How Do You Think Kata Promotes Fighting Skill

[hurricane]

"These skills were developed into Karate, “the empty handed way”, and used by the Okinawans in defence against the Japanese who had invaded the small island chain. The Japanese had banned all metal utensils, knives, metal farm tools, pots and pans. The Okinawans practised the martial arts in complete secrecy and finally gained freedom from the Japanese."

this quote is from https://www.newmarket.com

This is a bit exaggerated.

Okinawans didn't really fight against the Japanese (invasion took 2 weeks, mainly due to logistics) and was relatively peaceful. There's no evidence about underground movement against Japanese after the invasion. The weapon ban has been exaggerated as well - there are reports about Okinawans taking their family swords (yes, swords) to mainland Japan for maintaining purposes (polishing). Karate and Okinawan kobudo do not have many applications that would be meant to be used against the armed opponent - at least armed in a military way, as the Satsuma-clan was.

Training martial arts in secrecy didn't happen, either. The teachers and students of martial arts were relatively well known (we know the names of masters of 1700's now, so they weren't secret) and the travels to China are well recorded. Training was for nobles and officers, so the story about peasants training martial arts doesn't hold water, either (typically, family styles were taught for oldest son of a noble family only - a great example about this was Choki Motobu who didn't learn the style, Motobu Udunti, of his family and had to go to the different teachers to learn martial arts).

And well, Okinawans did not gain the freedom from the Japanese invaders. Okinawa did stay invaded and still is - it's a part of Japan, although there is a large US airbase in Kadena.

Very interesting and insightful post, Jussi! But where does "how does kata improve your fighting skills" in?? Perhaps your knowledge would be of better use in different thread, maybe even a thread about the history of Japan and Okinawa?? Just a thought!

[Jussi Häkkinen]

Well, "how does kata improve your fighting skills"...

I consider bunkai training and free application (i.e. sparring) to be parts of kata - studying it deeper and learning to apply it freely.

For me, kata is karate.

My former posts were only meant to correct a common misunderstanding/legend about karate/kata history.

[Fairfax_Uechi]

one word, BUNKAI!

Eough Said!

I agree that Bunkai is great for learning fighting skills, but I don't think many people really understand it. With that said, Bunkai is the applicatio of kata! Learning kata helps with all of the things that I said above, and all that everyone else said, but Bunkai is the practice of the kata. So once you learn how to do a technique, doing Bunkai will supplement your kata and help you see what you're doing wrong.

[shotokanwarrior]

You are not learning a fighting skill thru karate kata, you are learning self defense techniques.

[Sensei Mark]

Osu,

Kata although generally known as a specific set of techniques in a specific order. is not enough for the average student when it comes to the stimulation of Kata.

This is what i say to my students when they are not focused or their technique is not up to standard when they are training their Kata.

"Kata can be thought of as painting a picture, the picture can be bland or boring and un-interesting and not inspiring to the doer as well as the watcher.

However. if you think of your techniques as the flow of the paintbrush and your attitude as the colours you choose, you are then able to paint your own picture which has bold colours, is rich in content and says something to the doer and the watcher".

Kata is an experession of oneself, it is a time where a karateka can find that quiet non distracting place and allow oneself to train the mind.

One who finds Kata useless or un-important to their Karate training is ignorant of its benefits, generally this type of student is seen in the dojo as impatient and negative and is the type of student who lacks good technique.

To understand tha art of Karate one must understand all the aspects of our art.

"All" Traditional Karate consists of.

Kihon - Basics ( Be it Strikes, punchs, blocks, kicks, stances, etc)

Kata - Stated above

Kumite - Free Sparring

https://www.marktysondojo.com

[younwhadoug]

i'm in tkd so take this as you will.... my forms help me meditate, they improve my technique, i use them as breathing practices but truly beleive they were designed to make power speed and technique work together for sparring, for training and for whatever else you could use those three sources for. i'm sure there is more to it but i think these three are the primary reason. but agian thats my forms not your kata. i am intrested in the right answer though

[Fairfax_Uechi]

You are not learning a fighting skill thru karate kata, you are learning self defense techniques.

Yes and no. Self defense should be your primary goal and learning to avoid bad situations should be at the top of your skills as well as getting out of bad situations without fighting, but let's face it. If we have to defend ourselves there is a chance that we may have to fight. And we all train to be able to fight well. So call it what you want. But it's all part.

BTW, due to political correctness we often forget the MARTIAL in martial arts.

[Jussi Häkkinen]

You are not learning a fighting skill thru karate kata, you are learning self defense techniques.

Depends. Seisan, for example, teaches the basic principles of fighting - very boxing-like. Actually, the stuff seen in Seisan is very similar to the "pugilism" of old days, if we leave out the couple of kicks in it.

Appliable in self-defense and in fighting. Some kata stress some aspects more than others.

[Scummy]

in all reality it depends on how seriously you take kata's from my perspective i dont pratice the kata as much as i should but if it was practiced correctly all the movements are pretty much anwsers to a certian attack

[elbows_and_knees]

in all reality it depends on how seriously you take kata's from my perspective i dont pratice the kata as much as i should but if it was practiced correctly all the movements are pretty much anwsers to a certian attack

IMO, that is why kata isn't very good for teaching fighting. people tend to think that the kata will hold answers to a specific attack. That, IMO, is the wrong way to look at it. Kata itself will NOT teach you how to fight. All it will do is perfect your form.

BUT, if you break the kata down into singular movements, then you can put together technique drills that you can use in fighting. These are general guidelines - principles of your style. once you understand the principle, you can apply it thousands of different ways. once you are doing this, your kata will be helping to improve your fighting.