The Mythos of Kata

A student once asked me if it was possible to learn karate without learning the pre-arranged forms (kata). Of course it's possible. But this notion of "knowing karate" without kata is taken as an affront to a tradition and culture that is foreign to many of us. But let me ask you this: do you think memorizing an entire catalogue of block-and-strike sequences will allow you to prevail in a fight? And how many forms are there in your karate syllabus? In Isshinryu there are a total of eight karate (empty handed) kata, but some styles contain dozens! Why so many? Conversely, Chojun Miyagi, the famous founder of Goju-ryu karate, would exhort his students to train on just a single (!) form for years before being considered for advancement. Entire books have been written on the Sanchin kata, an ancient form of Chinese origin that emphasizes isometric muscle contractions and constricted breathing techniques used to refine ki (chi or qi).

A high ranking Isshinryu instructor once described a training session he once had many years ago with Grand Master Seikichi Odo of Okinawa Kenpo karate. A veritable "collector of kata", Odo-sensei was described as having a petite build, barely over five feet tall, but possessed an innate kind of strength that was indescribable. In karate, chinkuchi refers to a type of focused energy that is the stuff of legends. In reality, developing this kind of mystical super human strength is probably the by-product of decades of training and performing certain moves tens of thousands of times.

I put the word mythos in this blog title to be a bit provocative. It's just a recurring theme in culture or tradition that may or may not be true. But is it a myth that kata will translate into being a competent fighter? 

Consider this tale:

Kuwada had begun martial arts training with the desire of becoming feared by all men. But he soon discovered there was no short-cut to his transformation into a master.

Discouraged by the incessant kata training, Kuwada asked his sensei, "When are we going to learn something else? I've been here for quite some time, and it's kata, kata, kata, everyday."

When the sensei gave no reply, Kuwada went to the assistant to the master and made the same inquiry. He was told, "The kata training is to polish your mind. It is better to shave your mind than your head. Understand?"

Kuwada did not understand, and in protest, he left the dojo, embarking on a notorious career as the best street fighter in Shuri. He was tough. No doubt about it. "A fight a night" was Kuwada's motto, and he often bragged, "I'm not afraid of a living man."

One night, Kuwada eyed a stranger walking calmly alongside a stone wall. It irritated Kuwada to see such composure in a person. He ran to the cross section of the road and waited for the man to pass.

When he did, Kuwada jumped out and threw a punch, but the man avoided the blow and grabbed Kuwada's arm. As he pulled Kuwada toward him, the man calmly stared into his eyes. Kuwada tried to pull away, but he could not. For the first time in his life, Kuwada felt a strange emotion—fear of defeat.   

When the man let him go, Kuwada ran, but he glared back to see the man calmly walk away as if nothing had happened. Kuwada later discovered the man was a master of kata; a martial artist who had never engaged in a fight in his life.*

 The summation of the story, "He who conquers himself is the greatest warrior" is banal. Tales like this are meant to be inspiring, but they're misleading. If you've never engaged in a fight, you'll never be prepared for the real thing by being a "master of kata". As Okinawan street fighting pioneer Choki Motobu (d. 1944) advised,“Nothing is more harmful to the world than a martial art that is not effective in actual self-defense.”

 

*Richard Kim 1974. The Weaponless Warriors. Ohara Publications, Inc.

Neat Tricks

Eric Shahan, a martial arts practitioner who specializes in translating classic Japanese texts into English has translated a treatise on acquiring supernatural powers in a new book, Twelve Rules Of The Sword, that was passed down verbally from a 17th century samurai school. Among other things, the rules for prevailing in combat involves saying two prayers and writing Sanskrit characters on your palms. Could be a tad time consuming when the heat is on. But supposedly the book also discusses some practical strategies for combat, similar to those found in The Book Of Five Rings, which deals more with the psychology of fighting than physical techniques. Training, attitude and situational awareness, while paramount in the martial arts, are far from magical concepts.

In Okinawan karate, performing the kata Sanchin over and over is supposed to develop otherworldly stamina and strength. The ancient form, of Chinese origin, is akin to a dynamic-tension routine that was hawked in comic books by bodybuilder Charles Atlas in past decades. It's a slow motion punch-and-block sequence that mimics pushing and pulling a heavy weight with isometric contractions and forced breathing. Entire books have been written on the single topic of Sanchin. The kata is a staple in many schools of karate, especially Goju-ryu. Its founder, Chojun Miyagi, made his students perform Sanchin many times each day, with the idea that it would transform them mentally, physically, and spiritually. Miyagi himself was built like a bull and purportedly could perform superhuman feats. In one public demonstration in 1924, he...

