 The demands of Kata competition have caused kata to evolve in ways opposed to the traditional criteria. For example is to look at the modern way of performing Nijushiho/Niseishi and compare it with the older version; the modern way features two high side kicks which are visually very impressive and technically difficult to perform properly; the older version simply lifts the leg, so blocking with the shin, or deflecting an attack. Part 3 by Harry Cook The demands of kata competition have caused kata to evolve in ways opposed to the traditional criteria. For example is to look at the modern way of performing Nijushiho/Niseishi and compare it with the older version; the modern way features two high side kicks which are visually very impressive and technically difficult to perform properly; the older version simply lifts the leg, so blocking with the shin, or deflecting an attack. The subsequent punching attacks only really make sense in the older version, as the side kicks of the modern version would have stopped any attacker who was trying to move close in. In many ways modern kata competitions are more like gymnastic displays than martial arts: the kata are performed purely for the visual effect of the movements and so meaningless long pauses and exotic hand movements are introduced to impress the judges, and the breathing is over-done to give an effect of power.
The growth of competition karate and the emphasis on training for sport has seriously distorted the traditional view of kata training to the point where very senior practitioners of many systems now actually regard practising the application of kata techniques as somehow deleterious to the study of true karate; as if learning how to actually apply the techniques contained in the kata somehow weakens or distorts the actual kata themselves. Many very senior practitioners of karate seem unclear as to the role and function of kata in karate, and although they all say that kata is important there does not seem to be any agreement why they are important. Shotokan instructor Toyotaro Miyazaki explains that to really understand kata you have to be aware of the historical and social context that influenced the development of the techniques. He explains that some techniques were intended to be used in the dark ‘In some movements we go to the floor and look up; it is really to look up at the sky and see your opponent’s shadow. If people just go down on the floor, they don’t know, thus they don’t imagine. They just go down to the floor.’ [i]
Hirokazu Kanazawa explains that part of the problem that some Shotokan instructors have with the concept of bunkai comes about because ‘when Funakoshi Sensei was teaching these kata, he did so with high school students in mind. I think he wanted to teach the kata more like physical education: so for this reason, the way of doing the kata was kept simple.’ Clearly training intended for adolescents cannot approach the levels of understanding required by more mature and experienced karate-ka. Kanazawa explains that ‘bunkai is very important for understanding kata. At kyu grade level we teach some parts from kata, but it is not very complicated. The idea is to get students to look into the kata and see what they are doing. If they just practise the cold movement from the kata, then the feeling will not be right.
Also, black belt students should try to find their own bunkai. They should not wait to be shown everything; they should find out things for themselves...this means that they have to train in their kata many, many times in order to discover meanings. In the end, the kata comes up from inside them. When this happens they will have very good kata.’ The point of practising bunkai, according to Kanazawa, is to absorb the principles inherent in the kata. He explains that bunkai ‘should not only be the exact movements. It should also be the principles, the idea...in Shotokan we see the exact movements being done, but I think this is not quite bunkai. If you do it this way, it is unnatural.’ [ii]
Andy Sherry 7th dan JKA was asked to comment on the relationship of kata and bunkai to self defence. He said ‘I regard kata as a very important aspect of karate. It’s a formalised training method which helps to develop the application of powerful techniques in every conceivable position and direction. What the techniques mean and the ability to apply them are however two very different things. Once a student has acquired a certain level of competence most of the kata movements are self explanatory, and those that are more obscure are understood almost immediately once one is shown them. Once movements have been learned totally different factors are needed to apply them such as timing, distance, reactions, agility, attitudes etc. These are the principles which are developed in kumite. I think that the well trained, powerful, agile and spirited kumite competitors are the ones most likely to be able to defend themselves and this cannot be done by bunkai alone.’ [iii] Andy Sherry’s expression ‘most of the kata movements are self explanatory’ tends to mean in practice that they are interpreted as if one were defending against an opponent attacking with karate techniques at long or middle range. In real terms this almost always means that developing skills in close in striking techniques, grappling and ground fighting are ignored, which could be dangerous if an opponent closes in.
