Within the katori school, teaching is provided in the form of kata (sequence of prescribed movements) between the teacher and the student. Each kata corresponds to a lesson. The teacher always uses the wooden sword (bokken), the student learns to use all the weapons.
Beginners first learn the maki uchi, a sort of a strike on the arm, which he will repeat countless times throughout his practice. They also learn the fundamental positions (kamae). Then, they study a first educational kata (ken no kata) which allows them to practice basic striking techniques.
Subsequently, they begin a long apprenticeship in all the techniques of the school. During the first years, students will have to focus on the sword (in ken-jutsu and iai-jutsu) and only have a glimpse on long weapons such as bo and naginata. They follow a technical progression which will take them from the 7th kyu to the 1st kyu, within their club. It is only from the 1st dan that practitioners will have to take a federal exam according to a defined technical program. Gradually, they will have to complete their training by also mastering long weapons and the role of the teacher.
After several years (in practice, after the 3rd dan), when practitioners have demonstrated their seriousness and attachment to the school, they will be able to receive the teaching of higher principles, the gokui, through series of other katas and also learn how to handle other weapons (two-sword techniques, short-sword techniques, use of the yari, a long straight spear).
The program is structured around the practice of the following disciplines:
- Kenjutsu: sword techniques (4 basic katas Omote no Tachi, 5 advanced Gōgyo no Tachi and three katas incorrectly called « secret katas », Gokui Shichijo).
- Iaijutsu: cutting techniques by pulling the sword from the sheath (6 kneeling katas Suwari iaï or Iaï goshi, 5 standing katas Tachi iaï Battōjutsu and 5 advanced katas, Gokui no iaï).
- Ryōtōjutsu: two-sword techniques (4 katas).
- Kodachijutsu: small sword techniques (3 Gokui no Kodachi katas).
- Bojutsu: staff techniques (6 basic Omote no Bō katas and 6 advanced Gōgyo no Bō katas).
- Naginatajutsu: halberd techniques (4 basic katas Omote no Naginata).
- Sojutsu: long pike techniques (6 Omote no Yari katas).
- Shurikenjutsu: spike throwing techniques (7 basic Omote no Shuriken kata).
- Senjutsu: strategy techniques.
- Shikujojutsu: fortification construction techniques.
- Ninjutsu: espionage techniques.
- Jujutsu: bare-handed techniques (36 katas).
The last 4 techniques are no longer studied.
FUNDAMENTAL STRIKES – Ken
- MEN UCHI
- MAKI UCHI
- YOKOMEN UCHI
- DO UCHI
- SUNE UCHI
- TSUKI
POSITIONS – Ken
- SEIGAN
- MIGI GEDAN NO KAMAE
- HIDARI GEDAN NO KAMAE
- IN NO KAMAE
- SHA NO KAMAE
- SHIN NO KAMAE
