Post by fujicolt on Jun 8, 2011 23:15:40 GMT
please note: when i pasted this in it lost all its formatting - if someone can please tell me how to correct that I'll repost it! Enjoy!
It is for me, and others of my era whom saw, for example......
Master Enoeda’s Ceremonial Kata, performed under spotlight in the main arena at Crystal Palace accompanied by haunting and powerful Japanese music,
or Osaka Sensei’s stunning rendition of Sochin the year he won the world Kata Championships for the first of 4 times
or Yahara Sensei’s majestic yet ferocious performance of Unsu with his near hovering ability in the spinning jump that catches us all out if not practised again and again and again! ;-
...... a sad thing to see Kata performance change over the years into an acceptedly athletic show of body movement, but sadly coupled with a cosmetic haze that screams ‘theatrical’ but alas is soulless and void of any sense of reality! It is a Kata performance - of course but it is also an exercise that is far from even going near a true expression of fighting and the spirit required to triumph against committed and dangerous opponents.
I realise that my comments above may well upset and even anger some of the exponents of, or advocates for, the ‘modern’ Tournament Kata performances we see that thrill the uneducated observers and make those whom have endeavored to stay true to the essence of Kata wince in dismayed gloom.
I strongly suspect they will shout ‘what is wrong with it then?’ Therefore I am going to go out on a limb and try to answer.
It will be very interesting to watch the discussions this article will undoubtedly fertilize and in particular I am hoping to receive a feedback that informs us all whether the modern Karateka does want to ‘abandon the old’ and continue with the change to a near balletic/athletic/gymnastic performance or remain with a Kata practice that can have meaning and training value for all - irrelevant of grade, suppleness, age, gender or experience!
In the section below I shall use the standard ‘Ten Elements of Kata’ as taught by Masters such as Kanazawa Shihan and Kase Shihan to describe what I believe a true performance should contain and express.
Please be aware that it is a personal opinion based upon 40+ years involvement in Karate as a student, teacher, competitor and Karate Enthusiast (read addict!). I am fully aware that others may have slightly different views and opinions - and no doubt that may come out in discussions to follow (I certainly hope so or I have ‘two finger typed’ for several hours without achieving my objective).
Please consider the points I make and objectively asses ‘do you see and feel these aspects being included/expressed in Modern Competition Karate Kata performances?
As stated - I fully accept that the top Modern Kata Competitors are physically very capable indeed - that in fact is part of my concern in that they have the physical abilities to perform the Kata ‘Correctly’ but IMHO do not and instead merely display a cosmetically bastardised version of what we used to call KATA. I also wish to be very clear - I talk generally about the changes I dislike and I am not aiming my comments at any individual currently competing.
I hope you find the exercise of contemplation and objective analysis both interesting and educating. Enjoy!
It is somewhat of a concern for me that I often witness (when attending as
a guest Instructor) that , despite the vast evidence, derived from sports science research, that confirms the huge importance of Visualisation Processes, many Karateka fail to recognise that the masters of old were very conscious of the need to mentally and emotionally ‘step into the zone’ before you practice any of the Trinity that makes up the bulk of our Karate practice formats: Kihon, Kumite and Kata!
It is for this very reason that everything begins with the command ‘YOI!’
We must remember that our Karate practice IS NOT applying Karate in a real situation BUT it must always be a rehearsal for the real thing that is practised diligently and in earnest with both intent and purpose.
The ‘YOI!’ Command is intended to inform the Karate practitioner that he is being told to ‘GET READY!’ And he/she must now take a a physical and emotional shift into a totally focused physical and mental state, that indicates both to him/herself and those observing that the karateka is about to go into battle and is therefore READY!
Too often Karateka are nonchalant about this and to the educated eye it is clear that had this been a real live dangerous and potentially life threatening situation the Karateka is now very vulnerable due to their lack of ‘switch on!’
This is not a small point and you would justifiably believe it to be ‘common sense’. However, 20 years of work On the doors that by agenda meant I have witnessed and been involved in thousands of real violent events, has shown me that the one thing about Common Sense is that it is decidedly uncommon!
Yoi no Kisin is the physical and mental state of getting ready and the Karateka MUST imagine and then feel that they are about to partake in a violent encounter and therefore must tune into that visualised scenario and focus every fibre of their being on the battle that is about to commence.
