MODEL RELEASED. Karate kata. Karate practitioner holding a stance during kata practice. Kata is a set sequence of martial arts moves. His stance shows two arms raised and palms outstretched with fingers and thumbs meeting. This hand position is known as kanku, also known as sky gazing stance. Karate is a martial art originating from Okinawa, Japan. It is characterised by powerful kicks and hand techniques that can be used as forms of attack and defence.