Literal Kata!!

[sensei8]

Have you ever seen a Kata where each and every movement within said Kata is literal?

[MasterPain]

My friend made a form for his beginners that included all the basic strikes and blocks, throws and controls that he wanted them to know at a white belt level. All quite literal and based off his 2 person drills.

[sojobo]

Yes!!

All kata IS literal - in terms of movement - that's what makes it kata.

To go beyond the "Omote" takes training and understanding of the broader art - and that's where a good sensei comes in.

But at its "Omote" level - all kata IS literal.

Sojobo

[Sokusen]

Maybe literal isn't the right word? Do you mean "plainly obvious what each movement is meant to do"? If so have you ever seen a Uechi kata? Short and sweet. As for a surface evaluation there isn't much artistic interpretation needed.

[Ueshirokarate]

As far as I know, all kata (at least in the system in which I train) is literal. Each and every move has an application and should be practiced as literally as possible in one's mind and body. Kata is the single most important part of Matsubayashi karate.

[DWx]

(this could turn into another semantics debate ), but what do you mean by "literal"?

Not Karate, but the ITF TKD forms are supposed to be literal. All the applications are exactly what they are. We just don't have a concept of bunkai and the patterns are really just a catalogue of techniques. But, since they're in part derived from the Shotokan kata, there are individuals and schools who have tried to make them more than "literal". But that's a whole nother topic.

[bushido_man96]

Maybe literal isn't the right word? Do you mean "plainly obvious what each movement is meant to do"? If so have you ever seen a Uechi kata? Short and sweet. As for a surface evaluation there isn't much artistic interpretation needed.

Good question, I was wondering if this is what you mean, as well, Bob.

Not Karate, but the ITF TKD forms are supposed to be literal. All the applications are exactly what they are. We just don't have a concept of bunkai and the patterns are really just a catalogue of techniques. But, since they're in part derived from the Shotokan kata, there are individuals and schools who have tried to make them more than "literal". But that's a whole nother topic.

I'm in the same boat as Danielle, here. However, from my readings and the like, I've seen some other possibilities in some of the moves in the forms. I have always fealt that the ATA forms flowed fairly well as being "literal." The moves are put together into combinations for the most part, and there are no bunkai style applications to the ATA form set.

[brickshooter]

Have you ever seen a Kata where each and every movement within said Kata is literal?

Literal as in only a single meaning for each step?

I think that just about every martial arts starts out teaching it this way. Cuts down the confusion and allows students to focus on developing basic muscle memory.

[Liver Punch]

My friend made a form for his beginners that included all the basic strikes and blocks, throws and controls that he wanted them to know at a white belt level.

You don't have any friends.

And, my take on Kata, has been that perhaps at one point, all the movements were based on something that was used in that exact fashion in combat...but if I, personally, ever executed most of the motions the way they are in a kata, I'd be promptly beat up, killed, and stuffed in a shallow grave.

As far as interpreting kata literally - as in, applying them to what you do today- I think you've got to find out what that specific kata was made to do, and who it was made for. If there were a kata made for huge white guys to defend themselves in a street fight or bar...I imagine it wouldn't look like most others.

[MasterPain]

You don't have any friends.

Says someone who wants me in his wedding.

PM me details on that, by the way.