Shotokan Kata · Advanced (Dan grade)
Step through all 24 movements. Use the arrows or press play. These are simplified schematics — pair them with the written sequence below and your instructor.
Wankan is short but not simple. Its lessons are economy and direction: it begins on the diagonal (a rarity in Shotokan) and asks you to change lines cleanly, to hold a stable one-legged posture at the scissors block, and to link kicks and punches smoothly in its closing run. Because it is brief and has a single kiai, everything must count — there is nowhere to hide a weak stance or a rushed transition.
Wankan comes from the Tomari-te tradition, and its name — the crown of a king — refers to the shape the opening moves trace. It is a comparatively late, less-standardised addition to the syllabus, so you will see more version-to-version variation in it than in most Shotokan kata.
A text reference for the whole kata, following the mainstream JKA form.
| # | Technique | Stance / turn |
|---|
Accuracy note: commonly counted as 24 with a single kiai on the closing yama-zuki. Several distinct Wankan versions circulate (including Asai-lineage variants); the mae-geri and its landing punch are sometimes counted as one move or two, shifting the total. Verify against your dōjō.
Each links to a full breakdown in the techniques glossary.
Read Wankan as controlling and collapsing an attacker at close range.
The wedge blocks part an attacker’s arms or a two-handed grab/lapel grab as you step onto the diagonal, opening a line to counter.
The tiger-mouth scoop (koko) catches and lifts a limb while the palm drives into or buckles the attacker’s knee — a take-down built into the turn.
Three front kicks, each flowing straight into a lunge punch, drive an opponent back — the kick opens the target and the punch fills it, drilled three times.
Wankan begins on the diagonal — set off at 45°, not square to the front, or you lose the whole embusen from the first move.
Its brevity is not an excuse to hurry. With one kiai and few moves, each stance and transition must be complete and correct.
In the closing run the front kick should flow into the punch as one committed action, not two separate beats.
The single kiai lands on the yama-zuki — turn fully into the strong rooted stance and commit both fists together.
As a dan-grade kata, Wankan is judged on a clean diagonal opening, stable cat stances and one-legged postures, smooth kick-into-punch combinations, a strong, committed yama-zuki with the single kiai, and an accurate embusen despite its brevity. Because versions vary, examiners look for consistency with your own dōjō’s form. Requirements vary by association — confirm with your dōjō.
The illustrations on this page are study schematics — they show the shape of each move, not a real body in motion. To see Wankan performed at full speed by senior instructors, watch reference footage:
▶ Watch “Wankan” performances on YouTubeOpens a YouTube search in a new tab. Look for JKA / Japan Karate Association or established Shotokan instructor demonstrations for the most standard version of the form.
Or explore the full kata library.