Many sadly do not and thus their performance will, as a consequence, be lacking in the required battle ready consciousness that can be the difference between victory and defeat in a real full on encounter.
This important state of mind and body is relevant to all Karate practice but is essential in Kata and Kihon practice because they are solo exercises and therefore do not have a live opponent to generate the required concentration and focus.
Note: If I have expressed my beliefs correctly you will notice that the Ten Elements overlap and often contain aspects of other Elements. Please view the information given as an analysis of Kata as a whole and not a fragmented sequence of requirements.
Kata have within their purpose the practice of the physical and mental shifts from active and passive states that will enhance successful application and timing of both offensive and defensive techniques and strategies.
I shudder when I watch some modern Kata performances with exaggerated pauses, overly long timing of some of the slower Kata movements and a total disregard for the necessity to fully utilise our most important source of information when engaging an opponent = our sight.
Human beings fundamentally learn and absorb information in three ways:
Audio - we hear things and use the data/information to help us decide what to do or to learn new things.
Visual - we see things and use the data/information to help us decide what to do or to learn new things.
Kinaesthetic - we feel things both physically and mentally/emotionally and use the data/information to help us decide what to do or to learn new things.
Often the gained data is received and processed unconsciously and, for example, we will automatically adjust our foot positioning to traverse around an obstacle without knowingly focusing on the situation.
In combat we must totally focus on what is occurring and thus respond accordingly. Kata has within its function various elements that enable us to rehearse this ‘alpha state of awareness’ and the Audio, Visual and Kinaesthetic processes will then enable us to implement the required active or passive responses.
Visually gained information is by far the most dominant source of data gathering for close quarter, mid range and long range encounters for a combatant.
It is so sad to watch Karateka failing to recognise this and thus failing to correctly position the head in a manner that the eyes are best placed to gain the necessary information = your head placed in such a position that a laser beam projecting out from the tip of your nose would illuminate a point at the centre of the target area you wish to access and attack or defend from.
When the eyes are positioned correctly we have an amazing ability to gain huge amounts of data not only from the central area of our ‘target’ locality but by also utilising our astonishing ability to register and use information gained from the use of our peripheral vision and thus also gather vital data from the things that are happening in the wider vicinity of our site targeted subject.
Once this data is gathered in (often in a time span of split seconds) the Kata tells us how we must deal with this imaginary scenario and we may need to instantly become active or may need to move passively whilst we gain a strategic advantage or gather more information.
Practitioners whom fail to realise that Kata is a Solo Visualisation driven activity will also fail to realise that at certain points the Kata is also telling us to imagine that we are also receiving data that is absorbed through audio processes = we hear an opponent whom is outside of our visual input scan range (maybe at your side or behind you)
OR
it is telling us to imagine Kinaesthetically gained info (we have been grabbed or are attacking or defending ourselves via the use of locks or throws or sweeps) and would therefore feel what our opponent is doing and thus respond accordingly = very close quarter work.
The attainment of all this information would, in a real encounter help us to decide whether our physical or mental state would be active or passive and we must feel and express this when performing our Kata. (please see my articles on Go no Sen Tai No Sen and Tai tai no Sen etc..).
These active and passive states MUST not be cosmetically enhanced for the theatrical display of a Kata (as many now are). Exaggerated movements, grunts when using Kime, overly long pauses and long exaggerated stances or movements are cosmetic additions to the Kata intended to enhance it’s visual beauty.
Kata is far more beautiful when it is stripped of these additions and returns to a combat driven - rather than point scoring driven - status.
Chikara no kyojaku:
The manner of using strength.
This is an area were I think many modern Kata performers have really lost the plot. Over exaggeration in areas such as Kime, Stances, Breathing and Kiai have reached (I believe) a point of uselessness in terms of real life application. Kata has shifted from an exercise in practising how and when to use strength to an exercise in cosmetically displaying implied strength!
Kime is the correct use of instantaneous body contraction to enhance the impact power of a given technique. It IS NOT a long drawn out convulsion that is very visually impressive but actually defeating the object when actually applied.
Kime can also be transitory and flowing and utilises the spring and whip like capability of the human body - watch Asai Sensei or Naka Sensei to see this expressed beautifully.
