoko geri
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Osae (hand-pressing) uke furi uchi
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4
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Suriage (upward sliding palm block)
furi uchi (hooking strike)
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Shomen uke ude giaku kansetsu tori
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5
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Uchi uke shuto uchi
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Soe uke (reinforced block) kansetsu geri
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6
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Nodoate ashi (pulling/grabbing) kake
nage (hook throw) fumi geri
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Harai otoshi (downward) yotsui kime (defending
mae geri)
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7
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Harai uke ura (reverse) uchi*
*(Not official Seigokan set sparring)
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Age uke mae geri*
*(Not official Seigokan set sparring)
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Seigokan All Japan Karate-do Association Katas
Seigokan Goju-Ryu incorporates both original Seigokan kata (created by
Master Seigo Tada) and traditional kata that have been passed down from
Chinese and Okinawan martial arts. The kata include:
 Kihon Tsuki-No
- Basic punching kata (Master Seigo Tada) |
| Gekisai Dai Ichi - "Attack and Smash One" (Master Chojun Miyagi)
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| Gekisai Dai Ni - "Attack and Smash Two" (Master Chojun Miyagi)
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| Saifa* - "Smash and Tear" (Traditional) |
| Seiyunchin*-- "Method of Attack" (Traditional) |
| Sanchin - "Three Battles" (Traditional) |
| Uke-no
-- "Blocking/Defensive
Kata" (Master Seigo Tada)
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| Shisochin* - "Battle in Four Directions" (Traditional) |
| Tensho - "Revolving Hands" (Traditional kata redesigned
by Miyagi) |
| Seipai* - "18 Hands" (Traditional) |
| San-sei-ru-- "36 Hands" (Traditional) |
| Seisan* - "13 Hands" (Traditional) |
| Kururunfa* - "Maneuvers of Evasion - Tai Sabaki" (Traditional) |
| Suparinpei* - "108 Hands" (Traditional)
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*The
Seigokan Goju-Ryu kata have some variations from kata of other Goju-Ryu
schools. This is the inevitable result of each school's founder or
master interpreting the kata. For the purpose of inter-school
tournaments, the Seigokan governing organization in Japan also requires
training in standardized versions of the compulsory kata (called
"Shitei") designated by the World Karate Federation (WKF). The kata
asterisked above are recognized Shitei kata, and Seigokan Goju-Ryu
competitors are required to know the standard WKF version of the kata.
In
WKF tournaments, a competitor must first perform a Shitei kata in the
first round, and if advancing to a second round, perform a different
Shitei kata. If advancing to a third round, the competitor may choose a
free kata or Tokui kata. |
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