[T]hrust his hand into a bunch of bamboos and pulled out one from the center. He stuck his hand into a slab of meat and tore off chunks. He put white chalk on the bottom of his feet, jumped up, and kicked the ceiling — leaving his foot-prints on the ceiling for all to see. Spectators hit him with long bo (staffs) with no effect. He tore off the bark of a tree (with his fingers). And with his big toe he punctured a hole in a kerosene can...He did many more feats which had to be believed.*

These types of feats today are rare. Most modern demos involve crowd-pleasers like self defense moves and board breaking. Gymnastic feats like tricking or parkour (the latter which is derived from military obstacle course training) flood the internet. Most recently we have the Bottle Cap Challenge, originally uploaded by Farabi Davletchin, a champion taekwondo fighter from Kazakhstan. The trick involves setting up a bottle of some beverage roughly chest high, and executing a variant of a spinning hook kick which grazes the pre-loosened bottle cap, spinning it off the top while leaving the remaining bottle untouched.

Everyone seems to be getting in on the action with their own clips, including famous martial arts actor Jason Statham (see above). Pretty impressive for a guy over fifty. If Chuck Norris were a bit younger he would have a go at this.^† Hell, maybe I'll give it a shot. Still, Miyagi would probably outdo everyone with his barefoot hole-in-the-kerosene can move. Then again, Miyagi also said at the conclusion of his demo, "Karate is a total commitment. I have not done anything that someone else cannot do, or, for that matter, you. There is no halfway measure. Either you do it or you don't. Nothing is impossible."

Indeed. There is no magic.


* Richard Kim 1974. The Weaponless Warriors. Ohara Publications. (Originally written by journalist Tojuda Anshu.)
† Want to feel old? Norris will be eighty next year. Can you believe it?

Open Hand Basics and Bunkai

In Isshinryu karate there are fifteen upper body basics taught utilizing a variety of hand strikes and/or blocking combinations, mostly from seisan-dachi, the system's workhorse stance. In basic 7 we step back, forward hand shuto block followed by a spearhand (nukite) to the solar plexus. It has been suggested by some that this basic be modified by either aiming the nukite to the more user friendly throat or removing the open-handed strike altogether and replacing it with a punch to the original target. I've seen my share of modified basics in my style before. I don't like this idea as it smacks of hubris. Usually the changes are not an improvement anyway. One high ranking Isshinryu instructor had the temerity to remove the founder's original 15 basics from the syllabus and replace them with his newfangled 10.

Spearing soft tissue with the hand is the way to go. Also, open handed strikes can be the prelude to a block/grab. The kata Seiuchin provides a good example of applications utilizing both nukite and the open-handed block/grab variety. Unique to Isshinryu is the kata Sunsu which features a variant of nukite that's followed by tearing the skin away from the ribs and sternum. Now that's serious stuff. Obviously it's impossible to practice this on a willing uke with any sense of realism.

The old-school masters of Okinawa no doubt had fingertips that could pierce cans and had grip strength like bear traps. Chojun Miyagi of Goju-ryu karate reputedly could tear the bark from a tree with his hands. These types of feats are rare indeed today.

There are practical open-handed strikes that can be quite effective: palm heel, face rake and strikes targeting the eyes are not only potentially lethal but tend to be relatively safe for the user. This is really what separates the diluted "sportive" techniques from the martial variety.

What's 'Your' Kata?

When I used to go out to compete, I was also a spectator. Most competitors leave right after their matches, but I would stick around to get some ideas. The black belt kata competition would fascinate me, especially the advanced black belts (3rd and 4th dan). Some of the renditions of kata you'll see at this level can be very inspiring.

At some point we can figure out which kata we like to do. I had an instructor who would say, "there's white belt kata, there's black belt kata, and then there's your kata." But why do we like some forms and not others? Not that we should slack off on the kata that we think give us trouble (remember the Zen saying "the obstacle is the path"), but there's probably one you believe is best suited for you. This is true for a variety of reasons, including your level of athleticism and personality.

Here are my favorites:

• Seiuchin. This is a powerful karate form that comes from Goju-ryu. Features wide and deep shiko-dachi stance with plenty of angles and forceful breathing techniques. This ancient kata finishes with a corkscrew punch - peculiar to the Isshinryu system.

