Ever tried to do empty hand kata using weapons?

[Sauzin]

I couldn't agree more with Jussi Häkkinen. While using weapons with empty hand kata may seem to bring to light new applications, truth be told, little of it will yeild practical weapon application with the weapon. Simply put, weapons change the dynamics. There are many things specific to each weapon that must be a certain way. Simply putting a weapon in your hand while doing an empty handed kata will not show you these specific refinements. Even if you know these specifics, to apply them to an empty hand kata you would need to change it to the point of being nearly unrecognizable. Even then the technique could probably be done better without trying to conform to an empty handed kata pattern in the first place.

 

Now there are defiantly some commonalities between empty hand and weapon techniques, but to be practiced with practical application in mind, the two must remain distinctly separate.

[tommarker]

I am a bit torn on this. Bear with me while I babble!

 

I practise this somewhat. I've gone through most of the Pinan/Heian/Pyung Ahns with the sai. I really like Bassai Dai with the sai, and it's as close as I can come to doing kusanku no sai without knowing kusanku (which is a 3rd dan form in my art.) I have learned a lot about the sai in this manner, and have sought advice on how to use the sai and adapt my empty handed forms to use them accordingly from experienced isshin-ryu practitioners. They have approved of my experiments and liked some of my interpretations, even though I've come up with some things that are a little outlandish.

 

However, I would never consider myself to be a master of Saijutsu. Am I on the right path? I think so.

 

Is my path filled with more potential sidetracks, pitfalls, and dead ends than someone who has the luxury of learning the traditional way? Probably.

 

Practical application? With antiquated agrarian tools? I'd prefer a 12 gauge and a bowie knife

 

In some respects, I may have some sort of advantage for coming up with a practical method compared to someone who is indoctrinated with a method of "how people attack each other with weapons." Maybe not

 

A lot of people are out there, learning things the hard way, and putting the pieces of the puzzle together in a completely different way. Is it traditional? No. Heck no.

 

Is it invalid? I don't agree completely. Sure, there are some things being produced in this way that are completely wrong, or miss the point. But, this can be said of the way the traditional arts are taught too.

 

What Sauzin and Jussi are saying though are very true and must be kept in mind. Otherwise, you really are just doing a fun little dance with the weapon. If you understand that, then it's fine. Just don't fool yourself into thinking you "know" the weapon

[parkerlineage]

I don't know if I should even be posting here, you all seem to at least have some knowledge of one another's forms. However, I often experiment within my own system using my sai and kamas.

 

I agree with the fact that it helps to understand the reason for certain strikes within the kata and also may prompt you to develop your own ideas on how you would respond to situations and perhaps put you in new situations you would not normally consider.

 

Just my three cents.