Contents
The structure the generator follows
Shotokan has no single published class plan like some styles do: the frame is derived from the training structure of the style organisations (JKA, DKV) and the federation. Every grade is built around three streams: kihon (in place, then ido-kihon moving), kata, and kumite (the pre-arranged ladder, then jiyu). From that structure, plus mobility and conditioning, the corpus derives seven themes the generator draws on to compose the session:
| Theme | What it works | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| kihon | The correction loop (stance, hikite, koshi, kime) and the technique vocabulary | Style (JKA) |
| ido-geiko-et-deplacements | Ido-kihon, tai-sabaki, transitions and footwork | Style |
| kata-et-bunkai | The Heian → advanced canon and its bunkai / oyo applications | Style (grade) / Sport (WKF list) |
| kumite-preparatoire | The pre-arranged ladder (gohon → sanbon → kihon-ippon → jiyu-ippon) | Style |
| kumite-competition-wkf | Jiyu kumite under WKF / FFKarate rules (sundome) | Sport (WKF) |
| souplesse-mobilite | Mobility for kick height | Dojo practice |
| physique | Stance holding, repetition load, core for the koshi | Dojo practice |
The three streams, never flattened
Kihon, kata and kumite are three different jobs under one art, and the corpus forbids merging them. A kumite rule ("no skin-touch contact under 14", WKF) is never a kata fact; a style kihon standard is never cited from a WKF rulebook. Kata is a first-class theme: about half the grading syllabus lives there. And the pre-arranged ladder (yakusoku) is Shotokan's safe bridge into sparring, the brick that fills the kumite-stream mains:
| Ladder rung | What it trains | Grade band (JKA) |
|---|---|---|
| Gohon kumite (5-step) | Committed attack + retreating block ×5, counter on the 5th | 8th–7th kyu |
| Sanbon kumite (3-step) | 3-step version (some orgs), shorter distance, rhythm | ~7th–6th kyu |
| Kihon-ippon kumite | One announced attack, one block-counter (immediate gyaku-zuki) | 6th kyu and up |
| Jiyu-ippon kumite | One semi-free attack, both in free stance (zanshin) | 2nd kyu and up |
| Jiyu kumite | Free sparring under control | 2nd dan (JKA) |
The timed blocks
The generator composes the session in four moments from the seven themes. Here is the timed frame for a 60-minute class:
| Block | Themes drawn | Example (60 min) |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | Mobility · ido geiko · light kihon (never high intensity) | 10′, mobility for kick height, footwork, kihon on the count |
| Main 1 | The chosen focus (kihon, kata, preparatory kumite, physical) | 16′, line kihon, loop stance → hikite → koshi → kime |
| Main 2 | The same focus, second drill | 16′, ido-kihon in zenkutsu-dachi, oi-zuki moving |
| Game block | The free / shiai theme (kumite-competition-wkf), by age gate | 14′, distance and maai game, themed rounds |
| Cool-down | - | 4′, stretching, breathing (kokyu) |
Three build traps
- Free kumite and power are not warm-ups. Jiyu and power work are high intensity: they belong in the mains and the game block, never the warm-up. The Shotokan warm-up is mobility (for kick height), footwork (ido geiko) and light kihon on the count.
- The youngest players' game block is a game, not a bout. At U9, the "kumite" block fills with distance, timing and target games, the corpus does not have this age spar (WKF: no skin-touch contact under 14).
- A session is a grade as much as an age. The two banding axes are independent: age (U9 / U13 / U17 / seniors) and grade (kyu / dan). A drill carries its grade anchor where the syllabus gives one ("from 2nd kyu" for jiyu-ippon), and its age anchor separately, never derive one from the other.
Frequently asked questions
How much time for kata in a session?
Can you run free kumite every session?
Sources
Paak Shotokan corpus, files 00 (the map: the two authorities, the three streams, the derivation of the seven themes) and 03 (technique, drills and pedagogy: the kihon correction loop, the pre-arranged ladder, kata pedagogy). JKA, Kyu/Dan Grading Guideline (effective 1 April 2017), the three streams and the ladder grade bands. DKV, Prüfungsordnung Shotokan (from January 2023). FFKarate (FFKDA), "Passer un grade". WKF, Kumite Competition Rules (2024, 2026 transition), sundome and the contact gates by age. Nakayama, Best Karate (technique structure). Content verified September 2026.