Kata?

[Kumori]

I havent been in Karate for that long , maybe 2 months at max. I know 3 katas ( Sanchin , Fukyuda ich , and Fukyuda Ni) My teacher just shows me the moves.. doesnt explain it really. No bunkai yet or anything.

I heard that there is somthing deeper to kata and that to master it is not just to know Bunkai and how its performed.

I heard that your supossed to visualize a opponent or somthing..

Can someone please clarify what you do during kata , your views on it , etc

[stolen_bones]

I have been in karate for about 14 months now and the way in which we do katas in the style that I do is sort of like shaddow fighting but with deeper meaning. So, you might be fighting one or multiple opponents, with kicks, puches and blocking techniques, but at the same time, focusing on the techniques that you are doing.

In my understanding, some katas are like this, while others are movements that don't resemble fighting but rather moving your body in an artistic way. No, not like dancing...ok in some ways maybe it is, but a martial artistic way, if that makes any sense.

[TAZ]

I havent been in Karate for that long , maybe 2 months at max. I know 3 katas ( Sanchin , Fukyuda ich , and Fukyuda Ni) My teacher just shows me the moves.. doesnt explain it really. No bunkai yet or anything.

I heard that there is somthing deeper to kata and that to master it is not just to know Bunkai and how its performed.

I heard that your supossed to visualize a opponent or somthing..

Yes, kata has meaning. Every movement, strike, block, kick, etc. has a purpose. Either offensive or defensive.

It is my understanding, as far as my sensei is concerned, that we will get into the bunkai in more depth at higher levels of rank. I too find myself asking the question "what is the purpose of this particular move?" etc. Sometimes I can figure it out myself and other times he will take the time to explain, but other times he says to just learn the moves first and we will learn, in time.

[Drgnslyer]

Yes, kata has meaning. Every movement, strike, block, kick, etc. has a purpose. Either offensive or defensive.

It is my understanding, as far as my sensei is concerned, that we will get into the bunkai in more depth at higher levels of rank. I too find myself asking the question "what is the purpose of this particular move?" etc. Sometimes I can figure it out myself and other times he will take the time to explain, but other times he says to just learn the moves first and we will learn, in time.

I completely agree...there is always much more meaning behind Kata than what you initially see...but keep in mind, you've only just begun...be patient, and trust your sensei to teach you different things when you are genuinely ready. At times they might not seem to have those sorts of things in mind, but they're saving it for when you will have that much more of a grasp regarding what they're trying to teach you.

Baby steps, learn to walk before you can run. Martial arts training becomes a way of life, don't worry about it so much, and keep yourself focused on what you're being trained now...the rest will follow in due time.

[yamesu]

Good advice from the above posters.

First we learn a move,

then we learn to apply the move in a set way,

finally, we learn to adapt that move to any given situation.

This is the concept of "Muso-Uchi", or, striking instantaniously, when attacked.

The proper study of kata, and applying it to one-step-sparring is a fine way to set the building blocks for this, but it is not the be-all-end-all.

OSU.

[Gen_Tora]

There are allot of hidden methods & techniques to kata, watch other people doing their's & think about how allot of those methods can be applied to real life. Also don't consider a block a block, think of them more as counter-attacks & wrist grabs.

Hope this helps,

Ron

[weaponless]

The whole idea of visualizing your opponent/opponents is to help you understand the movements that you are doing.... and they should help you to figure out the bunkai without having to be shown...

If you can visualize the "fight" you can see the techniques, you may see some that others may not see, while they might see applications that you do not.... If you approach the kata with the mindset that everything you do has a purpose, things will become clearer to you. For example, you may easily be able to visualize that someone attacks when you are doing a block, then as you transition to a strike you can visualize that you blocked the attack and counter-attacked....that's easy enough.... but soon enough you will begin to see more, like when after you block you might re-chamber your blocking hand before striking with the other... this is a possible application as well. The hand that chambers itself becomes a grab after the block pulling the person to you (as the hand pulls back into your body) and into the empi that you are performing with your other arm.... this is a very simplistic way to look at it but it gives you an example.

