Post by Jonathan Anderson on Sept 17, 2010 15:14:42 GMT -4
Last weekend Cory asked me a question regarding the kata. A very simple question when you get down to it, really: he asked why I back away so slowly at the end of the kata (the five steps following the breaking of contact). I answered, in my typically long-winded way, that the purpose of this is to maintain the proper feel of the kata. Still, I don't feel that I necessarily covered the spirit of his question adequately.
Brace yourselves... I'm about to get long-winded again... ;D
The first point I'd like to toss out is that, in my limited experience, there is almost nothing in the world of the martial arts that is more polarizing for people than the idea of kata. People seem to have one of the following views of practicing/doing kata:
1. They are a massive waste of time and effort, resulting in no, or practically no, benefit to anyone.
2. They are occasionally fun to play with, but not to be taken seriously.
3. They are an important element of training, imparting benefits that cannot be obtained via other means, and should be approached as such.
4. They are the only aspect of training that garners any interest at all.
When I first started Tae Kwon Do, I was somewhere between numbers 3 and 4. I enjoyed sparring once I reached a high enough rank to do it, but kata was more where my heart was; at least until I reached black belt ranking. This continued slightly with my initial introduction to Kendo and Iaido - at first, I enjoyed Kendo, but I loved Iaido... then I put on bogu for the first time, and it's been neck-and-neck ever since. I mention this only to give some context to my mindset with regard to kata. Granted, everyone should know that I find kata to be very important based on the fact that I have stated publicly and repeatedly that our club will not be one where we only practice kata "the month before the shinsa." But truly, I believe that people that do not practice kata, or that train in a martial art that has no kata, are truly missing out on a tremendous potential for learning, as well as one of the most beautiful aspects of the Arts.
Okay, that being said, let me delve into (what I see as) the heart of the matter. When we do the kata, what is really happening? Are we practicing a particular technique? Are we walking through a set of prescribed actions? Are we re-enacting a life-and-death duel?
Strictly speaking, we're doing all of these things and more. It is true that, when we do a particular kata, we know that each kata focuses on a particular technique to allow us to practice the technique in a semi-dynamic situation - in other words, it's not as static as, say, basic Men Uchi practice in bogu, but nowhere near as dynamic as ji-geiko. We also already know what our partner ("opponent") is going to do, just as we know what we are going to do to trigger/in response to what they are doing. However, both of these should be done from the mindset of re-enacting a life-or-death struggle. What I mean by this is that you should never (once you have a fair grasp of the kata, anyway) look like you're doing anything other than fighting for your life in a calm, dignified manner. When a kata begins, Uchidachi establishes the Kamae prescribed for the kata, but within the "Story" being told by the kata, Uchidachi has a reason for selecting whatever Kamae is used. Shidachi follows suite by assuming the prescribed Kamae for the kata, but again, within the Story there is a clearly defined reason why the Kamae is chosen. Both parties take 3 long, bold, powerful steps to meet at Issoku no Maai (initiated by Uchidachi, mind) an exchange, or series of exchanges take place, culminating in Shidachi's victory over Uchidachi physically, mentally, and spiritually while leaving Uchidachi alive. Uchidachi leads both back to Chudan no Kamae, followed by breaking contact, and taking 5 smaller, cautious backwards steps to return to the starting positions.
Gee, is that all?