Kime is NOT enhanced by a guttural grunt at the point of delivery that is neither a Kiai or correct breathing. I call them the ‘Ham Karateka’ not only because of their Ham performance but also because of the fact that many of them seem to be coughing out a phlegm ridden voicing of the word ‘HAM!’ on each and every move that has the grating audio output of an old Radio not quite tuned in....
‘KrrrHAMKrrr!’ ‘KrrHAMkrrr!’ ‘KrrHAMKrrr!’
Stances are of course (amongst other objectives) used to enhance the strength of a technique at the point of impact. But they have a particular structure to aid that impact AND then release the combatant to flow from situation to situation to gain attack or defence advantages.
The exaggeration of stances as now gone to a point of rendering them absolutely useless for purpose and totally devoid of any understanding of human locomotion and body mechanics. They will undoubtedly, to the uneducated eye - appear very dynamic (especially so when accompanied with all the other cosmetics designed to imply strength but actually depleting it) but are often now more about get yer ar*se near to the floor , push the knees out as far as you can, don’t worry about foot positioning and make sure your stance is long, not functionally measured - just long!
Breathing has become a vocal exercise and not an exercise in assisting the body to function strongly and Kiai has not remained a display of focussed strength and martial spirit but has also become a vocal cosmetic designed to strongly impress rather than enhance technique strongly.
None of this a focused and purposeful use of strength.
As mentioned before Kata is a Solo exercise and therefore has within it specific changes in speed of movement that are intentionally broken rhythm (as in a real violent exchange) rather than a steady monotone rhythm as in a robotic repetition of technique that is devoid of any martial application characteristics.
True combat requires combatants to be able to move slowly and stealthily when required, at a medium pace if required and especially so VERY Fast when required. Kata gives us opportunity to impose such speed changes upon us even in solo practice.
It irks me enormously to see the speed and rhythm of Kata changed to once again enhance the visual image - especially so when a chain of techniques are to be delivered in very fast succession. Many modern Karateka give the impression of incredible speed but analysis will show (especially if you slow film of them down) that many employ a trick that enhances the impression of speed but is actually cheat.
Each move in the Kata must be complete - even when it is within a fast succession delivery of several techniques. What they will do is shorten the first couple of techniques, accompany them with a rapid machine gun series of exhalations (usually accompanied with the compulsory ‘KrrrHAMKrrr!’ ‘KrrHAMkrrr!’ ‘KrrHAMKrrr!’ But delivered very fast) and then finish on the final technique fully extended. Therefore, in reality the first couple of techniques would have no actually value as they were incomplete and often short of target and thus they null and void the final technique which is also rendered useless. This is not KATA!
Speed of movement aids the technique it must not detract from it!.
Tai no shinshuku:
The degree of expansion or contraction.
This is an area that as with Chikara no kyojaku suffers more from exaggeration than absence. Far too often we see Kata performers over contracting or over expanding as they deliver techniques with a total disregard of what the original form of the Kata was giving us opportunity to study.
The human body is an astonishing piece of engineering on the part of Mother Nature and it will achieve wondrous things IF we know how to use it properly. The correct expansion and contraction of the body at the right time and for the right duration of time can enhance the Martial effectiveness of all of our techniques. To fail to understand and study this and abandon it for theatrical imagery is indeed folly and will leave the Karateka sorely wanting if they ever require the need to use correct expansion and contraction to defend themselves or a loved one!
Correct breathing, especially when under pressure, can be the difference between successful real life deployment of your Karate and the bitter consequence of failure. Far too often we see performers failing to realise that Kata practise contains study in the various forms of breathing techniques that will enhance our deployment of Karate.
Sharp breathing, trickle breathing, shallow breathing, explosive breathing etc. can all be found within Kata study and therefore should be witnessed in Kata performance.
However they should be as designed for purpose and must not became yet another theatrical display accompanied with the requisite facial grimaces and accompanying houghing and puffing that we now so often see.
Tyakugan:
The aiming points, the purpose of each technique.
This is a particular concern for me when watching modern performances of Kata - especially so when we witness the delivery of the various Kicking techniques contained within the Kata. It now appears to be the case that if a Kicking technique is not delivered 6’6’’ from the floor (and often momentarily held there to make sure everyone has witnessed the practitioners awesome suppleness and ability to stand on one leg with the other full extended towards the Arena spotlights) then it is not a ‘good kick!’
