personally affected by a form?

[tommarker]

Here's a question I was thinking about:

 

Have you ever learned a form that completely changed the way you thought about the martial arts? I mean, it changed everything you do, drill, other kata, sparring...

 

For me, everytime I learn a new form, I try to take any lessons and apply them to my other forms. But I'm talking a more permanent change.

 

In my case, I think the form was Naihanchi. I think it's had a great influence especially on my sparring. It changed my range and even just my approach towards the fight. Everything I do now seems to have that naihanchi sort of POP to it. Even forms that are a little "bigger" in their performance, like Bassai Dai.

 

Thoughts?

[equaninimus]

The Seibukan version of Passai was my "epiphany" moment.

[tommarker]

In what way? I'm not familiar with that particular version of Bassai (so many, so little time!)

 

I think Bassai was a disappointment to me when I first learned it, since I was just like "this is just a really long Pinan!"

[equaninimus]

The Kyan versio has a lot more close in techniques. This isn't the exact version, but it is very close to what we do:

 

http://www.dentokanhombu.com/video/shorin/passai.mpg

 

The difference in the method of body shifting from the Shotokan model and the use of "snapping" rather than "thrusting" technique was quite the eye-opener.

[Ripper]

Thanks for the link, equaninimus.

 

For me katas like these where eye-openers for me.

 

I train Shotokan, but I found the katas from other styles, where Shotokan has its roots, real eye-openers. Especially in terms of reverse engineering katas.

[SaiFightsMS]

The tekkis were eye openers for me too. When I realized kosa dachi felt so much like the first half of an about face it really dawned on me that just because the nex move in a kata went a certain way that it couldn't be applied in any direction.

 

And that led to so many other things.

[delta1]

I'll just ditto my response to aes:

*American Kenpo's techniques are like 'mini-katas', a serries of moves in response to an attack. I've surprised myself a few times when something unexpected happened and the counter was just there- not necessarily the exact technique, but the moves were there to counter the attack. It's a pretty good feeling to discover you are actually 'getting it'.

 

*Sorry if I got a little off on a tangent, but the feeling is the same; when the moves just become part of you and start to flow. Your post is one of the best arguments I've seen to counter those who think kata is worthless. However it is done, it's the heart of a system.

 

*Other styles I've studied use forms as the primary training vehicle to put moves together. While I wouldn't say any of them impacted me as dramatically as you were, I think I've learned a lot from each of them. As soon as I start to learn a new form, I start dissecting it for applications and principles, as well as try to get the feel of the movements. So it's usually a more gradual learning process for me.

You guys must be thinking along the same lines. Good post!

[ESA-Shotokan]

I know a lot of my posts reflect my recent transfer to the ESA but I have to say, it was while watching some of their senior dan grades perform kata on video that changed my whole perspective of karate.

 

I am building my own karate web site and will feature some of these katas on there. There is a particular dan grade performing Empi and I promise you, you will be impressed - I have never seen this kata performed like this. Another good example is Jiin and its execution. Incredible stuff.

 

After watching these karateka, I almost felt like Neo in the Matrix when he found out about the "real world!" I have done the same katas for so long and honestly, I thought I was on the ball! Not likely. As I say, the web site will demonstrate what I am on about.

 

[tommarker]

Sounds interesting... can't wait to see the site.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I just HAVE to get DSL one of these days! I started to download that video, and after 15 minutes, it was still at 7%..so I cancelled it. *sigh*