Some of you may recall my explaining that Kendo no Kata should be performed in such a way that the person in the Shidachi role is threatened by Uchidachi's attack. Indeed, I expect each of you to try to hit me when you are Uchidachi for me - utilizing proper technique and feel for the kata, mind. Likewise, as you each become comfortable with the kata, I'll start moving you more into proper range such that, if you don't perform the defensive techniques of Shidachi's role, you will be struck - note I said "as you become comfortable with the kata." Beyond that mindset, however, you must perform every kata, regardless of what form of martial arts you are practicing, as though your life depends on the delivery of your techniques. Bearing that in mind, let's think about the mindsets of both Uchidachi and Shidachi when they return to Chudan at the end of the kata, and break contact: Uchidachi started the whole situation by challenging Shidachi to a match, which Shidachi reluctantly accepted. Uchidachi tried their very best to kill Shidachi, failed at this attempt, yet was left alive... humiliated, perhaps, but alive. Despite what Hollywood would like us to believe, defeat doesn't always, or even usually, equal friendship. Odds are, Uchidachi still wants to kill Shidachi - again, within the Story - and in addition to that, Uchidachi cannot possibly be 100% certain that Shidachi, having just overcome Uchidachi's skill, won't decide to change their mind and kill Uchidachi outright. That being the case, when retreating back to their starting positions, both individuals should do so with an air of caution and wariness that matches the bold strength that they strode out to meet each other with at the beginning of the kata. At any moment, the other character within the Story may decide to reverse direction and attack, so you should not allow your concentration, Seme, or Zanshin to waver for an instant. Further, delving into the scenario in the most literal terms, neither party is likely there alone - they will have at least one, possibly more, assistant/colleague to help them prepare, bear witness to the event, protect their friend in the event that the duel becomes more than a simple one-on-one affair (ambush), and possibly retrieve the body after the skirmish has ended. That being said, neither party should be ready to completely rule out the possibility that their opponents associates may decide to step in and attempt to change the outcome themselves; hence, a feeling of general awareness and caution should be established. Would such an act from your opponent's confederates be honorable? No. Would you be willing to bet your life that your enemy's associates will be perfectly honorable and not attempt to kill you if their friend failed to do so? Only if you're either incredibly naive, or tired of living. As such, the five retreating steps at the end of each kata should be taken while being mindful of what is happening, or would be happening in context.
In other words, when we do the kata, we should proceed as if we weren’t friends, if the bokuto were replaced with shinken, and if our lives truly were on the line. Anything less than this is merely practicing the kata, not truly doing/experiencing them, and if you’re only practicing the kata, you’re robbing yourself of the overwhelming majority of the point and of the educational value.
By the way, though the main focus of all this is obviously written with a mind to Kendo no Kata, the same thought process should be applied to Iaido, as well as any martial art that has kata.
Thoughts? Questions?
Brace yourselves... I'm about to get long-winded again... ;D
The first point I'd like to toss out is that, in my limited experience, there is almost nothing in the world of the martial arts that is more polarizing for people than the idea of kata. People seem to have one of the following views of practicing/doing kata:
1. They are a massive waste of time and effort, resulting in no, or practically no, benefit to anyone.
2. They are occasionally fun to play with, but not to be taken seriously.
3. They are an important element of training, imparting benefits that cannot be obtained via other means, and should be approached as such.
4. They are the only aspect of training that garners any interest at all.
When I first started Tae Kwon Do, I was somewhere between numbers 3 and 4. I enjoyed sparring once I reached a high enough rank to do it, but kata was more where my heart was; at least until I reached black belt ranking. This continued slightly with my initial introduction to Kendo and Iaido - at first, I enjoyed Kendo, but I loved Iaido... then I put on bogu for the first time, and it's been neck-and-neck ever since. I mention this only to give some context to my mindset with regard to kata. Granted, everyone should know that I find kata to be very important based on the fact that I have stated publicly and repeatedly that our club will not be one where we only practice kata "the month before the shinsa." But truly, I believe that people that do not practice kata, or that train in a martial art that has no kata, are truly missing out on a tremendous potential for learning, as well as one of the most beautiful aspects of the Arts.
Okay, that being said, let me delve into (what I see as) the heart of the matter. When we do the kata, what is really happening? Are we practicing a particular technique? Are we walking through a set of prescribed actions? Are we re-enacting a life-and-death duel?
