 There is a definite pattern; as the stress on application is lost, other criteria become important, and athleticism and showmanship replace the traditional values. We can see this in its most garish in the so-called ‘creative’ Kata, but the same tendency is there in those ‘traditionalists’ who refuse to have anything to do with bunkai. Ironically the need for the classical approach to kata has been pointed out by a number of individuals who would regard themselves as anything but traditional. Part 5 by Harry Cook There is a definite pattern; as the stress on application is lost, other criteria become important, and athleticism and showmanship replace the traditional values. We can see this in its most garish in the so-called ‘creative’ kata, but the same tendency is there in those ‘traditionalists’ who refuse to have anything to do with bunkai. Ironically the need for the classical approach to kata has been pointed out by a number of individuals who would regard themselves as anything but traditional. One commentator on the modern development of ‘no holds barred’ and ‘mixed-martial arts’ competitions has pointed out that ‘to be competitive today, a fighter has to know punching, kicking, takedowns, standing control, ground control, and submission holds.’ [i] It is precisely these kinds of techniques that kata were designed to preserve and teach. As sporting competition more closely approximates to the conditions found in actual combat, so the methods developed through bunkai training become more relevant.
Because of the importance of developing good technique and the large size of classes which makes drilling by numbers a relatively effective way of teaching, the practise of kata has tended to concentrate on developing the appearance of the movements; the external ‘form’ of the kata is now the main criteria of skill. This in turn has led to an over emphasis on form for its own sake, with little or no value being placed on content, or function. If one karate-ka performing Nijushi-ho/Niseishi aims a side kick to the knee, it will often be judged as inferior to a version which features a side kick to the head, even though in fact the lower kick will almost certainly be more effective in a real fight. Thus the practice of kata is often bogged down at what is essentially a beginner’s level, and even people with decades of experience may be training in the same way they did when the first joined a dojo. That is they are putting most of their energy into an approach that in most classical systems is intended mainly for beginners and low grades. It could be argued that to truly perform a kata in the classical mode you must train with a partner to give meaning to the techniques. There is no doubt that solo practice can result in some outstanding visual performances, but without understanding the possible applications of the techniques the result is superficial and ultimately sterile. This may be inevitable, especially as those who want to promote karate simply as a sport do not seem to be interested in the martial aspects, beyond mere lip service. I once invited a highly graded female karate-ka, who has won or placed in kata tournaments at European and World level, to come to my dojo to teach kata and application. She replied that she could teach the movements of the kata but not the applications, as she didn’t really know what they meant. After years of training in methods which are said to be the essence of her art, she understood little more than when she started training. This is not a criticism of the karate-ka involved; she simply reflects the historical fact that in some styles the kata are literally meaningless because they have lost the bunkai; a loss which is compounded by the fact that many senior instructors do not seem to care, and are content to allow the situation to continue unchanged.
The danger inherent in this approach is that if applications are not taught, or developed, then realistically there is no need to maintain the traditional form. If applications are not important why not lower an already deep stance into the full splits, or replace turning movements with back flips or barrel rolls? And why should we actually aim techniques at specific weak points of the human body? Why not simply select physically demanding movements that are valuable as exercise and eye catching in a competitive situation? The answer is obvious; as martial artists we should be interested in the practical effect of the movements we perform, and the context in which they are performed, and if we look at kata in the traditional way we can discover a very valuable source of techniques, and tactics.
In 1989 Fusajiro Takagi, then the Executive Director of the Japan Karate Federation, and Secretary General of WUKO, wrote in Karatedo Nippon Magazine Vol. 6 [1989] that karate was a modern sport and should not be considered a Japanese martial art. He accepted that if “there is a tradition that karate should preserve, then that must be kata”, but from the whole tone of this article, and others he has written, it is obvious that the idea of karate as a method of self defence is to be minimised, while the modern idea of a competitive sport, where athletes train to fight people doing the same techniques, is to be promoted. Jacques Delcourt, the President of WUKO said in an interview that the first objective of WUKO was to “be in the Olympics’ although paradoxically he also says that ‘We don’t want karate to, like Judo, be only a sport and die out. That means maintaining the [traditional] karate of Japan. We don’t want to go the way of modern [sport] karate...If we go into the modern karate, then in a few years, karate will go downhill.” [ii]
What Mr. Delcourt doesn’t seem to realise is that if he obtains Olympic recognition, then he is promoting the swing to sport karate as the Olympics is the premier sporting event in the world. Mr. Delcourt seems to be confused: if the aim is to retain tradition, then forget all about the Olympics, as it is the sporting approach that is eating away at the traditional ways. If the sporting arena is the path of the future, then traditional kata and bunkai, self defence etc. are not needed and should be abandoned. The aim should be to concentrate on scoring points in mock combat; replace the old kata with a set of prearranged gymnastic routines designed to display the athletic and gymnastic skills of the performers as has already occurred in Chinese Wu Shu, [iii] and then there will be an activity ripe for Olympic recognition.
For those interested in what could be called “Sport Budo” kata are largely irrelevant except as a kind of callisthenics or gymnastics. For those interested in a more traditional approach the lessons preserved in kata are a treasure from the past which should not be abandoned lightly. The lessons learned from sparring are the new treasures of today, and the knowledge gained from both sources should be valued in tandem, mutually enriching and expanding the fighting abilities of all martial artists.
[i] Black Belt magazine March 1999 Vol. 37 # 3 p 164
[ii] Black Belt magazine Sept. 1992
[iii] International Wushu Competition Routines trans. Xie Shoude Hai Feng Publishing Co., Ltd. 1989.
|
|
|
(0 vote)
