I always take the opportunity to recommend “The Way of Kata” by Kris Wilder to all who are Kata keen. The book will give you some great keys to discovery about Kata.

It was in this volume that one of the “keys” mentioned by Wilder, “Every movement in the Kata has martial application”, really caused me to re-think about certain Kata.

Now, in the formal Style that I favor, there exists a series of opening movements in a Kata, that have been for generations, and among some of the most highly acclaimed style adepts, considered just a formality.

That this could not be so, should have entered into their understanding, as the identical movements are duplicated in the ‘middle’ of another Kata, however they are also interrupted by a turn to the right between the two actions, greatly disguising the application.

Then one day after reading Wilder’s book, I chanced upon a very old video presentation of a Kata demonstration, that took place on the anniversary, of the death of the founder of the same style of subject.

It was very good to see these older practitioners do their Kata, and the tape was entirely, one after another. of the Okinawan adepts displaying Kata.

Then, about half way through the video, one of the participants engaged in a very unusual behavior before his Kata demonstration. I have never seen the likes of it, before, or since.

He came out onto the platform, and bowed. Then, he just stood there for a moment. Suddenly, he began to move around on top of the platform in a very unusual manner. At first I thought he must have been intoxicated very heavily from the ceremonial celebration.

But then, I realized that he was not drunk at all, but was pantomiming what his adversary would be experiencing, if the applications of the techniques from the Kata that he was about to demonstrate, were used on him.

I had to replay that tape about ten times. My intuition was signaling me that something noteworthy was going on here, and I had to discern just exactly what it was.

After a somewhat long time of going through all the actions, as if he were being hit and kicked by the Kata’s techniques from various angles, he suddenly stopped.

He stood right at the place on the platform where he had bowed. He paused, stood erect, bowed again, and then exhibited a near flawless rendition of the Kata.

When he finished his performance, he bowed a third time, and gracefully walked from the platform!

I was absolutely enthralled by the whole exhibition. I watched the tape over, and over, again.

What I was seeing, was a Karate adept displaying the applications he had discovered in the Kata, by way of pantomiming their effect on an opponent! Then displaying the Kata!

It was unusual, it was poetic, and artistic license: but what’s more, I began to see that it was a disclosure of a Kata training aide, whereby one might actually discern techniques in a Kata.

I decided to run with it.

I went into the training area and performed the first Kata of my style, focusing on the supposed opening sequence that had been assumed a formality. I did the sequence a few times, and then “stood across from myself”, so to speak, and began to pantomime the effect, that this seemingly innocuous series would have on an opponent.

I was flabbergasted at the crippling potential I discovered.

I then decided to try the same experiment with the same series the techniques as they are found in another of the style’s Katas. However, I removed the “embusen” turn, and as the second Kata displays three ‘follow through’ moves I added those.

This time I was not only flabbergasted, but frightened as well. I had uncovered a very seriously crippling application; which, being applied with moderate strength would be agonizingly lethal.

I experienced some acute physical discomfort of the spine in the lower back, and a very frightening neck discomfort that lasted for a few days, just from pantomiming the contortions that an opponent would experience, if the sequence were used against him.

For the next few days, just the thought of what one would suffer, if those techniques were applied in earnest, and with force, sent chills up my spine.

It seems that Mr. Wilder was spot on, in his assessment that every movement in a Kata has martial application. I never dreamed, in my wildest flight of imagination, that the seemingly innocent, and formal appearing opening sequence, of my styles first Kata was actually a spinal attack executed from the front!

The vertical elbow attack, and palm heel strike to the chin, that are the follow through to the sequence, and found in the second Kata, make the entire attack upon the opponents spine, “from the front”; and, from the lower back, to, and including, the neck, the most ingenious technique that one could discover. And the most dangerous!

I suggest that you try this exercise, of pantomiming your opponents uncontrollable responses, as you exercise techniques from your Katas.

It will certainly give you some very respectful and keen insight.

CAUTION should be taken, to use this method slowly, and “easy does it”, as you will be unaware of the potential devastation until it is disclosed. Technique A. may be one thing, and technique B. may be something else, while technique C. might be another thing again altogether. But ABC might put you through some very unexpected, and startling changes! GO SLOW and EASY!

Very, very familiar. Good post.

I don't want to go on too much… but… I was a younger man then and I overheard a fella ask Mr. Oyata (I paraphrase from a distant memory)…

Fella: “I heard you quit smoking, cold turkey. How did you do it?”
Mr. Oyata: (in accented English) “I quit.”
Fella: “Yes Sir, but how did you just quit so suddenly.”
Mr. Oyata: “I quit. When you quit something, quit it. I quit.”

That was my first real, live internal arts lesson. I imagine (to go back to topic) he applies such Real practicality to each of his forms.

Great blog!