Kata – The basis for all fights
Just the title should get most people upset? Over the coming months
I will show you how this is the case, as long as you are prepared
to take the time to truly understand what Kata can be!
To start on this path you have to go back to the very beginning and
learn your Karate all over again. You have to be prepared to become
a white belt again!
That is a bitter pill for most people to swallow… but swallow it
you must.
Last time I mentioned how the MMA Fighter learns to do what he must
do in the cage in his training… ALL his training revolves around
what he must do to win in that environment.
Now, as a Karateka, our training MUST revolve around what our end
goal is. For many, at the moment, it is sports Karate competition
or a sports kata competition.
These competitions are far removed from the real and original
concepts of Karate. Can you imagine one of the old masters, needing
to fight for his life, being confident in a superb display of kata
to music? Or being confident in a touch sparring lunging reverse
punch in a real life or death situation?
Once you start to apply some basic common sense to evaluating these
situations then YOU HAVE to re-evaluate what your karate means to
you. If it is all about sport, then fine, carry on with that… it
is, after all, your journey.
If learning Karate is about being able to defend yourself and your
loved ones, then now is the time to stand back and look at what you
are doing. Ask yourself one simple question “Would I bet my life on
that technique working?”
If you hesitate for one micro-second, then you know deep down that
you would not. You know that you are not 100% confident in making
it work.
I must clarify the above by saying that nothing is of course 100%…
but I am sure you get where I am going with this?
Let’s get back to kata for a moment. In almost every single system,
the first move, in the first kata learnt is a down block, gedan
berai, low section block.
We are all taught that this a block to a front kick. Without going
over the tired old argument of would that work against a front
kick? If you need to ask the question, then you are not ready for
the answer!
Now I want you to think of the following for a moment. We have, in
affect, learnt kata from still images when we are now in the age
of video and real movement.
Years ago, two man forms were designed to “mimic” the reality of
combat. These have denigrated into single man forms. These have
further denigrated into long single man forms.. Kata as we know
them today.
Let’s assume for one moment, that the only Kata move we know is
down block. We only know it as a still picture, a position, a shape
if you like.
We are looking at one frame from a motion picture of hundreds of
frames. We are missing all the other “stills” that make up that
fight.
To give you another way of looking at it. Think of this. Imagine
for a moment that you have no idea what a horse is. You have never
seen one, you can’t imagine how they move.
You see a still picture of a horse at full gallop. It has one leg
on the ground. An “expert” in horses, tells you that all horses
walk around on one leg.
For years this is “the truth”. Till the day you actually see a
horse run, you see what it actually does. The same is true of Kata
and the interpretation. For years we have been told by the
“experts” that this first move is a low block.
When you see it being applied as an arm bar… suddenly your point of
reference changes. Then, when you see it being used as a knee bar,
your point of reference changes again.
When you see it being used as a choke or strangle, then your point
of reference changes again. You see where I am going with this?
The more you see, the more you learn, then the more you realise you
have MUCH more to learn. Then and only then, you can begin to
understand the concept of Karate being a lifetime art. NOT a
lifetime to use of course, but a lifetime of learning and
understanding.
A lifetime of analysis and interpretation.
Once you can put to one side your prior “knowledge” of Kata and its
meanings, can you really start to understand it. Remember the old
saying… “empty your cup”? It is so true!
Now I want you to imagine one more scenario. The shape of the down
block… try and think of a multitude of ways of “getting to that
shape” and getting away from that shape. This will help you get a
deeper understanding of the actual use of this move in a real fight.
I will go deeper into this move over the next few weeks.
Once the full membership area opens up for both free and paid
members.
Then I will put up several video lessons on this subject
for you. Each one more detailed than the next. Each one going
deeper and deeper into the subject.
The “principles” shown just off this one move will massively help
you to understand other moves in other katas and systems.
If you don’t know any kata or are not interested in them, then you
will learn some cracking ju jitsu.
If you don’t know or like Ju Jitsu, then you will learn some
cracking Aikido. If you don’t know
or like Aikido, then you will learn some cracking self defence.
Hope you get my point!
Russell Stutely
