SteyrAUG

Which koryu arts do your kata come from, if I may ask? There are many systems that teach many "pre meiji" kata. One simply needs to remember Pinan / Heian kata were developed for the purposes of teaching large groups, especially when karate was introduced into the Okinawan school system and later to the Japanese school system. Naihanchi is "pre Meiji" but Tekki (especially Nidan and Sandan versions) are post Meiji variations. Originally Tekki Shodan was identical enough to be considered Naihanchi but it soon became very Japanese with deep stances and modified bunkai applications. All of the original Uechi and Goju kata are "pre Meiji." Any one of the orthodox Shorin Ryu style is going to have primarily "pre Meiji" kata (except for the Pinan of course). As for me personally I don't really practice specific styles anymore as I prefer to simply enjoy martial arts without confining myself to specific systems. I practice Naihanchi (found in too many systems to name them all) quite a bit simply because I enjoy the flow, balance checks (which I need more at my middle age) and other foundation skills. I enjoy Wansu and it can be found in several Shuri and Tomari based systems, especially Okinawan Shorin Ryu styles. Several changes were made when it was rechristened as Empi for Japanese styles post Meiji. I've been known to do Sanchin from time to time simply because I've done it so many times I just find myself doing it without really trying. I will occasionally do Patsai, Sesan, Rohai or Kusanku but sometimes they can be a little rusty and then I end up doing only that kata for months until I feel better about them. I enjoy each of the kata but find trying to maintain all of them at a high level takes more hours than I have to offer. And I just can't pick a favorite so I tend to be "passably effective" at best. I have generally abandoned my Shotokan kata in favor of the original Okinawan version. Additionally the syllabus of 24 kata became quite a bit for me to manage and retain. For weapons pretty much Sakugawa no Kon, Chatan Yara no Sai and Hama Higa no Tonfa. I observe a similar demarcation point when it comes to Chinese forms and typically maintain those that existed prior to the Boxers Rebellion and while I know more than a few that were developed for the Ching Wu schools I keep in mind they are early 20th century creations designed for cultural considerations as much as practical applications.

Not always. Motobu Ryu (the family style not the one founded by Choki Motobu) comes to mind and it doesn't have any Shuri, Naha or Tomari roots. Orthodox Tomari styles have been documented. There are several Okinawan Kenpo systems that have little or no influence from Shuri, Naha or Tomari. And of course there are a handful of Fukien imports that were never blended with the local Okinawan "te" methods. Additionally, there are many modern Japanese methods that are so removed from the systems brought to Japan in the 20s and 30s they have virtually no Okinawan influence or foundation at all.

Perfected basics are more useful to advanced / complex moves every time. Black belt is the BEGINNING and not the high water mark. People who abandon basics to move onto more "exciting things" really haven't learned as much as they could have in their time up to black belt. What mystifies me are people who know 40+ kata and really haven't mastered any of them. I used to be that guy and at one time had a working knowledge of almost 100 forms (including weapons). These days I tend to occupy my time with no more than four empty hand kata and typically no more than two forms for each weapon I know. Except in cases where there are no authentic traditional kata such as with the nunchaku. And by authentic I mostly mean "pre Meiji."

Lee was actually quite correct about kata and there was no reason for "him" to practice forms. Lee didn't even practice a style but was attempting to be a pure martial artist. We need to remember kata exist for these reasons: 1. It allowed for easy transmission of the core concepts of a style organized into a logical pattern that can be passed on from teacher to student so a "technique" is never lost or forgotten. 2. In China and Okinawa at important times in the history of development the practice of martial arts was either illegal or repressed. Kata was a way to transmit these core values in an efficient way rather than learning 108 different self defense techniques. 3. Kata allowed a student to practice the specialized, and often secret or hidden, methods of his particular style without divulging the nature of those techniques. Forms were even modified at times to deliberately obscure the bunkai applications of the movements. Lee "could" have created kata. He could have taken the twelve things he felt most important to his concept system and organized them into a logical pattern that could be learned by students easily. This way every time the students had time to train they could do 3-4 "forms" that covered the most important movements of their system. But there was no need. Martial arts were no longer illegal, repressed or designed to conceal the true nature of techniques. It was simply more efficient for Lee to eliminate the unnecessary creation of patterns and simply focus on techniques and training. But Lee's modern concept system was not the same thing as "koryu" martial arts. They are different things done for different reasons, even if they are sometimes done by the same person. Ironically, Lee was actually more of a traditionalist than most understand, without his sound basic foundations in traditional martial arts, he would have had nothing to simply and streamline. Or as one of my teachers told me when I asked which style was best..."There is usually more than one path to the top of a mountain and one is no more correct than the other...it simply depends on which view you prefer on your climb."