Strictly speaking, we're doing all of these things and more. It is true that, when we do a particular kata, we know that each kata focuses on a particular technique to allow us to practice the technique in a semi-dynamic situation - in other words, it's not as static as, say, basic Men Uchi practice in bogu, but nowhere near as dynamic as ji-geiko. We also already know what our partner ("opponent") is going to do, just as we know what we are going to do to trigger/in response to what they are doing. However, both of these should be done from the mindset of re-enacting a life-or-death struggle. What I mean by this is that you should never (once you have a fair grasp of the kata, anyway) look like you're doing anything other than fighting for your life in a calm, dignified manner. When a kata begins, Uchidachi establishes the Kamae prescribed for the kata, but within the "Story" being told by the kata, Uchidachi has a reason for selecting whatever Kamae is used. Shidachi follows suite by assuming the prescribed Kamae for the kata, but again, within the Story there is a clearly defined reason why the Kamae is chosen. Both parties take 3 long, bold, powerful steps to meet at Issoku no Maai (initiated by Uchidachi, mind) an exchange, or series of exchanges take place, culminating in Shidachi's victory over Uchidachi physically, mentally, and spiritually while leaving Uchidachi alive. Uchidachi leads both back to Chudan no Kamae, followed by breaking contact, and taking 5 smaller, cautious backwards steps to return to the starting positions.
Gee, is that all?
Some of you may recall my explaining that Kendo no Kata should be performed in such a way that the person in the Shidachi role is threatened by Uchidachi's attack. Indeed, I expect each of you to try to hit me when you are Uchidachi for me - utilizing proper technique and feel for the kata, mind. Likewise, as you each become comfortable with the kata, I'll start moving you more into proper range such that, if you don't perform the defensive techniques of Shidachi's role, you will be struck - note I said "as you become comfortable with the kata." Beyond that mindset, however, you must perform every kata, regardless of what form of martial arts you are practicing, as though your life depends on the delivery of your techniques. Bearing that in mind, let's think about the mindsets of both Uchidachi and Shidachi when they return to Chudan at the end of the kata, and break contact: Uchidachi started the whole situation by challenging Shidachi to a match, which Shidachi reluctantly accepted. Uchidachi tried their very best to kill Shidachi, failed at this attempt, yet was left alive... humiliated, perhaps, but alive. Despite what Hollywood would like us to believe, defeat doesn't always, or even usually, equal friendship. Odds are, Uchidachi still wants to kill Shidachi - again, within the Story - and in addition to that, Uchidachi cannot possibly be 100% certain that Shidachi, having just overcome Uchidachi's skill, won't decide to change their mind and kill Uchidachi outright. That being the case, when retreating back to their starting positions, both individuals should do so with an air of caution and wariness that matches the bold strength that they strode out to meet each other with at the beginning of the kata. At any moment, the other character within the Story may decide to reverse direction and attack, so you should not allow your concentration, Seme, or Zanshin to waver for an instant. Further, delving into the scenario in the most literal terms, neither party is likely there alone - they will have at least one, possibly more, assistant/colleague to help them prepare, bear witness to the event, protect their friend in the event that the duel becomes more than a simple one-on-one affair (ambush), and possibly retrieve the body after the skirmish has ended. That being said, neither party should be ready to completely rule out the possibility that their opponents associates may decide to step in and attempt to change the outcome themselves; hence, a feeling of general awareness and caution should be established. Would such an act from your opponent's confederates be honorable? No. Would you be willing to bet your life that your enemy's associates will be perfectly honorable and not attempt to kill you if their friend failed to do so? Only if you're either incredibly naive, or tired of living. As such, the five retreating steps at the end of each kata should be taken while being mindful of what is happening, or would be happening in context.
In other words, when we do the kata, we should proceed as if we weren’t friends, if the bokuto were replaced with shinken, and if our lives truly were on the line. Anything less than this is merely practicing the kata, not truly doing/experiencing them, and if you’re only practicing the kata, you’re robbing yourself of the overwhelming majority of the point and of the educational value.
By the way, though the main focus of all this is obviously written with a mind to Kendo no Kata, the same thought process should be applied to Iaido, as well as any martial art that has kata.
Thoughts? Questions?