I am also astonished sometimes at how many practitioners have failed to study the five stages of technique and thus will chamber techniques totally incorrectly thus producing an unhelpful flight path and off target delivery point = especially Shuto Uke and Gedan Barrai! Two techniques easy to master correctly but woefully inefficient if chambered, delivered along the wrong outward flight path and targeted incorrectly.
Kata IS an exercise in technical perfection that should have the cumulative effect of becoming second nature when really needed.
It is absolutely useless having a big powerful gun if you cannot hit the target!
I have discussed Kiai elsewhere so shall merely state that I fully accept that there are various ways to use Kiai (The Spirit Shout) and this is blatantly obvious when one considers that there is a whole martial art system dedicated to the study and use of Kiai; Kiai Jutsu.
However I strongly suggest that it is not a long drawn out scream at maximum volume and accompanied with an eye narrowing facial grimace that would win the World Gurning Championships! Enough said me thinks!
Keitai no hoji:
Correct positioning.
Keitai No Hoji is inextricably linked to Tyakugan and obviously emphasises the correct positioning of the body throughout the five stages of every technique. It includes correct positioning of the feet and legs in stances and the use of positioning in strategies such as Tai Sabaki, Irimi etc..
These I have touched upon above but I would like at this point to discuss the correct positioning of the Kata Performer on the Embusen (performance line of the Kata).
I speak here of JKA Shotokan Kata that were very wisely standardised by that genius of Karate the late and Great Masotoshi Nakayama Sensei and his Senior team of Instructors at the JKA .
If my memory serves me correctly this standardisation of the Shotokan Kata occurred around the late 70’s and I distinctly recall a rush of activity and special ‘Kata Courses’ designed to make us all aware of the standardisation processes and expectations.
There has since been much discussion about whether there is the need to follow the Embusen precisely - thus returning exactly to the starting point - or whether this is not essential. We so often see performers failing to return to the precise spot they began from, even in the more basic Kata such as the five Heain Kata.
This is I believe a big mistake and the need to follow the Embusen very precisely IS a vital aspect of Kata Practice.
Please allow me to explain my reasoning.....
Kata, as I have discussed is a Solo exercise. It is therefore devoid of the stimuli that will radiate from an opponent and thus MAKE YOU react and move and position yourself in particular ways to overcome him. The Kata via various medium replaces this absence of an opponent and instils practice methods that will simulate, for example, the need to move to specific positions to make your Karate work efficiently.
Karateka often fail to grasp that Unsoku (Foot movement and subsequent positioning) is THE vital ingredient in successful deployment of Karate as a combative art.
Technique will diminish and eventually fail completely if your feet are not positioned in EXACTLY the right place. There really is little room for error. This can be verified easily but I shall for now assume that you agree.
Now, when faced with an opponent it is his movements and positioning that will directly influence your movements and positioning. In Kata we do not have that input, that pressure as it is a Solo exercise.
However, the Kata ingeniously replaces that footwork specifying input with a precise and structured Embusen and it even negates the need for us to measure or mark out our precision footwork because, if the Embusen is adhered to diligently, we shall return to the exact (not behind, in front or to the side of) the point at which the Kata began.
Therefore the Solo exercise of Kata Practise is forcing us to be very conscious of precision footwork, positioning and direction just as a determined attacker would.
Many sadly ignore or may even be unaware of the message the Kata gives to us via Keitai no Hoji that correct positioning is vital for combat.
Zanshin quite simply cannot be maintained if the practitioner is focusing on theatrics and cosmetics it is as simple as that. However: if the practitioner is focusing on the requirements of the Ten Elements of Kata then they are indeed aware and productively so.
As for the requirement to maintain that Zanshin even when the Kata is completed and right up until you are told to relax I simply quote this old Samurai Maxim:
When the battle is over - tighten your war helmet.
The number of times over the years when I have seen somebody get sucker punched because they assumed the fight was over is very many. So be aware! Be VERY aware or simply Be afraid, be VERY AFRAID cos yer gonna fail!
Steve Hyland 2011.
KATA PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE?
It is for me, and others of my era whom saw, for example......
