Use this as a fixed reading and note-taking sequence. There is no schedule and no exercise component. Move to the next item whenever the current ideas feel clear enough.

The goal is to remove decisions:

1read -> take notes -> answer prompts -> move on

How to use the path

For each module:

1. Read or watch the assigned resource.
2. Create one notebook page.
3. Answer the prompts.
4. Add useful terms to the glossary.
5. Move on only when the ideas feel clear enough.

Do not try to master everything before moving forward. The karate school handles physical training and correction.

Part 1: Orientation

1. What is Shotokan Karate?

Goal: understand what you are studying.

Use:

• Blancke Academy homepage
• Blancke Academy “Our Classes”
• general notes on Shotokan Karate
• Japan Karate Association background on Funakoshi

Notebook page:

1What is Shotokan Karate?

Prompts:

• What does “Shotokan” mean?
• Who was Gichin Funakoshi?
• How is Shotokan different from simply saying “karate”?
• What are kihon, kata, and kumite?
• Why is karate considered both physical training and character training?

2. My dojo context

Goal: understand the school you are training with.

Use:

• Blancke Academy homepage
• Sensei Gunther Blancke profile
• Blancke Academy class information

Notebook page:

1My dojo: Blancke Academy

Prompts:

• Who teaches at the school?
• What is the school’s background?
• What does the academy seem to value?
• What does “Kokoro Kumi” mean in this context?
• Which parts of the school’s approach do I want to remember?

Part 2: Etiquette and mindset

3. Dojo etiquette

Goal: know how to behave in the dojo and why etiquette matters.

Use:

• Blancke Academy Dojo Etiquette page

Notebook page:

1Dojo etiquette

Prompts:

• What should I do when entering and leaving the dojo?
• What should I do if I arrive late?
• How should I behave during class?
• What does bowing communicate?
• Which etiquette rules do I need to internalize first?

4. Dojo Kun

Goal: learn the five core dojo principles.

Use:

• Blancke Academy Dojo Etiquette page

Notebook page:

1Dojo Kun

Prompts:

• Write the five Dojo Kun in your own words.
• What does “character” mean in karate?
• What does “maximum effort” mean outside training?
• How does respect show up in practice?
• Which Dojo Kun feels most relevant to me right now?

5. Funakoshi’s 20 principles

Goal: build a philosophical foundation.

Use:

• Blancke Academy 20 Guiding Principles of Karate page
• Funakoshi, The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate

Notebook page:

1Niju Kun: Funakoshi's 20 principles

Prompts:

• Which five principles seem most important for a beginner?
• What does “karate begins and ends with courtesy” mean?
• What does “there is no first strike in karate” mean?
• Which principle is hardest to understand?
• Which principle could guide how I learn?

Part 3: Language and terminology

6. Japanese counting and commands

Goal: understand common words heard in class.

Use:

• Blancke Academy Karate Terms and Numbers page

Notebook page:

1Japanese counting and class commands

Prompts:

• Write numbers 1-10.
• What do rei, sensei, seiza, mokuso, yoi, and hajime mean?
• Which terms do I hear most often in class?
• Which terms do I keep confusing?
• What is one term I want to recognize automatically?

7. Core karate vocabulary

Goal: build your glossary.

Use:

• Blancke Academy Karate Terms and Numbers page

Notebook page:

1Karate glossary

Create categories:

Prompts:

• Which words describe techniques?
• Which words describe levels or directions?
• Which words describe mindset?
• Which words are used in grading?
• Which terms should I ask sensei about?

Part 4: History

8. Origins of karate

Goal: understand where karate came from before Japan.

Use:

• Blancke Academy “Origins of Karate and Master Funakoshi”

Notebook page:

1Origins of karate

Prompts:

• What role did Okinawa play?
• What was the Ryukyu Kingdom?
• How did Chinese martial arts influence karate?
• What does “empty hand” mean?
• Why did karate change as it moved from Okinawa to Japan?

9. Gichin Funakoshi

Goal: understand why Funakoshi is central to Shotokan.

Use:

• Blancke Academy Funakoshi history page
• JKA Funakoshi biography
• Funakoshi, Karate-Do: My Way of Life

Notebook page:

1Gichin Funakoshi

Prompts:

• What did Funakoshi contribute to modern karate?
• Why did he bring karate to mainland Japan?
• What was his view of karate as character training?
• What does his life suggest about patience and discipline?
• What should a beginner learn from him?

10. Shotokan lineages and organisations

Goal: understand why there are different Shotokan organisations.

Use:

• JKA history page
• ISKF website
• SKIF resources
• Blancke list of international karate organisations

Notebook page:

1Shotokan organisations

Prompts:

• What is the JKA?
• What is the ISKF?
• What is SKIF?
• Why do different organisations exist?
• Does my dojo appear connected to one organisation or several?

Part 5: The training pillars

11. Kihon: basics

Goal: understand what basics are for.

