Embusen

A one-page drawing game for any number of players that can be played in about ten minutes.

Overview

During the game you will perform a kata. To do so, you will draw a diagram which represents the choreographed series of stances, strikes, and blocks that your kata comprises. To represent the difficulty in assessing your own performance, you must always close your eyes whenever you are drawing.

The katas in Embusen are inspired by those that karate students learn as a part of their training. As such, this game can be used as a training tool to help you learn new katas or to practice your katas when you cannot train in a more traditional manner. 

This is also a game about communication. As you play, you are encouraged to work together. The feedback that you give one another will help everyone learn and perform to the best of your abilities.

Finally, while each game of Embusen culminates in a competition, it is not really about winning and losing. Rather, it is about achieving mastery through practice and helping others to do the same.

Other Resources

The art depicting karateka performing various techniques was taken from the kata diagrams in the book Kata Step by Step by Mark Glasgow. That book is a fantastic resource for all students of the sport and can be found, free of charge, at https://katastepbystep.com/.