Peter Urban wrote in The Karate Dojo. “Katas are the distilled, concentrated, wisdom, understanding and experience of hundreds of great Karate Masters, translated into a language of rhythmical movement, breathing and peak awareness. When one begins to understand them, one glimpses a new world of internal riches.”
I have wondered how many who have read this statement ever took to time to consider if they understand what it is saying. “Distilled, concentration, wisdom, understanding and experience. . . .” How can all of this be hidden in a few cuts or punching and kicking movements? To find the answer one must first understand the “Content and Process” of a kata.
Some Sensei’s stress that kata is a tool for training in preparation for a real life encounter. Other Sensei’s lead the students to believe that all kata should, above all else, look esthetically pleasing to the eye regardless of the legitimacy or understanding of the movements. These instructors will even base their promotional process on the fact that the student can walk through or in other words give a good athletic performance of a particular kata without making a mistake, end at the same spot as they began and if in fact the student performing the kata has won a kata competition, the Sensei feels even more justified in promoting the student. The teacher will promote the student even if the teacher knows for a fact that the student could never use the Kata’s movements in a legitimate self-defense scenario. I have witnessed students, who without question, certainly lack the speed and power necessary to neutralize an attack, easily pass a test because they had a good memory and therefore were able to perform the kata without forgetting any of the movements. On the other hand I have witnessed students fail a test simply because they did not end at the same spot where they began their kata, a modern requirement for kata performance.
While we must always strive for perfection in our movements, we must also look at all aspects of the kata. What is the kata being used for? What importance do we place on the practice of kata? Does the kata teach a student everything they need to know about defending a true life encounter? Is the importance of returning to the circle strong enough to fail a student, when a true life encounter would seldom if ever return to the same spot? Until we ask ourselves these questions and many more, it becomes difficult for us to tell a student why they have failed a test when a fellow student, who the failing student can easily out maneuver, has passed. We must above all else have a definitive answer as to what we wish to accomplish through the establishment of clearly defined goals.
The following is an exert from the book "Unante, The Secrets of Karate" written by Sensei John Sells. "To summarize, a kata is both performed and experienced. It is not good enough simply to have a "pretty" kata. Karate is, above all, a martial art. The "martial" must be manifested in kata. Power should be exuded, focused and unleashed in burst of quick, yet manifestly potent techniques. If kata is karate, then it cannot be lacking any of the characteristics that make karate work. Kata is not a separate form of karate, but an integrated training drill, as well as an expression of skill." The above statement stresses not only my thoughts on kata, but the thoughts of numerous other martial artist who train specifically for real life encounters as opposed to the performance of "pretty" kata.