Use:

• Blancke Academy Kihon page
• The Martial Way kihon resources
• The Karate Handbook

Notebook page:

1Kihon: basics

Prompts:

• What is kihon?
• Why do basics matter?
• What are the main categories of kihon?
• What is the relationship between basics and kata?
• What is the relationship between basics and kumite?

12. Stances

Goal: understand the theory of stance work.

Use:

• Blancke Academy Kihon page
• Karate terminology page
• The Martial Way stance resources

Notebook page:

1Stances

Prompts:

• What is a stance for?
• Why are Shotokan stances often long and deep?
• What is the purpose of zenkutsu-dachi?
• What is the purpose of kokutsu-dachi?
• What is the purpose of kiba-dachi?
• How do stances affect balance, movement, and power?

13. Punches, strikes, blocks, and kicks

Goal: build a theory map of technique categories.

Use:

• Blancke terminology page
• Blancke kihon page
• The Martial Way
• Black Belt Wiki

Notebook page:

1Technique categories

Prompts:

• What is the difference between zuki, uchi, uke, and geri?
• What does hikite mean?
• What is kime?
• What does hip rotation contribute?
• Why are blocks not always only “blocks”?

14. Kata: form and pattern

Goal: understand what kata is.

Use:

• Blancke Academy Kata page
• Shotokan Sensei kata explanations
• Shotokan Karate Academy kata videos

Notebook page:

1Kata: form and pattern

Prompts:

• What is kata?
• What is embusen?
• Why are kata preserved?
• Why does rhythm matter?
• Why should kata not be treated as a dance?

15. The Heian kata

Goal: understand the beginner kata sequence.

Use:

• Blancke Academy Kata page
• Heian kata resources
• Shotokan Sensei
• Shotokan Karate Academy

Notebook page:

1The Heian kata

Prompts:

• What does “Heian” mean?
• Why are there five Heian kata?
• What order are they learned in?
• What does each Heian kata seem to introduce?
• How do the Heian kata prepare a student for later kata?

16. The 26 Shotokan kata

Goal: create your kata index.

Use:

• Blancke Academy Kata page

Notebook page:

1Shotokan kata index

Create a table:

Prompts:

• Which kata are beginner kata?
• Which kata are common black belt kata?
• Which kata names do I recognize from class?
• Which kata should I ignore for now except as reference?
• Which kata do I want to learn about later?

17. Bunkai: application

Goal: understand that kata movements have practical meanings.

Use:

• Blancke kata page
• The Way of Kata by Kane and Wilder
• Applied Methods Substack by Adam Carter
• The Martial Way

Notebook page:

1Bunkai

Prompts:

• What is bunkai?
• Why can one kata movement have several interpretations?
• Why might a “block” also be a strike, grab, or setup?
• What is the danger of memorising applications without understanding principles?
• How should a beginner approach bunkai?

18. Kumite: partner training

Goal: understand kumite conceptually, without self-training it at home.

Use:

• Blancke Academy Kumite page
• The Martial Way kumite resources
• ISKF grading notes

Notebook page:

1Kumite

Prompts:

• What does kumite mean?
• What is yakusoku kumite?
• What is the difference between pre-arranged kumite and free sparring?
• What are maai, timing, control, and zanshin?
• Why does kumite require etiquette and restraint?

Part 6: Grading and progression

19. Belt system and grading

Goal: understand what grading measures.

Use:

• Blancke Academy Grading and Belts Guidelines
• ISKF exam guidelines

Notebook page:

1Grading and belts

Prompts:

• What does a belt represent?
• What does grading test?
• What are kyu and dan grades?
• Why does attitude matter in grading?
• What does my next grading require?

20. My grading syllabus

Goal: make one practical reference page for your own level.

Use:

• Blancke grading page
• your school’s instructions
• notes from class

Notebook page:

1My next grading

Create a table:

Prompts:

• What must I know for my next grade?
• Which terms appear in the grading requirements?
• Which kata is required?
• Which parts are unclear?
• What should I ask sensei?

Part 7: Deeper study

21. Karate as budo

Goal: understand karate beyond sport or technique.

Use:

• Funakoshi, Karate-Do: My Way of Life
• Funakoshi, The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate
• Blancke 20 principles page

Notebook page:

1Karate as budo

Prompts:

• What does “do” mean in karate-do?
• What is the difference between jutsu and do?
• How is karate related to character?
• What does humility mean in martial arts?
• How should karate affect life outside the dojo?

22. Sport karate, traditional karate, and self-defence

Goal: understand different lenses for studying karate.

Use:

• World Union of Karate Federations
• ISKF
• Black Belt Wiki
• Applied Methods Substack

Notebook page:

1Different views of karate

Prompts:

• What is sport karate?
• What is traditional karate?
• What is self-defence-oriented karate?
• How do rules change the way people train?
• Which perspective does my dojo seem closest to?

23. Reading Funakoshi

Goal: start primary-source reading.

