: Opinion

My Thoughts on Yelling Kata

Of the many formalities that come along with traditional martial arts, shouting kata names has to be one of the most noticeable.

The actual execution of the kata announcement varies wildly, from calm utterances to screams that cause nearby glass to shatter. Interestingly, the act of yelling a kata name is extremely old and almost universally practiced among traditionalists.

Lately I’ve been doing it less and less. I’d like to share some thoughts on when I think it’s appropriate, and when you might be able to forego it.

When To Shout It Out

There are a few realities in modern training that make kata announcement necessary. The first, and most obvious, is tournament play.

Judges can’t possibly know what form competitors will be attempting, so it’s prudent to give them a heads up. Of course, judges of different styles many never have heard of the form anyway, and even if they have their style might perform it differently. Nevertheless, it seems like fair courtesy to inform them.

But if you walk up to the judges and tell them the name of the kata, do you need to yell it again right before you start? By informing them of your name/style/kata, didn’t you negate the need for the big name-scream-dramatics?

I’ve always found the polite, informative introduction to be more prudent.

Another time kata yelling seems appropriate is in a big group setting. A teacher has to keep all pupils on the same page. When a student is first learning a kata, it is quite helpful to repeat the name in context over and over again. This repetition helps learn proper pronunciation as well as mental association of the name with the movements.

When I’m teaching, I’ll generally announce the kata and wait a moment for the students to repeat. We’ll all then begin together.

Declaring the kata name puts everyone’s focus on the kata. I can use the tone of my voice to indicate what level of intensity students should be expending. If I say the kata softly and calmly, they can infer that our intent is to go slowly and discuss things. If I say the kata forcefully, they will know that a high level of power is expected.

By saying the name of the kata, I can also transition from one form to the next without an extended explanation. In a dojo environment where there are multiple students, this seems like a reasonable practice.

Foregoing the Shout

When I train alone or via the older Okinawan methods of ‘independent togetherness’ I rarely announce kata because the intent and focus is much different.

When training a kata for depth, a severe amount of visualization must occur. The mind becomes like a taut string. Intensity has to be carefully balanced with control and purpose. This mixture of emotional content and physical expression is directed at the imaginary yet vivid opponent in front of you.

Shouting the name of kata in that environment is awkward and rips you from the moment, reminding you that you are practicing a form. If there were an opponent in front of you, you certainly would not begin your life protection by yelling kata at him/her.

You might argue that yelling the kata gets you amped up or puts you in the right frame of mind for combat, but I don’t think that is a good habit to rely upon. “Flipping the switch” into a mental state of readiness should occur quickly and silently; a subtle shift that causes the hair on the back of your opponent’s neck to stand on end.

There is also a bit of ego and showmanship that can slip in with kata yelling. It’s a moment that can be used to draw attention to oneself, even in a group setting. Therefore a student may become obsessed with yelling louder than anyone else. During individual performance, they could be worried about how tough and intimidating they want their shout to sound.

It’s all distracting, peripheral stuff that doesn’t relate to good performance of kata.

How to Shout

To me, the best kata announcement is serious but not obnoxious. Whenever I have someone screaming kata at me it makes me doubt their focus. Screaming is a result of uncontrolled anger and intensity. These aren’t the makings of a skilled martial artist.

On the other hand, meekness or lackadaisical tone gives me a clue that the practitioner is not yet in the right state of mind. What are they waiting for? I feel like the focus should be activated well before the kata name is spoken.

Final Thoughts

You won’t catch me lecturing people away from saying kata names before performance if they want to do it. In fact, I do it myself in certain situations. But at times it feels like it goes against the true nature and culture of Okinawan karate (my personal background). As such, I’ll be voicing my kata less and less….

Question: How to be a Good Martial Arts Teacher?

Remember 5 questions in 5 days? That seemed to go over well so I figured I would take some more questions.

This one is a doozy: “How does one learn to become a good teacher? Can lower ranking students teach?”

When considering this question I quickly realized that I couldn’t create a prescription for what makes a good teacher. There are far too many varied approaches that can work given the right personality and skillset. Nevertheless, I think I distilled some ideas that can help in recognizing the path of a “sensei” in the classical sense (that is to say, what a sensei was meant to be and what they can be in the modern world). Please enjoy:

I know this video is pretty extensive, so here is a breakdown of some of the main bullet points I touched upon for your notes and reference:

What a Good Teacher Isn’t

A Coach

• A coach is responsible for the physical performance and readiness of his athletes.

• Some modern instructors do fit that description, especially in the realm of MMA athletes and tournament competitors (like tkd olympics).

• The classical sensei’s subject matter is far more pressing. They are concerned with their students taking other human life in their hands. They have to impart the mental and character skillset to recognize the repercussions of damaging a life, not just on the targeted person, but on their family, on the student, on the student’s family, and in a broader sense, deciding what kind of societal impact the decision process will have (will this individual go on to hurt others?).

• There is also inherent right and wrong matters that a sensei must address. Whenever we see a martial artist doing something disgraceful, we suggest that his/her sensei should have helped him/her in controlling their abilities. In old times, every action of a student reflected upon the sensei significantly, so there was a deeper connection than mere coaching.

A Life Guru

• Being a sensei does not grant someone automatic license to give advice on all life matters.

• Most sensei are not professional trained psychologists, therapists, financial experts, etc. Therefore they are not qualified to give relationship advice, financial advice, etc etc.

• In classical times, the sensei or sifu was a much more integrated part of village life. Their training often made them not just the most deadly individual, but also the best trained in medicine, herbs, physiology, and more general education like literacy, government policy, etc etc. These sensei were highly integrated into a town’s ecosystem. Sometimes farmers would ask advice for when to plant crops and parents would seek out help for naming their children (so as to avoid bad luck).

