Kata (literally: "form") is a Japanese word describing detailed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs.
Karate

Karate

is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

 Kata are executed as a specified series of a variety of moves, with stepping and turning, while attempting to maintain perfect form.
The practitioner is counseled to visualize the enemy attacks and their responses.
Karateka "read" a kata in order to explain the imagined events.
There are perhaps 100 kata across the various forms of karate, each with many minor variations.

Teaching

Traditionally, kata are taught in stages.
Previously learned kata are repeated to show better technique or power as a student acquires knowledge and experience.
It is common for students testing to repeat every kata they have learned but at an improved level of quality.
The student will perform one new kata and one or two previous ones, to demonstrate how much they have progressed.

The various styles of karate study different kata, or variations of a common core. Some kata may therefore be known by two names, one in Japanese, the other in Okinawan/Chinese.
This is because Gichin Funakoshi

Gichin Funakoshi

was the creator of Shotokan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is attributed as being the 'father of modern karate.' Following the teachings of Anko Itosu, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1921...

 renamed many kata to help Karate spread throughout Japan.

Symbolism of 108

108 (number)

108 is the natural number following 107 and preceding 109.- In mathematics :One hundred [and] eight is an abundant number and a semiperfect number...

 in kata

The number 108 has mythological significance in Dharmic religions. This number also figures prominently in the symbolism associated with Karate, particularly the Goju-ryū discipline. The ultimate Gōjū-ryū kata, Suparinpei, literally translates to 108. Suparinpei is the Chinese

Chinese language

The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...

 pronunciation of the number 108, while gojushi of Gojūshiho is the Japanese pronunciation of the number 54. The other Gōjū-ryū kata, Sanseru (meaning "36") and Seipai ("18") are factors of the number 108.

Other Buddhist symbols within Karate include the term karate itself, the character kara can also be read as ku, which originates from sunya, positioning at the beginning of kata resembles the hand position of zazen

Zazen

In Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...

, and custom of the bow upon entering and leaving the dojo and meeting the sensei, as is done in Buddhist temples and Zen

Zen

Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...

 dojo.

Kata performed in various styles

Some kata and/or styles are not included here, due but not limited to popularity and common usage for kata, and recognition (or not) of styles by the various governing bodies.

Kata
Ananku Ananku is a kata from Okinawan karate. Its history in Okinawan martial arts is relatively short in comparison to other kata as it was composed by Chotoku Kyan...
Annan Annan (kata) is a karate kata, which implies that it is a technique consisting of a sequence of movements for offense and defense. The origin as well as its creator is anonymous, leaving assumptions about the subject, that would come from a Chinese master who lived in Okinawa and influenced the Tomari-te style,...
Annanko
Aoyag (Seiryu)
Chatanyara Kushanku
Chinte Chinte Chinte is a kata practiced in Shotokan karate. It is a very old kata originating from China. Its mixture of standard movements and rarely seen techniques, vestiges of ancient forms, give this kata a special appeal...
Chintō/Gankaku
Dan Enn Sho
Empi Sho
Fukyugata/Gekisai/Shinsei Fukyugata Fukyugata is the name of kata practiced in many styles of Okinawan karate, particularly Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu. There are two sets of Fukyugata. These kata were developed by Shoshin Nagamine and Chojun Miyagi...
Garyu
Go Pei Sho
Gojūshiho
Hakucho
Hakutsuru
Heiku
Jiin
Jion
Jitte
Jyuroku
Kanchin
Kanshiwa
Kanshu
Kururunfa
Kusanku/Kanku-dai
Matsukaze Matsukaze ' is a play of the third category by Kanami, revised by Zeami Motokiyo. One of the most highly-regarded of Noh plays, it is mentioned more than any other in Zeami's own writings, and is depicted numerous times in the visual arts.-Plot:...
Naihanchi Naihanchi is a karate Kata, performed in straddle stance . It translates to 'internal divided conflict'. The form makes use of in-fighting techniques and grappling. In Shorin-Ryu and Matsubayashi-Ryu Naihanchi Shodan is the first Ni Kyu although it is taught to Yon Kyu occasionally before Evaluations for... /Tekki
Nan Dan Sho
Nipaipo/Neipai
Niseishi/Nijushiho
Pachu
Paiku
Papuren
Passai/Bassai Passai Passai is the Japanese name of a group of kata practiced in different styles of martial arts, including karate and various Korean martial arts . There are several variations of these kata, including Passai sho and Passai dai . In karate, the kata are known as Passai in Okinawan styles and Bassai...
Pinan/Heian
Rōhai Rohai The Rōhai kata are a family of kata practiced in some styles of karate. The name translates approximately to "vision of a Crane" or "vision of a heron". The kata originated from the Tomari-te school of Okinawan martial arts. It was called Matsumora Rōhai, after Kosaku Matsumora, who was presumably... /Meikyo
Ryuko
Saifā
Sanchin Sanchin is a kata of Southern Chinese origin that is considered to be the core of several styles, the most well-known being the Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu styles of Karate as well as the Chinese martial arts of Fujian White Crane, Five Ancestors, Pangai-noon and the Tiger-Crane Combination style associated...
Sansai
Sanseiru/Sanseru Sanseirui Sanseirui is a karate kata of Southern Chinese origin. The name literally means thirty-six ....
Seichin
Seipai
Seiryu
Seisan/Hangetsu Seisan The karate kata Seisan literally means '13', however some people refer to the kata as '13 Hands', '13 Fists', '13 Techniques', '13 Steps' or even '13 killing positions'. However, all these names are made up and have no historical basis.Seisan is thought to be one of the oldest kata quite spread...
Seiyunchin/Seienchin
Shimpa
Shisōchin
Sōchin Sochin Sōchin is a kata practiced in several styles of karate. It may have derived from Dragon style, and was taught in the Naha-te school in Okinawa by Seisho Arakaki. It was then passed down to Shitō-ryū...
Sunsu
Suparinpei/Pechurin/Hyaku Hachi Ho
Taikyoku
Tai Sabaki
Tensho
Ten No Kata
Tsuki no Kata
Unsu/Unshu Unsu Unsu , literally "cloud hands", is the most advanced kata found in the Shotokan, Shito-Ryu and IsshinShorinji Ryu karate styles and is generally taught to karateka at the 3rd to 4th Dan. It contains many intricate hand techniques, such as the ippon-nukite in the opening sequence...
Wankan Wankan Wankan is a kata practiced in many styles of Karate. Not much is known about the history of this kata. It originates from the Tomari-te school and in modern karate is practiced in Shorin-ryu, Shotokan, Genseiryu and Matsubayashi-ryu.It is often considered an advanced kata, despite its brevity...
Wanshu Wanshu Wanshu is a name borne by several katas in many systems of karate, including Isshin-Ryu, Shotokan , Wadō-ryū, and others.Wanshu is also the Okinawan-adapted name of Sappushi [Jp. 'diplomat'] 'Wang Ji' , the leader of a large ambassadorial mission from China sent by the Qing government to the... /Enpi (Empi) Enpi (kata) , also frequently transliterated as Empi, is a kata practiced by Shotokan and other karate styles. Enpi means Flying Swallow.Enpi comes from the Okinawan martial art of Tomari-te, where it first appeared in 1683. It is believed to have been influenced by Chinese boxing. It was originally called Wansu...
Yantsu