Bo kata video

[Stlthofnight]

I don't know if this is where I'm supposed to post this, but I don't mind if it's moved. This is a bo kata that my school teaches. Constructive criticism is more than welcome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWpx1NR9pUc

[bushido_man96]

I have never been one much for weapons katas. I would much rather see how the two-person drills work. I would be more intested in the applications of the movements.

The kata looks nice, though.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

Looks nice and kinda similar to one i do at my Kempo studio. Good control, hands seem in the right places. Nice. What did you place with that form, if you don't mind me asking?

[Stlthofnight]

Surprisingly, I placed 2nd with that form. The guy who who got first was scary good, and the guy who got third did rather well, but he kinda lost balance during a spining hook kick.

And a video of the bunkai wouldn't be that bad of an idea. I'll have to suggest it to my higher ranking friend or my sensei.

[ps1]

The reason I don't like weapons kata very much is because they are so very inconsistent. In general, if I see Bassai Dai in three or four different styles it's mostly the same. Some changes in stance or the way a strike is thrown usually exist. But you can still tell it's Bassai Dai.

Weapons kata just are not this way. The Bo Shodan I learned was completely different. That's just so annoying.

Now that I've vented...I liked your kata. I think you could have slowed down a little in some parts though. That's more a note for competition than the true meaning of the kata. Some examples are the cat stances, you need to lock those in. You seem to just go to the stance and then rush into the next section. Near the beginning you perform a series that ends with a crossing strike, you then turn and stab toward the ground. A small but dramatic pause between the two movements would make it look more crisp. Or...considering those movements are usually a throw followed by a finishing strike. In between the two stabbing movements you could slow down the rise into the crane stance and then exagerate the second stab. Again, these are just things that would improve your competition performance. They have absolutely nothing to do with proper performance of the kata. But when you're competing remember that the places you aren't moving are just as important as the places where you are. Kind of like music.

Overall, I thought the kata was good. You appear to be in control of the movements. The part where you have to grab it behind your back is a little sloppy though...or it could just be from the video quality.

Either way I want to congratulate you for your second place. I want to commend you for having the guts to get into the ring in front of so many people. And then I want to give you some major Kudos for having the intestinal fortitude to post it on a Karate forum and You Tube where not only the 100 people that were at the tournament would see. But, instead, thousands (maybe millions) of experts from all over the globe would watch, many for the sole reason of picking it apart and criticizing you. Thanks for sharing. Never stop doing what you do.

[Stlthofnight]

Thanks for your input. I really haven't considered those things before. I've been examining it from a more application viewpoint than a competitive one, so this is really useful. And the part where I grab behind my back is a bit sloppy, I just need to work on locking it in at the same spot each time.

Yeah, I figured that the only way to improve it is to learn from my mistakes. And what better way than to have other people tell me?

So again, thank you.

[Montana]

As a weapons judge with over 20 years of experience judging weapons kata in tournaments and over 30 years of teaching weapons technique to my students, I really enjoyed the kata...for the first 15-20 seconds anyway. You lost me when you went to one handed, swing the bo around, techniques.

Sorry, the bo is a two handed waepon. It has no practical usage as a one handed weapon IMO. The two handed techniques were good though...concentrate on those. Forget the flash.

[ps1]

As a weapons judge with over 20 years of experience judging weapons kata in tournaments and over 30 years of teaching weapons technique to my students, I really enjoyed the kata...for the first 15-20 seconds anyway. You lost me when you went to one handed, swing the bo around, techniques.

Sorry, the bo is a two handed waepon. It has no practical usage as a one handed weapon IMO. The two handed techniques were good though...concentrate on those. Forget the flash.

I tend to agree with this as well. However, if this is how the kata is taught, it's not the fault of the student. As long as it's done with control, balance, focus, and spirit, you can't really fault him for it.

[bushido_man96]

Congrats on getting second at the tourney. Well done!

[Stlthofnight]

Thanks guys. As for the one handed techniques, I'm not entirely sure why we have them in there, other than it does make for excellent conditioning!