予備型
Karate kata Yobi
Yobi kata are now forgotten forms, whose origins can be traced back to the precise date of March 28, 1937.
Naming of the Kata
Yobi kata.
The Japanese characters used for this kata’s name can be translated as ‘Preliminary Kata.’ In the book Karate-do Taikan (1938), author Genwa Nakasone describes these ‘preliminary kata’ (予備型 – Yobi Kata) as ‘Fundamental Karate-do Kata No. 1’ through 12.
Origin of Yobi Kata
On March 28, 1937, representatives of the major styles gathered under the auspices of the Okinawa Prefecture Association for the Promotion of Karate-do (Okinawa-ken Karate-do Shinko Kyokai). The meeting brought together the elite of the martial arts world at that time:
omosuke Maeshiro, who recorded the minutes of this historic meeting.
Kentsu Yabu (former Director of the Consultation Department).
Chomo Hanashiro (Director of the Department at the time).
Chotoku Kyan, Choshin Chibana, Chojun Miyagi, Shimpan Shiroma (Secretaries).
Genwa Nakasone (Author and Chronicler).
The Purpose of the Masters’ Meeting
According to Genwa Nakasone’s documents, the key objectives of the meeting were as follows:
- Organization and Unification: Since traditional kata varied significantly among different teachers, the goal was to create a standardized foundation to facilitate the promotion of the art.
- Creating a Pedagogical Bridge: The aim was to establish new kata to serve as preparation, while the classical (old) kata of individual traditions would be preserved.
- Systematic Progression: The new system was intended to allow students to transition smoothly from simple to more complex movements.
- Universality of Training: The objective was to achieve a state where a student could continue their training regardless of which master they originally started practicing under.
Result of the Meeting
The main outcome of the meeting held on March 28, 1937, was the creation and official establishment of a system of twelve fundamental kata (Yobi). This step was motivated by the effort to unify and popularize Karate-do on Okinawa.
Technical Characteristics of Yobi Kata
In his work Karate-do Taikan (1938), Genwa Nakasone describes the “preliminary kata” (予備型 – Yobi Kata) as exercises that serve as a gateway to formal study. These 12 exercises were not given traditional names such as Heian or Tekki; instead, they are numbered sequences of fundamental techniques and movements in various directions.
Their purpose is to master:
3 Fundamental Stances (Hachiji dachi, Neko-ashi dachi, and Zenkutsu dachi).
3 Fundamental Blocks (Jodan uke, Chudan uke /Uchi uke/, and Gedan uke /harai uke/).
2 Fundamental Attacks (Jodan choku tsuki and Chudan choku tsuki).
3 Fundamental Kicks (Jodan geri, Chudan geri, and Gedan geri /mae geri/).
2 Fundamental Directional Changes (Zenshin and Tenkai).
These ‘kata’ were very simple forms performed repeatedly forward, backward, and to the sides, thereby building fundamental motor skills and spatial awareness. Their embusen (performance line) was in the shape of a horizontal ‘H’, the same as, for example, the Taikyoku kata of the Gojukai school.
A Lost Heritage
Why is the system of 12 Yobi kata not commonly taught today? A few years after their establishment in 1937, World War II struck Okinawa, interrupting the continuity of many civilian projects. Many of the masters who were present at their creation either perished or, after the war, focused on the restoration of their own specific styles (Goju-ryu, Shorin-ryu).
Although the Yobi kata disappeared as a complete system, their spirit lives on in series such as the Fukyu kata (created by Nagamine and Miyagi in 1940) or Taikyoku (Gichin Funakoshi). They serve as a testament to an era when karate sought to find a balance between preserving a martial art and meeting the demands of modern education. Studying Yobi kata today offers us more than just an insight into technical foundations; it reminds us of the vision for a unified karate shared by the greatest masters of the 20th century.
Unlock the animation of the kata sequence depicted in the book Karate-do Taikan, written by Genwa Nakasone (1938).
The book Karatedo Taikan (translated as “Encyclopedia of Karatedo”), compiled in 1938 by Genwa Nakasone, is among the most significant historical works in the history of martial arts. It is one of the most extensive and detailed pieces written during the golden age of karate development in Okinawa and Japan, with Nakasone gathering contributions from the greatest legends of that era, such as Chomo Hanashiro and Kenwa Mabuni. The book provides detailed documentation of kata (forms), self-defense techniques, and the philosophical aspects of various styles of the time. To this day, it serves as a key reference source for historians and advanced practitioners seeking to understand the original forms and applications of traditional karate.
The animation clearly shows that the same combination is symmetrically repeated within the embusen: chūdan uke – jōdan uke – chūdan geri and jōdan tsuki. Despite its absence from the canon of traditional kata, the authors considered it an important part of instruction, facilitating the transition to more demanding traditional sequences.
Kyusho jutsu in the 12th Yobi kata
Although the book Karatedo Taikan (translated as “Encyclopedia of Karatedo”) itself does not contain any resuscitation procedures, lists of vital points, or maps of the human body showing their locations, we can discern the presence of vital points behind the techniques in the kata.
One of the techniques included in the kata, which is considered somewhat unusual today, is the gedan geri (low kick). This direct kick can be targeted at the vital points ST 38-39-40.
ST 40 (ST 38-39-40)
Čínsky názov: Fenglong (豊隆) – v preklade “Hojná vydutina”. Japonský názov: Hōryū (ほうりゅう).
Poloha: Nachádza sa na predkolení, približne v polovici vzdialenosti medzi kolenom (dubian) a vonkajším členkom. Je posunutý o dva prsty laterálne (smerom von) od hrany holenného svalu (m. tibialis anterior).
Nervy: Superficial fibular (peroneal) nerve (povrchový ihlicový nerv). Pri hlbokom prieniku zasahujeme aj hlboký ihlicový nerv (Deep fibular (peroneal) nerve).
Efekt: telo sa nahne dopredu, křč v nohe, disfuncia obidvoch nôh
Include the Yobigata series in your training process only if you are looking for a direct connection to that historical meeting and the original attempt to systematize karate. I consider them methodologically outdated and disconnected from any traditional kata. Given that even the authors themselves did not incorporate them into their own curricula, today they serve only as a memory and a testament to old times, with no justified place in contemporary instruction.
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Bibliography / References
McKENNA, Mario. An Overview of Karate-do: A Translation of the 1938 Karate-do Taikan by Nakasone Genwa. Lulu Press, 2009. 310 p.
Gemini (AI Model by Google). Technical translation and text composition support for the 12th Yobi Kata analysis. March 2, 2026.