I have often seen bunkai that even my sensei never thought of (which is very gratifying), and have often had others pointed out to me that I never saw..... there is soo much in the katas if you open your mind to the possibilities and the best way I know to do that is to actually visualize your opponent/opponents. You might see a block, I might see a strike, both are valid.... sometimes a block is easily turned into a strike to the bicep, etc... My sensei has often said, "even a low block thrown with intent can have devastating effect".... Just ask the guy I sparred with at my last grading who kicked me continually... and I blocked him continually.... I only got a chance at one offensive move (it landed but)... he was on the attack the whole time, and though he didn't really land anything he pressed me the whole time and so I chalked it up as he got the better of me..... After the grading he gave me all this credit like I did great or something that I didn't understand until he showed me his leg 3 classes later ( as he wasn't at a couple)....the reason he wasn't at a couple was because his whole shin was mangled, cut up and bruised....."low blocks with intent" my sensei said.....hmmmmm, that's why he's the sensei.

Also when I visualize during kata, I also try to visualize what kind of opponent.... for an example of this I will go back to a taikyoku Kata I learned at white belt (I don't know if you learn taikyoku katas but since you've only been in two months it seemed the better example). In this kata there are three blocks, followed by an oi tsuki that immediately turns into a soto chudan uke and (being a taikyoku kata) this pattern repeats itself into finally at the end the kata is ended with with downward hammer fist (tetsui)... so for this I would visualize that my opponent is a small, fast, boxer type guy that is always on the attack, always forcing me to block, when I try to punch he is so fast and relentless with his attack that I have to abandon my oi tsuki and turn it into a block again... this continues to the end of the kata, when, finally tired from the non-stop attack, I get my chance, and being a smaller faster opponent (I'm a pretty powerful guy), and one hammer fist and he's out.... I find visualizing the opponent as well as what the opponent might be doing helps me as well.

Finally, visualizing the kata has one last advantage, at least for me..... it focuses me.... kime and kiai are essential in kata, and getting your focus can sometimes be as easy as picturing yourself in that fight.... If you're in a real fight you wouldn't take time to make eye contact with people around you that are watching would you?

I hope this all helps, and don't worry about your sensei not showing you the bunkai yet after only two months. Everything will eventually come into place and you'll soon get more in to bunkai as you are too new to be bombarded with everything yet.... and a time will come where the bunkai will reveal themself to you on your own.... Give it time, it's a long road, and the journey is more important than the destination.

[Kumori]

Tomorrow I get tested for yellow belt.

I am going to post what the test it below for anyone that is interested.

You have to know the following.

How to say hello

How to say thank you

How to say Please teach me

Count to 20 in japanese

Name of style (naha te)

Reverse Punch

Backfist

Downward elbow smash

Normal elbow smash

Side ELbow smash

Front kick

Okinawan Front kick

Side kick

Okinawan Side kick

Roundhouse kick

Head block

Down block

Side block

Hooking block

variation 1 of side block

Sanchin Dachi

Yoi Dachi

Zen Kuchi dachi

Kumidi Dachi

Nikko Dachi

Sheiqa dachi

Mine Dachi

Sanchin Ich Kata/Bunkai/translation/creator

Fukyuda Ich Kata/Bunkai/translation/creator

Fukyuda Ni Kata/Bunkai/translation/creator

Btw wish me luck

Domo Arigato

- Shadow

[Drgnslyer]

hehe, good luck bud, i'm sure you'll do great on your test.

[Sensei Rick]

Kumori,

Your instructor sounds like he has a good cirriculum and has told you the expectation. To me, that is the sign of a good instructor, stay with him and stay on the path. welcome to the wonderfull world of karate. I have been fortunate to make karate part of my whole life. I would love to be 14 AGAIN knowing what I know now. I envy you and I remember my firsts test in karate. Thinking I knew it all, only to flub up completely. Good luck my freind, and make your sensei proud by doing you best, that's all we ask.

Osu!