The Three Levels Of Kata Technqiues

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SOLID POSTS - by everyone. IMO Forms/Sets/Kata - while applications are important - the break downs etc.....The forms should also teach and develop certain attributes - The 1st form taught in the style of praying mantis that I teach is called Som Bui Jian - This Set teaches 3 basic concepts 1st- The Body Structure 2nd - The Power(s)/Energy 3rd - The Breath. The next step in the process is to take apart the set - each motion 1 by 1. The next step is a step by step developmental until the breakdowns/motions of the set/form are pressure tested - at the advanced level. That means the blows should be at hitting range not an inch or 2 inches off the target - extreme caution must be exhibited in this faze of the training - a trust between the students must exist. At the last second if someone makes a mistake - like missing the blow - the partner should be able to make a quick adjustment - especially if its a head blow. My teacher looked at it like a 12 inch ruler - zero is the very beginning - 12 is a real fight. Student's progress up the ruler 1 inch then 2 inches and so on - you try to get as close to the 12 inches as possible without badly hurting each other. So far no one's been badly hurt in training