Use:

• Karate-Do: My Way of Life
• The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate
• The Essence of Karate

Notebook page:

1Funakoshi reading notes

Prompts for each chapter or section:

• What is the main idea?
• What surprised me?
• What seems old-fashioned or historical?
• What still applies directly today?
• What question would I ask Funakoshi if I could?

24. Reading Kanazawa

Goal: learn from a major Shotokan figure.

Use:

• Hirokazu Kanazawa, Karate - My Life
• Shotokan Karate Academy kata videos

Notebook page:

1Kanazawa reading and video notes

Prompts:

• Who was Kanazawa?
• What did he contribute to Shotokan?
• What stands out about his kata?
• What does his karate seem to emphasize?
• What can I observe without trying to copy everything?

25. Modern study resources

Goal: use online resources deliberately, not randomly.

Use:

• Kuro-obi World
• Ultimate Karate
• Shotokan Sensei
• Shotokan Karate Academy
• Applied Methods Substack
• The Martial Way
• Black Belt Wiki

Notebook page:

1Online resource notes

Prompts:

• Which resource is best for history?
• Which is best for terminology?
• Which is best for kata?
• Which is best for bunkai?
• Which explanations match what I hear in class?
• Which explanations should I verify with sensei?

Part 8: Personal synthesis

26. My karate glossary

Goal: maintain one growing reference.

Create sections:

1Japanese terms
2Technique names
3Stances
4Kata names
5Kumite terms
6Philosophy terms
7People and organisations
8Questions for sensei

For each term:

1Term:
2Meaning:
3Where I encountered it:
4Example:
5Question:

27. My kata notebook

Goal: build one page per kata as you encounter them.

Template:

 1Kata:
 2Meaning:
 3Level:
 4Embusen:
 5Main stances:
 6Main techniques:
 7Kiai points:
 8Main ideas:
 9Bunkai notes:
10Common mistakes:
11Video notes:
12Questions for sensei:

Start only with kata you are actually learning. Keep the full 26-kata index as a reference, but do not study all kata equally yet.

28. My corrections log

Goal: connect theory with what your instructor tells you.

Template:

1Date:
2Correction from class:
3Related concept:
4Related term:
5Resource to review:
6What I understand now:
7Question if still unclear:

Examples:

29. My questions page

Goal: prevent confusion from accumulating.

Template:

1Question:
2Where it came from:
3Possible answer:
4Who to ask:
5Answer received:

Categories:

• technique
• kata
• terminology
• etiquette
• grading
• history
• philosophy

30. Review and restart

Goal: periodically consolidate without setting deadlines.

When you finish Part 8, restart selectively:

1. Re-read your glossary.
2. Revisit your grading page.
3. Update your kata notebook.
4. Choose one Funakoshi principle to reflect on.
5. Review unanswered questions.
6. Start again from any section that feels useful.

Side paths

After the Shotokan theory modules, use these reference paths:

• Grappling side knowledge for judo and BJJ concepts that clarify close range, balance, throws, ground positions, control, escapes, submissions, and kata bunkai questions.
• Primal movement side knowledge for natural movement patterns, mobility, coordination, balance, and transitions.
• Gymnastics side knowledge for body control, alignment, shapes, tension, landing mechanics, and spatial awareness.
• Kickboxing side knowledge for combinations, guard, rhythm, pressure, footwork, defence, and continuous striking logic.
• Ballet and Alignment for posture, alignment, turnout awareness, foot articulation, rhythm, leg control, and kata presentation.
• Swimming side knowledge for breath, relaxation, horizontal body line, whole-body coordination, rhythm, and aquatic efficiency.
• Acrobatics and Acro Rock’n’Roll for partner acrobatics, rhythm, kicks, landing mechanics, choreography, and presentation.
• Cheerleading Tumbling Progression for progression awareness, tumbling shapes, inversions, landings, handsprings, saltos, twisting vocabulary, and connected pass analysis.
• Yoga and Breath-Based Movement for breath, posture, mobility, flexibility, body awareness, balance, recovery, and slow controlled transitions.

These are side knowledge, not second training curricula.

Simplified path

If the full version feels too large, follow only this sequence:

 11. What is Shotokan?
 22. My dojo
 33. Dojo etiquette
 44. Dojo Kun
 55. Japanese terms
 66. Origins of karate
 77. Funakoshi
 88. Kihon
 99. Kata
1010. Heian kata
1111. Kumite
1212. Grading
1313. Niju Kun
1414. Bunkai
1515. Personal glossary
1616. Kata notebook
1717. Questions for sensei

Decision rule

Whenever you are unsure what to study next, use this:

 1If I am new or confused:
 2-> read the next numbered module.
 3
 4If class mentioned a term I do not understand:
 5-> update the glossary.
 6
 7If class focused on a kata:
 8-> update the kata notebook.
 9
10If sensei corrected something:
11-> add it to the corrections log.
12
13If grading is coming closer:
14-> review the grading and syllabus pages.
15
16If I feel overloaded:
17-> read only philosophy, etiquette, or history.

This gives a self-paced theory curriculum with no workouts, no deadlines, and no need to choose the next topic.