Honestly...jump for joy. Those who flock to the latest MMA, Krav Maga, Ninjutsu, JKD or whatever is currently on the cover of Black Belt schools that are suddenly on every corner with instructors of dubious credentials were likely never going to benefit your dojo in the first place. I only wish they'd stop calling what they do "martial arts" entirely and come up with a more suitable name like "cage fighting", "TKD done in a ninja suit", "Making it up as we go along concepts" or in the case of what is passed off as traditional martial arts "performance nonsense done in absurdly low stances." I was lucky enough to have several knowledgeable instructors who took the time to show me correct and authentic martial arts even if it meant I never had a cool looking gi with lighting bolts and tigers on it and a camouflage rank belt with 5 different pieces of colored electrical tape on it. Authentic martial arts are now exactly where they belong. Somewhat underground, and practiced by the fortunate few who recognize the significance of what they are learning and willing to devote the time and energy to their development. The problem comes from trying to teach them commercially. As one of my sensei correctly observed "you will pay for your training three ways: financially, physically and mentally...and the money will always be the easiest part." The problem is most people who seek martial arts instruction have no idea what that actually is and when they find out it is little more than hard work and drilling of basics over and over that isn't nearly as cool as what the guys on the next corner are selling. Those guys have music playing and are doing backflips and can kick a rubber gun out of your hand. And if that is what a student wishes to pay for, they are in exactly the correct school. Martial arts cannot be learned by anyone in 10 simple lessons. This is an unfortunate reality for anyone trying to operate a commercial school and make a living. But the fact of the matter is a very small percentage of the population are suitable candidates to become actual martial artists and it can be hard for new students to discern a genuine dojo from a "school" and the latter greatly outnumbers the former. I wish we could return to the days of Karate "clubs" where a space is rented and the cost of the "hall" is divided by the number of students participating and the instructor simply donates his time a couple nights a week. The instructor benefits by having a training hall that costs him nothing more than a few nights of instruction and the students have a place to gather and practice 5-7 night a week and 12-15 students can usually support the training hall easily, even if they did sometimes have to shut down for the summer because half of the student body went on vacation. In that environment there is usually nothing else going on but serious training in very legitimate martial arts but the instructor still needed a day job. I came in on the fading out of "clubs" in the late 70s but I was fortunate enough to enjoy the experience a few times. I would later spend years of my life trying to interject some level of legitimacy and authenticity into some of the "schools" where I worked as an instructor and it was entirely frustrating to me. I know simply teach private students on my own time for no money. They pay me with a capacity to learn what I am teaching and genuine dedication. We are all content and feel fortunate that we are practicing authentic martial arts. What they guys at the local Velocity Martial Arts School think of us or what we do is not really our concern.

Entirely possible. I'm one of those "famous" internet people. A clear sign that I'm not training like I should be.

This is a repost of an older topic I once put on another forum. I've been pretty good and am training two to three nights a week, but I have to prioritize a little better. So it is a reminder for me, and if anyone else is motivated and benefits...even better. A Moment Of Incredible Peace And Clarity... Tonight I picked up my sword again. For nearly 2 years it sat neglected, save for an occassional cleaning, in a Katana Kake in the back room where I last put it down. For you see, I had gotten "busy." Work, responsibilities, obligations and a host of various other distactions had monopolized and occupied my time. This meant I was often still at my desk at 3am and when I did get to bed I would lay awake another 2 hours thinking about all the things that needed to be done. All day long my mind would race from one matter of great importance to the next. Sometimes I would forget to eat lunch and only the inevitable headache would remind me to eat. And today I was in the back room going through my stuff looking for something important when I noticed my Katana on it's stand. A blade I once trained with so frequently it was a part of me. Almost akin to a child I had abandoned, but more of a faithful companion I was once had. So I took it from the back room and moved it to a place of prominence in my office. And after dinner after tending to a few items of business I pushed away from my desk piled high with distractions and picked up my sword. I stood in the humid night air with my blade in my obi and tried to calm my mind and focus. I performed the first drawing kata of Iai known as Mae. The weapon escaped its scabbard and performed two lethal (though still something short of flawless) cuts in the air before returning to the saya with a crisp "snick." My katana still knew me and the movements were still there. Fortunately two years of neglect had not completely eroded two and a half decades of muscle memory. But things were still a bit off. Within a half hour of peforming draws and cuts I had tuned out all distractions. I still saw and heard the kids playing down the street. The dog running through yards. My neighbor working on his car in his driveway. The various critters that buzzed through the air around me. But my focus was on the sword. The movements began to fall into a well worn groove of practiced skills. Within an hour my mind didn't need to be reminded of anything and I entered a state of Mushin where the sword moved without my direct mental participation. And within 2 hours I entered a state of Zanshin. Everything left my mind. I was alone in the world with only the katana I held in my hands. It was a state of pureness. It reminded my why I train. It remprimanded me for the loss of skill I suffered. And it showed me the way back. It showed me a way of life. Every day train.

Been involved in the martial arts since about 1977. Something of a training addict, especially in my early days. Have studied Chinese, Japanese, Okinawan and Korean systems with a dash of Filipino and US eclectics thrown in for good measure. Eventually settled into a primary focus on Okinawan "te" systems (mostly Shorin styles), Japanese koryu systems, Okinawan Kobu and Chinese boxing (Northern Crane and Seven Star Mantis) systems. I have a fondness of vintage martial arts weapons as can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vintage-Nunchaku/523048834442599?skip_nax_wizard=true

Impressive. Just got off the phone with Dave and have him working on some for me now. Thanks.