• Kusanku. An aesthetic, challenging and beautiful karate form. I never had the nerve to compete with Kusanku. The truth is, you really need to be a certain body type to pull it off, at least for a tournament. I've seen a couple of entries butcher this one. If you have a large frame or lack a degree of flexibility, the jumping crescent kick halfway through this form may lack the finesse the judges are looking for.

• Chatan Yara no sai. The sai (tri-pronged truncheon) is probably the only weapon found in Okinawan kobudo that didn't originally start off as a farming implement. The sai appears to have been developed to counter larger weapons, like the bo (long staff) and especially the sword. One reason I like the sai is because some of the techniques mimic what the hands would do in karate. If you really like the sai I would recommend getting a quality pair (like Shureido) as they are well balanced and can be handled easily.

It used to be held that every kata was the distilled essence of a fighting system. Maybe this is why the old-time masters would spend months and even years drilling their charges on a single form. Certainly they had their preferences: Choki Motobu is always depicted performing Naihanchi. Chojun Miyagi (and many others) felt that the kata Sanchin was of utmost importance.

What kata do you feel personifies you? Why?

Fancy Kicks

The other night while watching some MMA (something I rarely do) I noticed that the arsenal of some of these fighters contained low kicks to the thigh, a la Muay Thai. They don't look like much, but speaking from experience they're pretty brutal. I remember a seminar where the instructor showed some conditioning moves designed to prepare the legs/quadriceps in the event of a nasty low-kicking assault, similar to kotekitai (forearm toughening routine) that karate people employ. With the exception of Kyokushin practitioners, most karateka aren't accustomed to taking leg strikes (or head shots for that matter), so some desensitizing routines for the lower extremities isn't a bad idea. In most traditional Okinawan karate tourneys, low kicks are prohibited, yet high-target kicks are okay if delivered with control (i.e. without knocking out your opponent). You don't need a degree in kinesiology to figure out that a low-kick has a far higher success rate of being delivered with "control" than a haymaker crescent kick aimed upstairs. I've already posted my thoughts on low kicks and shooting high, so I'll move on.

When front and roundhouse kicks are taught the toes are curled up. This allows the ball of the foot to take the impact of the target. This is done for practical purposes and safety, but the curling of the toes becomes a moot point if you're on the street and wearing shoes. Many practitioners will round kick with the instep (wearing foot guards) to accentuate reach. Good, flexible kickers that rely on their natural gifts tend to break some toes through the years, probably more from wear and tear than poor kicking form. Chojun Miyagi, the famous founder of Goju-ryu, would puncture holes in kerosene cans at demonstrations utilizing a specialty of his: the toe-kick. Imagine the conditioning and training it took to do that.

In Okinawan karate there's not much flash in the kicking department. Personally I like to keep things simple. Here's what I find works for me:

• Front kick
• Forward leg side kick
• Spin around hook kick

The last one you won't find in the kata of traditional karate, but most schools will show it to some degree. Although far from a stellar kicker, I can actually perform spin-kicks fairly decent, I believe, courtesy of a mild case of scoliosis (curvature of the spine) that actually allows me to rotate my body in an unconventional albeit advantageous manner conducive to this manner of kicking. Lucky me.

Haragei

Whether speaking of human physiology or esoteric martial arts, the ability to generate power and maintain proper movement and balance begins by identifying your center of gravity (itten) located in the lower abdomen - the hara. When haragei is optimally developed, a special quality of power emerges - one that exceeds ordinary muscular strength. The feeling of being rooted, yet agile, is essential in every system in the martial arts. In explaining one of the secrets of Okinawan karate, goju-ryu founder Chojun Miyagi used the parallel of a willow tree enduring a wind storm; while the top of the tree and its branches sway in the direction of the wind, the trunk remains unmovable and planted. Conversely, when one feels tense, or relies upon typical "arm strength", this point of energy (ki) rises, and causes the practitioner to become top-heavy and off-balance. This is why maintaining proper stances and rotating the hips during various techniques are so important in the martial arts. The ability to kiai and the audible breathing aspects of certain forms must also begin in the hara.

The hara is also the reference point of mental focus in some meditation practices (mokuso), and is considered the seat of courage and intuition (kan), as expressed in having "guts" or a "gut feeling". Natives of many tribal cultures regard the abdominal region as the site of the mind, even the soul.

Despite some of the mystical connotations associated with the hara, in practical terms it is the source of one's power, balance, and spirit in the martial arts.