First Cause
The IKKU sets itself apart from other Traditional Karate Organizations through the extensive kata and bunkai exposure we offer our members in live dojo classes, seminars, weekend camps, and now via digital video formats. You will experience this early on with our Taikyoku Katas 1-6 offering. While most traditional organizations only have access to the Taikyoku 1-3 kata developed by Gigo Funakoshi, our Soke had exposure to an expanded Taikyoku Series (4-10) that Aihara Sensei developed after training directly with Funakoshi, Egami, and Kanki Izumikawa.
Kiyoshi Aihara (1932–2017), founder of the Zen Shoto Kai, a Waseda University graduate, and early Shotokan pioneer in Hawaii, is credited with creating Taikyoku Yondan, Godan, and Rokudan (Kata 4–6) during the early 1950s, while still affiliated with the prestigious Waseda Karate Club in Japan. These kata served as pedagogical tools designed to expand upon the original Taikyoku series developed by Yoshitaka (Gigo) Funakoshi. Aihara’s variations retained the simplicity of the Taikyoku series but introduced new directional patterns and challenges in timing, which are particularly useful for beginners progressing to the more complex Pinan kata.
His work paralleled the development of Gekisai Dai Ichi/Ni in Goju-Ryu and was aimed at creating structured, progressive beginner kata that extended Funakoshi’s work. While the Taikyoku 1-3 Series was designed for beginners to teach basic concepts and principles on which to build, the 4-6 Series extends the beginner’s exposure and experience.
Due to the informal nature of kata transmission in the 1950s, Aihara’s contribution is not always widely cited in mainstream Shotokan texts. However, his students—including Soke Joseph Ruiz of the International Karate Kobudo Union (IKKU)—preserved and propagated these kata in both Japan and Hawaii. Today, Taikyoku 4–6 remain essential to IKKU’s foundational curriculum and represent an innovative phase in Shotokan’s postwar karate evolution.
“These kata reflect Sensei Aihara’s deep understanding of how to gradually prepare students—not only physically but mentally—for the rigors of traditional Karate. They are elegant in their simplicity but powerful in their application.”
— Soke Joseph Ruiz, Founder IKKU
Soke Ruiz learned this kata series as a youth while studying under Aihara and has generously shared the kata knowledge with the IKKU members during previous seminars and camps. Our organization is lucky to have this elite Taikyoku Series to offer to our members.
We hope you enjoy the exposure to this rare traditional karate kata series.
Taikyoku Yondan
太 極 四
First Cause 4
COMING SOON!
Taikyoku Godan
太 極 五
First Cause 5
Taikyoku Rokudan
太 極 六
First Cause 6
COMING SOON!