Master Enoeda’s Ceremonial Kata, performed under spotlight in the main arena at Crystal Palace accompanied by haunting and powerful Japanese music,
or Osaka Sensei’s stunning rendition of Sochin the year he won the world Kata Championships for the first of 4 times
or Yahara Sensei’s majestic yet ferocious performance of Unsu with his near hovering ability in the spinning jump that catches us all out if not practised again and again and again! ;-
...... a sad thing to see Kata performance change over the years into an acceptedly athletic show of body movement, but sadly coupled with a cosmetic haze that screams ‘theatrical’ but alas is soulless and void of any sense of reality! It is a Kata performance - of course but it is also an exercise that is far from even going near a true expression of fighting and the spirit required to triumph against committed and dangerous opponents.
I realise that my comments above may well upset and even anger some of the exponents of, or advocates for, the ‘modern’ Tournament Kata performances we see that thrill the uneducated observers and make those whom have endeavored to stay true to the essence of Kata wince in dismayed gloom.
I strongly suspect they will shout ‘what is wrong with it then?’ Therefore I am going to go out on a limb and try to answer.
It will be very interesting to watch the discussions this article will undoubtedly fertilize and in particular I am hoping to receive a feedback that informs us all whether the modern Karateka does want to ‘abandon the old’ and continue with the change to a near balletic/athletic/gymnastic performance or remain with a Kata practice that can have meaning and training value for all - irrelevant of grade, suppleness, age, gender or experience!
In the section below I shall use the standard ‘Ten Elements of Kata’ as taught by Masters such as Kanazawa Shihan and Kase Shihan to describe what I believe a true performance should contain and express.
Please be aware that it is a personal opinion based upon 40+ years involvement in Karate as a student, teacher, competitor and Karate Enthusiast (read addict!). I am fully aware that others may have slightly different views and opinions - and no doubt that may come out in discussions to follow (I certainly hope so or I have ‘two finger typed’ for several hours without achieving my objective).
Please consider the points I make and objectively asses ‘do you see and feel these aspects being included/expressed in Modern Competition Karate Kata performances?
As stated - I fully accept that the top Modern Kata Competitors are physically very capable indeed - that in fact is part of my concern in that they have the physical abilities to perform the Kata ‘Correctly’ but IMHO do not and instead merely display a cosmetically bastardised version of what we used to call KATA. I also wish to be very clear - I talk generally about the changes I dislike and I am not aiming my comments at any individual currently competing.
I hope you find the exercise of contemplation and objective analysis both interesting and educating. Enjoy!
Yoi no kisin:
The spirit of getting ready.
The spirit of getting ready.
It is somewhat of a concern for me that I often witness (when attending as
a guest Instructor) that , despite the vast evidence, derived from sports science research, that confirms the huge importance of Visualisation Processes, many Karateka fail to recognise that the masters of old were very conscious of the need to mentally and emotionally ‘step into the zone’ before you practice any of the Trinity that makes up the bulk of our Karate practice formats: Kihon, Kumite and Kata!
It is for this very reason that everything begins with the command ‘YOI!’
We must remember that our Karate practice IS NOT applying Karate in a real situation BUT it must always be a rehearsal for the real thing that is practised diligently and in earnest with both intent and purpose.
The ‘YOI!’ Command is intended to inform the Karate practitioner that he is being told to ‘GET READY!’ And he/she must now take a a physical and emotional shift into a totally focused physical and mental state, that indicates both to him/herself and those observing that the karateka is about to go into battle and is therefore READY!
Too often Karateka are nonchalant about this and to the educated eye it is clear that had this been a real live dangerous and potentially life threatening situation the Karateka is now very vulnerable due to their lack of ‘switch on!’
This is not a small point and you would justifiably believe it to be ‘common sense’. However, 20 years of work On the doors that by agenda meant I have witnessed and been involved in thousands of real violent events, has shown me that the one thing about Common Sense is that it is decidedly uncommon!
Yoi no Kisin is the physical and mental state of getting ready and the Karateka MUST imagine and then feel that they are about to partake in a violent encounter and therefore must tune into that visualised scenario and focus every fibre of their being on the battle that is about to commence.
Many sadly do not and thus their performance will, as a consequence, be lacking in the required battle ready consciousness that can be the difference between victory and defeat in a real full on encounter.
This important state of mind and body is relevant to all Karate practice but is essential in Kata and Kihon practice because they are solo exercises and therefore do not have a live opponent to generate the required concentration and focus.
