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My father had dedicated his life to the development of karate as a means of physical education already before I was born. In the world of martial arts he was called “Mabuni the technician”. Being one of the inheritors of the authentic Okinawan hand-fighting techniques (te), he was generally considered to be an outstanding expert with respect to techniques. He wanted to develop and spread karate as a method to improve the health situation of the general population.

In contrast to other martial arts, in karate the physical abilities can be enhanced by kata practice. All in all there are about 50 classical kata. Of course not all of them must be learned unless one wants to become a karate teacher. Kata are sequences of movements of attack and defense with respect to one or several imaginary opponents. In order to execute them no training devices are needed. Kata are easy to practice even in larger groups of people, and their practice can be a source of joy. There are some beginners who are afraid of kata exercises with partners called kumite. But in case one practices karate exclusively for one’s health, kumite is not needed. Furthermore one needs only little space. An area of 3.5 to 4 tatami mats (about 75-85 sq ft) should be sufficient.

The Shitō karate developed by my father contains the traditional Okinawan hand-fighting techniques of the Shuri-te and the Naha-te. Apart from some small technical differences, it is a typical feature of the Shuri-te kata that they consist of many effective and fast attack and defense movements designed for long-distance fighting. For the Naha-te kata, close-distance fighting is typical, with “heavy” movements and a special breathing technique derived from Chinese Fukien kempō5. Having such a broad basis it is easy to find the appropriate kata for any age and any kind of physical condition. This is the great advantage of Shitō karate.

Long kata include about 70 different techniques, shorter ones about 20. A short kata does not take more than one minute. During kata practice literally every inch of the body moves, so that results can be seen very soon. Men get strong and well-balanced bodies and women also become more beautiful. No space, no special devices or clothing is needed. So there is no easier method to improve the state of health. Even very busy people should be able to afford the few minutes a day needed to keep fit by kata practice. Some may think that they are already too old for it. But in principle one can start practicing kata at any age. Most of the masters of karate from Okinawa and mainland Japan enjoyed a long life.