“If you want to learn how to fight, don’t study kata.  The only way to learn how to fight is to engage in the ‘real’ thing.”  

This opinion is often expressed by those who hold Karate in low regard.  Their opinion is often formed from movies, online videos, or some out of context training. The statement is as naïve as thinking that a boxer goes into a ring to fight with his skipping rope.

You could say that a martial artist is not a ‘fighter’ as ‘fight’ intimates a struggle between two people, a martial artist is a ‘peacekeeper’.  His function is to re-establish a peaceful environment through long and arduous training.

Peace is earned, if your mind and emotions are weak, you are more likely to cause violence or respond negatively to it.  People that have to respond to violence on a regular basis such as police officers and security personnel are taught to remain calm and to deal with a situation ‘appropriately’ to re-establish and keep the ‘Queens Peace’ and a martial artist’s response should be the same.

The problem with people that constantly create ‘aggressive and violent situations’ in which to train is that they are still not ‘real’ – you know it’s your mate acting, and if anything engenders fear of the ‘real’ thing, and makes people neurotic by focusing solely on ‘reality based’ training.

I was looking forward to Steve’s course on the 30 October 2011 which he’d given the tagline of “A million and one applications to form and kata”.  In this course he would be teaching how to breakdown and study form/kata as a practical method for studying the martial arts, using the Shi Kon 13 Hands form to explore the concepts and ideas locked away in side them.

We began with exercises from the Yang Family Qigong set that activated the deepest muscles of the core and taught us how to use and connect the spine in all planes of movement.  To help take our minds to the muscles around the spine Steve showed some resistance exercises that engaged these deep muscles in exactly the manner they are used in the Martial Arts.  Steve raised the interesting point that these deep muscles of the core are naturally incredible strong and that most core exercises are unnecessary and actually stiffen them.

After looking at the how the movements of form and Kata are connected and powered by to the deep muscles of the core we then discussed the Japanese concept of Bunkai.  Steve explained how the term Bunkai (literally meaning ‘analysis‘ or ‘disassembly‘) is often mistakenly translated as application.  To study the Bunkai of a form or Kata is the process of extracting the skills and concepts contained in the form that can power an infinite number of applications (Ohyo in Japanese).

“I hate kata!”  Peter was obviously not in a good mood and the days course today was on kata……

“So why bother to attend?”  I asked.

“Because if we don’t it will affect our grading….”

Peter was not going to be a bundle of laughs today so I made sure that I was as far away as possible so that I wouldn’t have to partner him in any pairs work.

Sensei entered the Dojo, conducted the formalities and began the course….

“Chinto Kata, what do you know about it?”

“It’s a Crane Kata,” said one.

“Good, what else?”

“It’s called “Gankanku”, “Crane on a Rock” in Shotokan,” said another.

“Well done!” said Sensei. “Anything else?”

“It’s a flowing kata requiring balance, control of the spinning turns and narrow stances……  and its b****y hard to do!”  Exclaimed Peter.

“Ah Peter, my Kata expert…….”  Everyone laughed, he hadn’t stop complaining since being here this morning.

“OK, let’s look at the history, legend has it that Chinto kata was created in the early 1900’s by a famous martial artist called Matsumura.  Chinto was a Chinese sailor shipwrecked on Okinawa during a typhoon and was forced to steal food from the locals at night to survive.  Matsumura was sent to find Chinto and arrest him.

When they met, Chinto was able to side step and counter attack all of Matsumura’s best techniques and he was unable to hit Chinto even once, this obviously left him perplexed and Chinto managed to escape and hide in a graveyard.  Matsumura falsely reported Chinto’s demise and then befriended him, agreeing not to report him if he taught him this amazing style of Chinese boxing.

Chinto’s style of Chinese boxing was Chuan Fa, which was popular on China’s southeastern coast, Matsumura learned this style and formulated the kata from the knowledge gained”.

“So the kata is of Okinawan origin, but from Chinese roots?”  Asked Peter, now becoming intrigued

“Yes, that’s correct. Chinto has been translated as “Fighting to the East”, “Eastward Fighter” or “Calming the Waves”. 

“Why should we learn it?”

“It is good for learning to be able to fight on uneven ground, pivoting and side-stepping to defend against an opponent, then following with rapid counter-attacks.

It’s nice to get away on courses with Sensei…….

He had been invited to teach on a course that includes many students and Instructors from different styles of Karate so it was interesting to see what their interpretations of the same movements that we practised were and also how they reacted to Sensei’s teachings.  It was also fascinating to watch Sensei’s diplomatic way of dealing with the differences……

Everyone was keen to share knowledge and were all patient with each other to get to the bottom of each interpretation.  Often with a lack of good instruction many of the attending Sensei had worked hard and researched well to obtain application and understanding to the Kata that they had been taught.

Some had explored atemi applications and had a vital points application not just for each move but even each part of a move!  Some of these were painful to learn but worth every twinge……

Others had researched Aikido and Ju Jitsu applications and had excellent blending, locking, throwing and dislocations to each move….

Some had gone to the Okinawan roots of their Japanese art and explored the additional training aids and weapons, also exploring the Bubushi, the much vaunted historical text of modern day Karate…….

Others had been to China and explored the Kung Fu roots, with fascinating Chi Kung uses of some of the moves and applications from Chinese grappling and animal forms, the philosophy and cultural explanations of the names and their applications was fascinating……

We were having a great time and the discussion and demonstration got deeper and deeper………

Finally someone got to ask Sensei what he thought were right applications…..

“They all are” replied Sensei diplomatically……

“Very diplomatic……”  replied one of the other Sensei.  “C’mon we’re all friends here, commit yourself……”