Note: If I have expressed my beliefs correctly you will notice that the Ten Elements overlap and often contain aspects of other Elements. Please view the information given as an analysis of Kata as a whole and not a fragmented sequence of requirements.
Inyo:
The active and passive.
Always keep in mind both attack and defence.
The active and passive.
Always keep in mind both attack and defence.
Kata have within their purpose the practice of the physical and mental shifts from active and passive states that will enhance successful application and timing of both offensive and defensive techniques and strategies.
I shudder when I watch some modern Kata performances with exaggerated pauses, overly long timing of some of the slower Kata movements and a total disregard for the necessity to fully utilise our most important source of information when engaging an opponent = our sight.
Human beings fundamentally learn and absorb information in three ways:
Audio - we hear things and use the data/information to help us decide what to do or to learn new things.
Visual - we see things and use the data/information to help us decide what to do or to learn new things.
Kinaesthetic - we feel things both physically and mentally/emotionally and use the data/information to help us decide what to do or to learn new things.
Often the gained data is received and processed unconsciously and, for example, we will automatically adjust our foot positioning to traverse around an obstacle without knowingly focusing on the situation.
In combat we must totally focus on what is occurring and thus respond accordingly. Kata has within its function various elements that enable us to rehearse this ‘alpha state of awareness’ and the Audio, Visual and Kinaesthetic processes will then enable us to implement the required active or passive responses.
Visually gained information is by far the most dominant source of data gathering for close quarter, mid range and long range encounters for a combatant.
It is so sad to watch Karateka failing to recognise this and thus failing to correctly position the head in a manner that the eyes are best placed to gain the necessary information = your head placed in such a position that a laser beam projecting out from the tip of your nose would illuminate a point at the centre of the target area you wish to access and attack or defend from.
When the eyes are positioned correctly we have an amazing ability to gain huge amounts of data not only from the central area of our ‘target’ locality but by also utilising our astonishing ability to register and use information gained from the use of our peripheral vision and thus also gather vital data from the things that are happening in the wider vicinity of our site targeted subject.
Once this data is gathered in (often in a time span of split seconds) the Kata tells us how we must deal with this imaginary scenario and we may need to instantly become active or may need to move passively whilst we gain a strategic advantage or gather more information.
Practitioners whom fail to realise that Kata is a Solo Visualisation driven activity will also fail to realise that at certain points the Kata is also telling us to imagine that we are also receiving data that is absorbed through audio processes = we hear an opponent whom is outside of our visual input scan range (maybe at your side or behind you)
OR
it is telling us to imagine Kinaesthetically gained info (we have been grabbed or are attacking or defending ourselves via the use of locks or throws or sweeps) and would therefore feel what our opponent is doing and thus respond accordingly = very close quarter work.
The attainment of all this information would, in a real encounter help us to decide whether our physical or mental state would be active or passive and we must feel and express this when performing our Kata. (please see my articles on Go no Sen Tai No Sen and Tai tai no Sen etc..).
These active and passive states MUST not be cosmetically enhanced for the theatrical display of a Kata (as many now are). Exaggerated movements, grunts when using Kime, overly long pauses and long exaggerated stances or movements are cosmetic additions to the Kata intended to enhance it’s visual beauty.
Kata is far more beautiful when it is stripped of these additions and returns to a combat driven - rather than point scoring driven - status.
Chikara no kyojaku:
The manner of using strength.
This is an area were I think many modern Kata performers have really lost the plot. Over exaggeration in areas such as Kime, Stances, Breathing and Kiai have reached (I believe) a point of uselessness in terms of real life application. Kata has shifted from an exercise in practising how and when to use strength to an exercise in cosmetically displaying implied strength!
Kime is the correct use of instantaneous body contraction to enhance the impact power of a given technique. It IS NOT a long drawn out convulsion that is very visually impressive but actually defeating the object when actually applied.
Kime can also be transitory and flowing and utilises the spring and whip like capability of the human body - watch Asai Sensei or Naka Sensei to see this expressed beautifully.
Kime is NOT enhanced by a guttural grunt at the point of delivery that is neither a Kiai or correct breathing. I call them the ‘Ham Karateka’ not only because of their Ham performance but also because of the fact that many of them seem to be coughing out a phlegm ridden voicing of the word ‘HAM!’ on each and every move that has the grating audio output of an old Radio not quite tuned in....