- HIDARI JODAN NO KAMAE
- MIGI JODAN NO KAMAE
- SUWARI GEDAN NO KAMAE
- TORI
- WAKI TORI
- KO GASUMI
- TE URA GASUMI
- O GASUMI
KEN-JUTSU
- KEN NO KATA
BO-JUTSU
–
NAGINATA-JUTSU
–
IAI-JUTSU
–
HISTORY & CULTURE
- Dojo
- Etiquette
FUNDAMENTAL STRIKES – Bo
- MEN UCHI
- YOKOMEN UCHI
- DO UCHI
- SUNE UCHI
- TSUKI
- MATA AGE UCHI
POSITIONS – Bo
- SEIGAN NO KAMAE
- GEDAN NO KAMAE
- SHA NO KAMAE
- JODAN UKERU
- MIGI SUWARI GEDAN NO KAMAE
- HIDARI SUWARI GEDAN NO KAMAE
KEN-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO TACHI (kiri komi role)
BO-JUTSU
–
NAGINATA-JUTSU
–
IAI-JUTSU
- KUSA NAGI NO KEN
HISTORY & CULTURE
- School
FUNDAMENTAL STRIKES
–
POSITIONS
–
KEN-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO TACHI (kiri komi role)
BO-JUTSU
- BO NO KATA
NAGINATA-JUTSU
–
IAI-JUTSU
- NUKI TSUKE NO KEN
- NUKI UCHI NO KEN
HISTORY & CULTURE
–
FUNDAMENTAL STRIKES – Naginata
- MEN UCHI
- YOKOMEN UCHI
- DO UCHI
- SUNE UCHI
- KIRI AGE
- KESA GIRI
- KUSANAGI
POSITIONS – Naginata
- SEIGAN
- GEDAN NO KAMAE
- IN NO KAMAE
- JODAN UKERU
- SHA NO KAMAE
- TEN NO KAMAE
KEN-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO TACHI
- NANATSU NO TACHI (kiri komi role)
BO-JUTSU
- SERI AI NO BO (uchi komi role)
NAGINATA-JUTSU
–
IAI-JUTSU
- UKEN
- SAKEN
HISTORY & CULTURE
- Parts of the sword
FUNDAMENTAL STRIKES
–
POSITIONS
–
KEN-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO TACHI
- NANATSU NO TACHI
- KASUMI NO TACHI (kiri komi role)
BO-JUTSU
- SERI AI NO BO (uchi komi role)
NAGINATA-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO NAGINATA (kiri komi role)
IAI-JUTSU
- HAPPOKEN
HISTORY & CULTURE
- Typology of swords
FUNDAMENTAL STRIKES
–
POSITIONS
–
KEN-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO TACHI
- NANATSU NO TACHI
- KASUMI NO TACHI
- HAKKA NO TACHI (kiri komi role)
BO-JUTSU
- SERI AI NO BO
- SUNE HISHIGI NO BO (uchi komi role)
NAGINATA-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO NAGINATA (kiri komi role)
IAI-JUTSU
- First 6 katas with ceremonial part
HISTORY & CULTURE
–
KEN-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO TACHI
- NANATSU NO TACHI
- KASUMI NO TACHI
- HAKKA NO TACHI
GOGYO NO TACHI
–
BO-JUTSU
- SERI AI NO BO
- SUNE HISHIGI NO BO
- SAYU NO BO
- KASA HAZUCHI NO BO
- HANE TSURUBE NO BO
- TATE NAMI NO BO
NAGINATA-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO NAGINATA
- NANATSU NO NAGINATA
IAI-JUTSU
- KUSANAGI NO KEN
- NUKI TSUKE NO KEN
- NUKI UCHI NO KEN
- UKEN
- SAKEN
- HAPPOKEN
TACHI AI
- YUKI AI GYAKU NUKI NO TACHI
- ZENGO CHIDORI NO TACHI
- YUKI AI MIGI CHIDORI NO TACHI
- GYAKU NUKI NO TACHI
- NUKI UCHI NO TACHI
KEN-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO TACHI
- NANATSU NO TACHI
- KASUMI NO TACHI
- HAKKA NO TACHI
GOGYO NO TACHI
–
BO-JUTSU
- SERI AI NO BO
