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Kata embodies the principles of movement. It is best to begin concieving of a sphere of energy which orginates in the body center. For me it originates in the center, but comes up about as high as my chest.
I had a male and a female karate instructor, I actually trained longer with the female instructor. She was poetry in motion, her kata had a precision I had rarely seen. And to spar with her, not that we had the skills to try, but she attacked quickly and hitting her back was like striking at a candle flame, she moved to fast, too fluidly to counter.
She once went to a hard ass kung fu club where the old boys thought they would have a go. The teacher put an armlock on her and asked what she would do. She responded by throwing him 180 degrees in a big arc, he ended up rolling into the wall in a pile. They shut up after that, and she never returned to "Sifu" whatshisname.
Each kata is a complete self defense system. In the old days, you would only train one kata over a 2-4 year period, usually about 3. Hidden in the kata there are dozens of movements. Each kata includes counters to punches, kicks, ground attacks.
Don't be discouraged about kata, and don't listen to young firebrands who think they no longer need these basics. They watch a few videos, take a little Muay Thai, a little Judo and little this a little that.
One strike is all that is needed to end a fight. With timing and precision, that strike can be delivered. Without these qualities, even great strength and breadth of techniques are worthless.
Be persistant, kata training will take you to places you never imagined. The masters who perfected them were in a state of samadhi, or moving meditation, when they were conceived. By working with that lineage, the same state will occur for you when, and here is the catch, when you find your center. Its a lifetime study.
I had a male and a female karate instructor, I actually trained longer with the female instructor. She was poetry in motion, her kata had a precision I had rarely seen. And to spar with her, not that we had the skills to try, but she attacked quickly and hitting her back was like striking at a candle flame, she moved to fast, too fluidly to counter.
She once went to a hard ass kung fu club where the old boys thought they would have a go. The teacher put an armlock on her and asked what she would do. She responded by throwing him 180 degrees in a big arc, he ended up rolling into the wall in a pile. They shut up after that, and she never returned to "Sifu" whatshisname.
Each kata is a complete self defense system. In the old days, you would only train one kata over a 2-4 year period, usually about 3. Hidden in the kata there are dozens of movements. Each kata includes counters to punches, kicks, ground attacks.
Don't be discouraged about kata, and don't listen to young firebrands who think they no longer need these basics. They watch a few videos, take a little Muay Thai, a little Judo and little this a little that.
One strike is all that is needed to end a fight. With timing and precision, that strike can be delivered. Without these qualities, even great strength and breadth of techniques are worthless.
Be persistant, kata training will take you to places you never imagined. The masters who perfected them were in a state of samadhi, or moving meditation, when they were conceived. By working with that lineage, the same state will occur for you when, and here is the catch, when you find your center. Its a lifetime study.
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