Now that autumn is upon us and the farm (or what is left of it) is taking less of my attention and energy it is time to engage in other endeavors. Writing about martial arts is one of them. I think naps are second on the list.
I have heard many contemporary martial artists complain about kata and that it is such a waste of time to practice these useless techniques in a sequence that no one will ever attack you with. They obviously do not understand the importance or function of kata and with some of the traditional bunkai I must agree they are worthless.
I teach jujutsu. I research the techniques in however a limited way that I may but it is usually on the mat and pain is involved. I have studied other martial arts. Some, like Shotokan, stress the use of kata as a training medium and others do not use kata at all, such as Haganah. I must clarify that I am talking about the formal exercises that contain from 20 to 65 techniques in a set pattern.
The Heian kata, as I understand the history, were developed around the early 1900's as elements of "the school children's art". This is what was presented in the school systems to prepare the youth physically for military service without hurting each other in schoolyard fights. It was designed to fail, the real bunkai was never presented. Other kata have been around for many years and come from various sources such as China and Okinawa. I have recently read a book by Dr. Bruce Clayton concerning these kata and the historical linage of their development. God bless this man because he states in the book that the majority of the "karate Kata" techniques are actually jujutsu techniques. I could not possibly agree more.
When I began training in the martial arts in 1967 we were taught Heian Shodan almost immediately and our training consisted of kihon (basics), kata (forms), and kumite (free sparring). The training was brutal and typical Shotokan. The how was presented very well. The why was lacking. The bunkai (technical interpretation or the application of techniques) was the same old interpretation. This is a down block, this is a front punch, don't ask questions. Practice until you understand. Now that has some value because it forces you to think on your own if you will but don't stray from what the sensei says. That is a blaspheme and is forbidden.
Well I had studied Shotokan for about sixteen years when I walked into a jujutsu school. I squared my shoulders and stated: "I have a black belt in Shotokan. You make me pat out!" They did. But as we learned the basic and intermediate techniques the moves seemed familiar. I could not place my finger on what or why at the time but it was there. The more I studied jujutsu the more I learned about karate. I did not realize it then but there is a symbiotic relationship that I have been searching for since. (Watch the trailer on my website. That explains my quest for truth in the martial arts quite bluntly.)
For years I tried to get the jujutsu to support the karate techniques but it would just not fit. I had it backwards. The karate supports the jujutsu! Punching and kicking are rarely decisive. Joint locks, throws and strangulations are, if done correctly, always decisive. The problem comes if I attempt to do a joint lock, throw or strangulation without setting my opponent up first. That is where the punching and kicking comes into play.
Now how does this relate to the kata? That punch is not necessarily a punch. Where is that kick actually going in relation to your previous or next technique? For a moment please contemplate the kata as being a catalog of techniques and an encyclopedia of pressure points and striking angles. There is a code to the kata and if you crack the code the techniques make sense and are very devastating. This is where Dr. Clayton's book has relevance as to the historical roots of the kata.
It does not matter if my explanation of the kata aligns exactly with that of the founder's explanation. It is my practice and it must be relevant to me and the application and validity must fit today's situations.
Let us examine Heian Shodan. This is the first "normal" kata taught after learning the Taikyoku (first cause) kata. It contains twenty-two movements and takes about one minute to complete though I have seen it done in fifteen seconds. Trust me that is too fast to visualize your opponents and to examine and learn the vital points and angles that the points must be struck.
Movement 1: Yoi or ready position. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Fists are held in front of the thighs about six inches. I have seen and I do myself, cross my wrists and pull them into the yoi position. Is there a combat technique there? Yes. Imagine your opponent poking you in the chest and counseling you for some egregious error on your part. Assume Skippy is poking you with his right hand. Reach up with your right hand and grasp his forefinger with all four of your fingers and supported with your thumb as if making a fist. Now go into the yoi position. If you do this with a friend do it slowly and allow your partner to do down. They will. And they will be in a position that you can punch TW 17 or GB 3 with your left hand. Oops. Knockout!!
On the command "Hajime" or begin, look to your left, turn to your left, step forward with your left foot. Do the set position with your right arm pointing down at a 45-degree angle and your left fist covering your right ear. Traditional bunkai says you are being attacked with a mid level kick and you are doing a downward block and a lunge punch. [Timmy was convinced that this would work so I attacked him with a mid level kick. He did the block and started to step forward with the lunge punch and ran right into my fist that flattened his nose!]
Skippy is not attacking from your left side. It means he is punching at your face with his right hand and he is directly in front of you!
[Movement 2] As he punches, your left hand deflects the fist to your right side. At the same time your right fist drives into his floating ribs downward at the forty-five degree angle. Your target is the tip of the 11th rib (Liver 13). Then your right hand comes back to check the opponent's punching arm. Grasp him at his wrist as close to the joint of the hand and the wrist as possible. Squeeze and pull [Heart 6/ Lung 8]. Pull him into your "downward block" as you again attack the floating ribs at as close to the same spot as you punched as possible.
[Movement 3] The next move is a lunge punch to the midsection of your opponent. Now if you have done the two strikes on the same point your opponent will be doubling over because there is not much to support the floating ribs. Step forward with your punch but use your right forearm to strike the Sternocleoidmastoid muscle (LI 18). At the same time use your right leg to sweep the opponent's legs out from under him. (In judo this is o-soto gari. Most jujutsu folks know this as Mountain Storm or Yama Arashi) Oops! Knockout!
Now that Skippy is laying on the ground and most likely unable to get up you can now turn your back on him. It was watching this movement on the FIGHT TO SURVIVE website that prompted me to go train with them.
Movements 4,5, and 6
Also look for techniques in the transition moves but let's KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Skippy II is standing in front of you and reaches out and grabs your right wrist with his right hand. This will be one of about four techniques that can be done with this movement.
[Movement 4] This is normally called a downward block but let us just assume that you take a fighting stance instead of standing there like an idiot. After all this is about fighting, isn't it?
[Movement 5] Pull your right hand down and toward your left side. Bring it up in a large circle on your left side and come down with a "hammer fist". Traditional interpretation is that the attacker has grasped your right wrist with his left hand. The circle motion is an escape. The escape has some merit but the hammer fist to the chest is ridiculous and it does not address what your left hand is doing.
Skippy has grabbed your right wrist with his right hand. As you pull him toward you trap his right hand to your right wrist with your left hand. Complete the circle. It does not have to be a large circle to follow the line of the kata. As you bring your hammer fist down ensure that Skippy's arm is slightly bent so your small finger knuckle presses against the edge of Skippy's wrist at Heart 6. Done right Skippy will drop to his knees to escape the pain.
[Movement 6] Step forward with a middle level left hand lunge punch.
With Skippy on his knees a left middle level lunge punch will strike him in the temple (Gall Bladder 3). Oops, knock out!
This is but an example of what is in the kata. How many of the moves were jujutsu techniques? Essentially all of them can be classified as Jujutsu techniques. Jujutsu has punches and kicks and movement three of the kata is known generally as katsume dori. A strike there along with the punches to Liver 13 is a cross body meridian strike and can be really nasty and very effective. So as far as not being able to use the kata techniques in a fight, well I will just have to take that under advisement.
Train hard.
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