‘KrrrHAMKrrr!’ ‘KrrHAMkrrr!’ ‘KrrHAMKrrr!’
Stances are of course (amongst other objectives) used to enhance the strength of a technique at the point of impact. But they have a particular structure to aid that impact AND then release the combatant to flow from situation to situation to gain attack or defence advantages.
The exaggeration of stances as now gone to a point of rendering them absolutely useless for purpose and totally devoid of any understanding of human locomotion and body mechanics. They will undoubtedly, to the uneducated eye - appear very dynamic (especially so when accompanied with all the other cosmetics designed to imply strength but actually depleting it) but are often now more about get yer ar*se near to the floor , push the knees out as far as you can, don’t worry about foot positioning and make sure your stance is long, not functionally measured - just long!
Breathing has become a vocal exercise and not an exercise in assisting the body to function strongly and Kiai has not remained a display of focussed strength and martial spirit but has also become a vocal cosmetic designed to strongly impress rather than enhance technique strongly.
None of this a focused and purposeful use of strength.
Waza no kankyu:
The speed of movement.
The speed of movement.
As mentioned before Kata is a Solo exercise and therefore has within it specific changes in speed of movement that are intentionally broken rhythm (as in a real violent exchange) rather than a steady monotone rhythm as in a robotic repetition of technique that is devoid of any martial application characteristics.
True combat requires combatants to be able to move slowly and stealthily when required, at a medium pace if required and especially so VERY Fast when required. Kata gives us opportunity to impose such speed changes upon us even in solo practice.
It irks me enormously to see the speed and rhythm of Kata changed to once again enhance the visual image - especially so when a chain of techniques are to be delivered in very fast succession. Many modern Karateka give the impression of incredible speed but analysis will show (especially if you slow film of them down) that many employ a trick that enhances the impression of speed but is actually cheat.
Each move in the Kata must be complete - even when it is within a fast succession delivery of several techniques. What they will do is shorten the first couple of techniques, accompany them with a rapid machine gun series of exhalations (usually accompanied with the compulsory ‘KrrrHAMKrrr!’ ‘KrrHAMkrrr!’ ‘KrrHAMKrrr!’ But delivered very fast) and then finish on the final technique fully extended. Therefore, in reality the first couple of techniques would have no actually value as they were incomplete and often short of target and thus they null and void the final technique which is also rendered useless. This is not KATA!
Speed of movement aids the technique it must not detract from it!.
Tai no shinshuku:
The degree of expansion or contraction.
This is an area that as with Chikara no kyojaku suffers more from exaggeration than absence. Far too often we see Kata performers over contracting or over expanding as they deliver techniques with a total disregard of what the original form of the Kata was giving us opportunity to study.
The human body is an astonishing piece of engineering on the part of Mother Nature and it will achieve wondrous things IF we know how to use it properly. The correct expansion and contraction of the body at the right time and for the right duration of time can enhance the Martial effectiveness of all of our techniques. To fail to understand and study this and abandon it for theatrical imagery is indeed folly and will leave the Karateka sorely wanting if they ever require the need to use correct expansion and contraction to defend themselves or a loved one!
Kokyu:
Breathing.
Breathing.
Correct breathing, especially when under pressure, can be the difference between successful real life deployment of your Karate and the bitter consequence of failure. Far too often we see performers failing to realise that Kata practise contains study in the various forms of breathing techniques that will enhance our deployment of Karate.
Sharp breathing, trickle breathing, shallow breathing, explosive breathing etc. can all be found within Kata study and therefore should be witnessed in Kata performance.
However they should be as designed for purpose and must not became yet another theatrical display accompanied with the requisite facial grimaces and accompanying houghing and puffing that we now so often see.
Tyakugan:
The aiming points, the purpose of each technique.
This is a particular concern for me when watching modern performances of Kata - especially so when we witness the delivery of the various Kicking techniques contained within the Kata. It now appears to be the case that if a Kicking technique is not delivered 6’6’’ from the floor (and often momentarily held there to make sure everyone has witnessed the practitioners awesome suppleness and ability to stand on one leg with the other full extended towards the Arena spotlights) then it is not a ‘good kick!’
