Wankan (Crown of a King)

Wankan is the only form that begins with a diagonal motion and is one of the lesser practiced Shotokan Karate kata.

It’s not the most unusual or difficult kata, although you may have some trouble executing move 13 flawlessly. That’s because it’s a turn from the standard zenkutsu-dachi stance into the cat stance, or neko-ashi-dachi. The motion must be fluid, but it’s a notorious tripping hazard, particularly while performing the required tiger-mouth scoping block and tiger-mouth press (koko-sukui-uke / koko-osae).

Interestingly, there’s a theory that Wankan is incomplete and that sensei Funakoshi died before he could complete it. Still, if your goal is to master all Shotokan Karate kata, Wankan is one form you’ll need to conquer.