Some instructors view kata as strictly for self defense purposes. They argue that true kata wasn’t meant for competition, considering it a misguided and useless goal, holding that only those who discover and practice the “original” bunkai of the kata can call themselves true students of the art.
Others see things quite differently, choosing to offer their students the option of competing against others in an open arena. They may require even those with no desire to compete to perform their kata up to a competitive standard for promotion, seeing great intrinsic value in the mental and spiritual qualities their students gain through this type of very disciplined approach. These qualities include precision, perseverance, and self control, which can better arm their students against negative peer pressure and unhealthy lifestyles.
I don’t see these two – bunkai versus competition – as mutually exclusive, as some seem to do. I teach both to my students, offering them the great benefits of each.
For me, kata reveals a karateka’s degree of mastery over him/herself – physically, mentally, and spiritually. Physical mastery is seen in the power, explosiveness, extension, and precision of their techniques; their stamina, the lowness of their stances; and so on. Mental mastery is seen in their focus, continuity, and attention to detail. And spiritual mastery is seen in the intensity of their actions, the fire in their eyes, their zanshin or readiness to continue fighting at the end of a long, tiring kata, and so on.
When a new black belt student transfers to my dojo, one of the first things I’ll do is run everyone in the class – including him or her – through kata. I start with Heian Shodan and go right up the list to as high as the new black belt claims to know or should know for his/her rank. I don’t set it up as a test, just everyone practicing kata so the newcomer will execute his kata naturally. I try not to let him/her know I’m watching, as this will likely make them either nervous or try too hard. But I’ll check their performance closely in the mirror. At the end, I’ll have a pretty good idea of what should be their true rank. Sometimes, they should probably be ranked higher than they are. I’ll make a mental note to test them in the near future for advancement. In others, they should probably be ranked lower and I’ll try to get them up to level as quickly as possible. (If they come from a school where they practice primarily bunkai based kata, their understanding of the self defense implications of each action will be clearly demonstrated in how they execute them and reveal their approximate rank.)
Hanshi Anderson claimed that ones knowledge of the kata within his or her system became their credentials – their proof of rank.
To rise to the top, kata competitors have to develop extremely well conditioned and toned bodies – much like a gymnast. We discussed this a bit in my last post. But they also must possess (or develop) the ability to focus an extremely high degree of attention to the most minute of details – like a ballet dancer. And on top of all this, they must also master the kata and the kihon utilized within it.
There are specific things a competitor can do to raise their kata to a higher, competitive level. I’ll begin a look at some of these in my next post.
Just my 2 cents.
Again, thanks for your continued support and for reading my humble ramblings.
I like it! =)
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