空手道 · The Way of the Empty Hand
Clear, illustrated, carefully-checked guides to the kata, belts and techniques of Shotokan karate — free, and built to be actually useful on the mat. Step through a form move-by-move, or find exactly what your next grading needs.
Three ways in
Whether you’re prepping for a grading, memorising a form, or just curious what a shutō-uke is — there’s a clear path in.
Every rank white to black, how kyū and dan work, and how the order changes between styles — the map of your whole journey.
Belts in order → 型All 26 Shotokan forms, grouped by level, each with its meaning and what it teaches — and interactive, move-by-move walkthroughs.
Browse the kata → 技The vocabulary every kata is built from — front stance, down block, reverse punch — each illustrated and explained.
Learn the basics →Best place to start
Twenty-one movements, each with its stance, technique and direction laid out clearly — plus the kata’s history, its bunkai, the mistakes to avoid, and how it’s graded. Everything for the yellow-belt form in one place.
Open the walkthrough →Why trust it
Sequences and history are cross-referenced against standard JKA and Shotokan sources, and reviewed by dan-graded instructors.
Every technique is illustrated and named in Japanese, with real photo and video references being added on top.
A study aid, never a replacement for a sensei. Where schools differ, we say so instead of pretending one answer fits all.