- SUNE HISHIGI NO BO
- SAYU NO BO
- KASA HAZUCHI NO BO
- HANE TSURUBE NO BO
- TATE NAMI NO BO
NAGINATA-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO NAGINATA
- NANATSU NO NAGINATA
- KASUMI NO NAGINATA
- HAKKA NO NAGINATA
IAI-JUTSU
- KUSANAGI NO KEN
- NUKI TSUKE NO KEN
- NUKI UCHI NO KEN
- UKEN
- SAKEN
- HAPPOKEN
TACHI AI
- YUKI AI GYAKU NUKI NO TACHI
- ZENGO CHIDORI NO TACHI
- YUKI AI MIGI CHIDORI NO TACHI
- GYAKU NUKI NO TACHI
- NUKI UCHI NO TACHI
IAI JUTSU YOSEIKAN 1/ IAI GOSHI
- KUSANAGI NO KEN
- NUKI TSUKE NO KEN
- NUKI UCHI NO KEN
- UKEN
- SAKEN
- HAPPOKEN
IAI JUTSU YOSEIKAN 2/ TACHI AI
–
RYOTO-JUTSU
–
SOO- JUTSU
–
KEN-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO TACHI
- NANATSU NO TACHI
- KASUMI NO TACHI
- HAKKA NO TACHI
GOGYO NO TACHI
- MITSU NO TACHI
- YOTSU NO TACHI
- IN NO TACHI
- SHA NO TACHI
- HOTSU NO TACHI
BO-JUTSU
- SERI AI NO BO
- SUNE HISHIGI NO BO
- SAYU NO BO
- KASA HAZUCHI NO BO
- HANE TSURUBE NO BO
- TATE NAMI NO BO
NAGINATA-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO NAGINATA
- NANATSU NO NAGINATA
- KASUMI NO NAGINATA
- HAKKA NO NAGINATA
IAI-JUTSU
- KUSANAGI NO KEN
- NUKI TSUKE NO KEN
- NUKI UCHI NO KEN
- UKEN
- SAKEN
- HAPPOKEN
TACHI AI
- YUKI AI GYAKU NUKI NO TACHI
- ZENGO CHIDORI NO TACHI
- YUKI AI MIGI CHIDORI NO TACHI
- GYAKU NUKI NO TACHI
- NUKI UCHI NO TACHI
IAI JUTSU YOSEIKAN 1/ IAI GOSHI
- KUSANAGI NO KEN
- NUKI TSUKE NO KEN
- NUKI UCHI NO KEN
- UKEN
- SAKEN
- HAPPOKEN
IAI JUTSU YOSEIKAN 2/ TACHI AI
- YUKI AI GYAKU NUKI NO TACHI
- ZENGO CHIDORI NO TACHI
- YUKI AI MIGI CHIDORI NO TACHI
- GYAKU NUKI NO TACHI
- NUKI UCHI NO TACHI
RYOTO-JUTSU
–
SOO- JUTSU
–
KEN-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO TACHI
- NANATSU NO TACHI
- KASUMI NO TACHI
- HAKKA NO TACHI
GOGYO NO TACHI
- MITSU NO TACHI
- YOTSU NO TACHI
- IN NO TACHI
- SHA NO TACHI
- HOTSU NO TACHI
BO-JUTSU
- SERI AI NO BO
- SUNE HISHIGI NO BO
- SAYU NO BO
- KASA HAZUCHI NO BO
- HANE TSURUBE NO BO
- TATE NAMI NO BO
NAGINATA-JUTSU
- ITSUTSU NO NAGINATA
- NANATSU NO NAGINATA
- KASUMI NO NAGINATA
- HAKKA NO NAGINATA
IAI-JUTSU
- KUSANAGI NO KEN
- NUKI TSUKE NO KEN
- NUKI UCHI NO KEN
- UKEN
- SAKEN
- HAPPOKEN
TACHI AI
- YUKI AI GYAKU NUKI NO TACHI
- ZENGO CHIDORI NO TACHI
- YUKI AI MIGI CHIDORI NO TACHI
- GYAKU NUKI NO TACHI
- NUKI UCHI NO TACHI
IAI JUTSU YOSEIKAN 1/ IAI GOSHI
- KUSANAGI NO KEN
- NUKI TSUKE NO KEN
- NUKI UCHI NO KEN
- UKEN
- SAKEN
- HAPPOKEN
IAI JUTSU YOSEIKAN 2/ TACHI AI
- YUKI AI GYAKU NUKI NO TACHI
- ZENGO CHIDORI NO TACHI
- YUKI AI MIGI CHIDORI NO TACHI
- GYAKU NUKI NO TACHI
- NUKI UCHI NO TACHI
RYOTO-JUTSU
- EIGETSU NO TACHI
- SUIGETSU NO TACHI
- ISSO NAMI NO TACHI
- MURAKUMO NO TACHI
SOO- JUTSU
- HIRYU NO YARI
- KORYU NO YARI
- TSUKIDOME NO YARI
- ANYA NO YARI
- DENKO NO YARI
- YORU NO YA YARI