A highly skilled Shotokan instructor and international competitor Ronnie Christopher said that some senior instructors don’t teach bunkai as they ‘simply don’t see it as being that important a part of karate and would rather develop good quality basic technique in their students’. He goes on to say ‘We can all take kata apart. We can all work out bunkai, or we can ask Mr. Enoeda or other senior instructors - but how good is your karate? Just because you can remember movements, does this mean that you’re a very good karate-ka, that your movements would be practical outside and you’d be able to defend yourself? I don’t think so. The only way you can reach such a position is by practising your basics whole-heartedly. [iv] This is certainly not the view of Shotokan master Teruyuki Okazaki who wrote in 1963 that understanding the meaning of the techniques in kata was of great importance because ‘Once knowing ‘why,’ you will find that your performance of the kata will have ‘depth.’ This is because you now have reason, or purpose. This purpose is most important.’ [v] Without this understanding Okazaki believes that the kata will ‘lack a certain “something”.’
Mr. Sherry’s and Mr. Christopher’s instructor Keinosuke Enoeda echoes Okazaki’s comments. He explains ‘It is very important that the student understand the application of technique. Many times students do not understand kata. They cannot see the meaning of the movement. They see slow, broad movement. They may think kata has no purpose. Application shows them the purpose.’ [vi] A traditionalist could reverse Mr. Christopher’s approach and say “simply because you can score a few points against another karate-ka in a mock fight under rules which forbid attacks to the weak points of the body, ignores close in strikes and grappling, and discourages heavy contact, does this mean that you’re a very good karate-ka, that your movements would be practical outside and you’d be able to defend yourself? I don’t think so. The only way you can reach such a position is by practising effective techniques aimed at the weak points of an opponent at all ranges, including fighting on the ground.” Ironically a traditionalist would answer Mr. Christopher’s question “how good is your karate?” by demonstrations of kata and bunkai.
Practitioners of Fukien White Crane boxing as well as followers of Okinawan karate, especially Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu, believe that the essence of the art could be seen in the practise of Sanchin kata. Students of Fukien White Crane have a motto which states that if you want to see authentic White Crane you must see Sanchin. Many modern practitioners would answer Mr. Christopher’s question by looking at the tournament record of the individual concerned; the more competitions won, then clearly the better the karate. If Mr. Christopher is correct and self defence skills can be acquired by practising basic techniques then the question needs to be asked: what is the function of kata in modern karate? Obviously one use of kata is seen in karate competitions where they are performed as a kind of floor gymnastics, and points are awarded for the performance. Some instructors use kata as conditioning drills to improve stamina, strength and flexibility, so in that sense kata are possibly useful as adjuncts to free fighting, an approach diametrically opposed to Gichin Funakoshi and Chojun Miyagi’s teachings.
When Okinawan methods of karate were taken to Japan in the 1920s and 1930s and taught in the universities they were very rapidly brought into line with the teaching methodology used in Judo and kendo, and a highly energetic athletic version of karate was developed which in time evolved into the tournament format seen today. The older Okinawan methods of teaching were abandoned in favour of drilling in large groups and one casualty was the transmission of bunkai. Hironori Ohtsuka, the founder of Wado Ryu karate-do was a student of Gichin Funakoshi, Kenwa Mabuni and Chokki Motobu. It is said that he felt the need to introduce sparring methods into his training as he felt that the simple repetition of basics and thin air kata training stressed by Gichin Funakoshi was not enough to develop fighting skills. He found part of his inspiration in the methods of the classical Japanese sword schools. He created a series of two man sparring drills which taught not only the techniques of his style, but also exemplified the underlying principles, so in a sense the real kata of Wado Ryu are the ten kihon-kumite drills, although of course Wado Ryu stylists also practise a range of kata drawn from traditional Okinawan karate.