I am also astonished sometimes at how many practitioners have failed to study the five stages of technique and thus will chamber techniques totally incorrectly thus producing an unhelpful flight path and off target delivery point = especially Shuto Uke and Gedan Barrai! Two techniques easy to master correctly but woefully inefficient if chambered, delivered along the wrong outward flight path and targeted incorrectly.
Kata IS an exercise in technical perfection that should have the cumulative effect of becoming second nature when really needed.
It is absolutely useless having a big powerful gun if you cannot hit the target!
Kiai:
The shout at set points in the Kata to demonstrate the martial spirit.
The shout at set points in the Kata to demonstrate the martial spirit.
I have discussed Kiai elsewhere so shall merely state that I fully accept that there are various ways to use Kiai (The Spirit Shout) and this is blatantly obvious when one considers that there is a whole martial art system dedicated to the study and use of Kiai; Kiai Jutsu.
However I strongly suggest that it is not a long drawn out scream at maximum volume and accompanied with an eye narrowing facial grimace that would win the World Gurning Championships! Enough said me thinks!
Keitai no hoji:
Correct positioning.
Keitai No Hoji is inextricably linked to Tyakugan and obviously emphasises the correct positioning of the body throughout the five stages of every technique. It includes correct positioning of the feet and legs in stances and the use of positioning in strategies such as Tai Sabaki, Irimi etc..
These I have touched upon above but I would like at this point to discuss the correct positioning of the Kata Performer on the Embusen (performance line of the Kata).
I speak here of JKA Shotokan Kata that were very wisely standardised by that genius of Karate the late and Great Masotoshi Nakayama Sensei and his Senior team of Instructors at the JKA .
If my memory serves me correctly this standardisation of the Shotokan Kata occurred around the late 70’s and I distinctly recall a rush of activity and special ‘Kata Courses’ designed to make us all aware of the standardisation processes and expectations.
There has since been much discussion about whether there is the need to follow the Embusen precisely - thus returning exactly to the starting point - or whether this is not essential. We so often see performers failing to return to the precise spot they began from, even in the more basic Kata such as the five Heain Kata.
This is I believe a big mistake and the need to follow the Embusen very precisely IS a vital aspect of Kata Practice.
Please allow me to explain my reasoning.....
Kata, as I have discussed is a Solo exercise. It is therefore devoid of the stimuli that will radiate from an opponent and thus MAKE YOU react and move and position yourself in particular ways to overcome him. The Kata via various medium replaces this absence of an opponent and instils practice methods that will simulate, for example, the need to move to specific positions to make your Karate work efficiently.
Karateka often fail to grasp that Unsoku (Foot movement and subsequent positioning) is THE vital ingredient in successful deployment of Karate as a combative art.
Technique will diminish and eventually fail completely if your feet are not positioned in EXACTLY the right place. There really is little room for error. This can be verified easily but I shall for now assume that you agree.
Now, when faced with an opponent it is his movements and positioning that will directly influence your movements and positioning. In Kata we do not have that input, that pressure as it is a Solo exercise.
However, the Kata ingeniously replaces that footwork specifying input with a precise and structured Embusen and it even negates the need for us to measure or mark out our precision footwork because, if the Embusen is adhered to diligently, we shall return to the exact (not behind, in front or to the side of) the point at which the Kata began.
Therefore the Solo exercise of Kata Practise is forcing us to be very conscious of precision footwork, positioning and direction just as a determined attacker would.
Many sadly ignore or may even be unaware of the message the Kata gives to us via Keitai no Hoji that correct positioning is vital for combat.
Zanshin:
Awareness, remaining on guard even at the completion of the Kata
Awareness, remaining on guard even at the completion of the Kata
Zanshin quite simply cannot be maintained if the practitioner is focusing on theatrics and cosmetics it is as simple as that. However: if the practitioner is focusing on the requirements of the Ten Elements of Kata then they are indeed aware and productively so.
As for the requirement to maintain that Zanshin even when the Kata is completed and right up until you are told to relax I simply quote this old Samurai Maxim:
When the battle is over - tighten your war helmet.
The number of times over the years when I have seen somebody get sucker punched because they assumed the fight was over is very many. So be aware! Be VERY aware or simply Be afraid, be VERY AFRAID cos yer gonna fail!
Steve Hyland 2011.