According to Chomo Hanashiro’s student Hiroshi Kinjo, [born in Shuri, Okinawa in 1919], most modern karate ‘experts’ have little or no understanding of the real nature of traditional karate: their expertise centres only on the “rule-bound competitive phenomenon” of sport karate. He believes that “ever since Karate was introduced to the mainland [of Japan] kata have become stylised by the so-called traditions to which they belong...standardised for competitive purposes, too much emphasis is place upon symmetry and performance, rather than understanding of application.” Kinjo observed that while the concept of the “one strike one kill” is perfectly valid when applied to the Japanese sword, the adoption of this concept to karate has led to a profound misunderstanding of the realities of a “personal confrontation without weapons when actually seized by an opponent. More often than not, in an effort to subjugate an attacker, a defender must impact a subordinate target in order to set up a more anatomically vulnerable zone to traumatise, before dragging that person to the ground, or, conversely being dragged to the ground. Joint locks, strangulations, grappling, biting and eye gouging are also considerations not addressed in kumite but represent the issues upon which kata are based...kumite is not representative of kata, hence it is not Karate, but rather a sophisticated game of tag where the best trained athletes remain dominant.” [vii]
If we look at Shotokan we can see that the stress is laid on developing precise kihon [basics], which in turn leads on to sparring training. In reality the practise of kata was stressed only as a variant of kihon, and the practical applications of the techniques were largely abandoned. During a class I attended in 1996 given by Dave Hooper, a member of the JKA and a student of Osaka sensei, it was explained by Mr. Hooper that his teacher had told him that on the JKA instructors course it was often the case that an ‘advanced’ kata class would revert to performing the basic Heian kata in order to perfect a point in technique. Obviously the study of body mechanics had replaced the traditional approach of actually learning to apply the techniques: this is the reason why some senior Shotokan instructors are on record as saying that there is no such thing as ‘advanced’ kata. From their perspective they are correct, as the most ‘basic’ kata will develop the same body mechanics as the most ‘advanced’ form, and if applications are irrelevant one group of movements are as good as the next. Of course we should then ask why they need to train in anything more than the basic five Heian kata if the aim of kata training is only to develop good form.
However not all Shotokan instructors think this way. Sensei Tetsuhiko Asai, a senior JKA instructor warns that because of the value placed on competition and sport the traditional values are at risk. He warns us that ‘What can be noticed about different competitions is that the kata tests have become gymnastic tests. Obviously because the karate-ka are worried less about understanding the meaning of their movements and because they are too attached to aesthetic values.’ [viii] Actually if it is true, as Mr. Christopher and others assert, that some instructors do not want to waste time practising kata applications, but would rather spend time developing good basics why don’t they approach training for competition sparring in the same way? Instead of spending time practising sparring methods with a partner why not spend the time developing good basic techniques? The answer is obvious; sparring in all of its variations is a good way of improving fighting skills, and so is bunkai. Traditionally practising bunkai was the way to develop not only good quality basic techniques, but is also the method to integrate a wide range of effective and practical techniques in a unified whole. Those instructors who fail to teach bunkai may in fact be doing their students a disservice, and the type of karate they develop may be perfectly suited to tournament conditions, but could be woefully inadequate when faced with the real thing.
If bunkai is ignored then why do kata? Without the bunkai there is nothing in kata that cannot be developed equally well by kihon or kumite. Kihon training will develop basic techniques and sparring training will develop the ability to fight in a tournament. Actually this is the position that many modern karate-ka have arrived at. Kata were not intended to teach one karate-ka how to fight another karate-ka, and those who say that kata do not improve a karate-ka’s ability as a competition fighter are correct, but to then conclude that kata are a waste of time is a non sequitur. It is like saying a racehorse is useless because it cannot pull a plough very well, or a ploughhorse is useless because it cannot win a race. Skill in traditional karate and tournament success are not synonymous, and the aim of traditional karate is not to win a trophy, but is to give the practitioner a fighting chance if attacked for real.
[i] Karate Illustrated magazine Vol. 14 # 10 Oct. 1983 p 24
[ii] Budo dojo magazine Winter 1995 p 61-62
[iii] Traditional Karate magazine Vol. 4 # 6 Feb. 1991 pp 9-10
[iv] Fighting Arts International # 77 p 12
[v] Strength and Health magazine Sept. 1963 p 36
[vi] Kick Illustrated magazine March 1983 Vol. 4 # 3 p 20
[vii] Irish Fighter Vol. 6 # 4 p 36
[viii] Fighting Arts International magazine # 69 pp 33-38
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