• That is no longer the case for modern sensei. In our connected society we have real professionals that do all these other things, and modern sensei are not trained to be village counselors.

A Good Teacher…

• finds the proper balance between coach and guru.

• will focus on passing on the curriculum as it was handed down to them, preserving it as best as possible for the students to explore. They’ll resist the ego stroke of flavoring everything with their own flair.

• will understand how to minimize the politics of rank and ego.

• will find the balance between physical technique, mental tuning, and character development. Too much of one will begin to sacrifice the others.

• will understand when to guide students strictly and when to allow them space to explore on their own.

• will do their best to help their students surpass them, giving them tools when they are ready and without ego-based restrictions.

• will recognize the difference between a student who is ready for higher learning, and one who has yet to develop the right character.

To learn how to become a good teacher, you need to pinpoint those unique aspects of instructors you’ve met and absorb them. You need to find ways to embody those things that a teacher should be and avoid those things a teacher shouldn’t be. That’s why lower rank students can help teach. They can assist higher ranks or even take classes once in awhile. But it takes many years of analyzing their instructor and understanding what makes him/her so special in order to integrate that into themselves, and be able to use it to benefit students.

The Top 11 Training Montages in Martial Arts Movie History

Last year I put in the hard research and came up with the Top 7 Kicks in Martial Arts Movie History. That countdown was full of face crunching footwork, so I decided it was time for another list.

This time I’m upping the ante and listing not just the best kick, but the best martial arts training montages of all time. That’s no mean feat as there are some epic sequences to consider.

As I began my research this time around I decided to create a series of criteria upon which to grade each montage. This helped me in ranking them and deciding which ones would make the cut and which wouldn’t. Here is a quick description of each criteria I used (this works on a 5 star system, * as the poorest grade and ***** as the best):

• Training Intensity: How hard is the trainee working? 1 star means things aren’t too intense, 5 stars means I broke out in a sweat just watching.
• Campiness: Does the scene hit all the heartstrings that make montages a classic piece of cinema corniness? 1 star is not at all campy, 5 stars is deliciously so.
• Music Awesomeness: Part of a successful montage is epic music that makes you want to run out your door and do situps. 1 star is not too inspiring, 5 stars is chest poundingly awesome.
• Montage Purity: How closely does the scene follow montage format? A good montage will show many cutscenes of the protagonist first struggling, then growing, and finally demonstrating super skills. 1 star means it’s a montage (but not that pure), 5 stars is perfect montage gold.

 Ready? Here we gooooo:

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11. Ninja Assassin – Raizo’s Routine

• Training Intensity:      ***
• Campiness:                *
• Music Awesomeness:  ***
• Montage Purity:          **

This montage is decidly low on camp, and doesn’t follow the strictest guidelines of montage purity. Nevertheless, the action is undeniably cool and has a unique style that makes it a pleasure to watch. Directly after the clip shown below, the movie takes us into Raizo’s past and shows us more of his development. That is why this movie makes the montage list in place of others like The Matrix, which have singular training scenes.

Take-away exercise to try: inverted pushups on nails.

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10. Kill Bill 2 – The Cruel Tutelage of Pai Mei

• Training Intensity:      ***
• Campiness:                ***
• Music Awesomeness:  **
• Montage Purity:          ***

This scene features one of the best characters in all of martial arts cinema: Pai Mei. Pai Mei is a “white browed” taskmaster that has appeared in some classic kung fu cinema, and indeed this whole training sequence honors the campiness of those old movies. It also features the talent progression in our hero that explains her highly refined skillset.

Take-away exercise to try: One inch punch. Or the five point palm exploding heart technique.

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9. Mulan – Let’s Hear it For the Ladies

• Training Intensity:      **
• Campiness:                **
• Music Awesomeness:  ****
• Montage Purity:          ****

You didn’t think I was too tough and hardcore to ignore this montage did you? I don’t remember many scenes out of Disney movies, but this one really sticks out. It hits all the great montage notes of a helpless hero, a band of doubters who are eventually won over, and a tough but honorable teacher. Throw into the mix a message about gender equality, and forget about it! It was a tough call between this and Kung Fu Panda, but the inspiring music put Mulan over the top.

 Take-away exercise to try: Breaking concrete with your face.

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8. Ninja: The Final Duel – Water Spider Madness

• Training Intensity:      ***
• Campiness:                *****
• Music Awesomeness:  **
• Montage Purity:          **

I almost wanted to break my own rating scale and put 6 stars for campiness here. The ninja techniques demonstrated are exactly the kind of weird nonsense that makes old kung fu movies so fantastic. Sure, it perpetuates some bad stereotypes…but…you know. It’s fun. This clip would have ranked higher if it followed the montage format a bit more closely and had more mind blowing music.

 Take-away exercise to try: Water spider assault.

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 7. Batman Begins – The Will to Act

• Training Intensity:      ***
• Campiness:                *
• Music Awesomeness:  ***
• Montage Purity:          ***

Modern films don’t feature montages quite as much as they used to, and when they do it is often for comedic effect. Batman Begins is a serious affair and displays a well polished training scene. In a lot of ways, this clip rates lower than some of the previous entries. However, when you take into account the quality of the film and acting I believe this is the appropriate place for it.

 Take-away exercise to try: Dealing with emotions and stuff.

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 6. Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow – Jackie’s Ring Work

• Training Intensity:      **
• Campiness:                *****
• Music Awesomeness:  **
• Montage Purity:          ****

This movie is one of the Grandaddies of Kung Fu Cinema, and the training sequences are just as influential. Movies like Kill Bill and The Matrix would not have been the same if it wasn’t for efforts like Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow. Maxed out on campiness, this montage deserves it’s high placement.

  Take-away exercise to try: Egg based workouts.

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5. 36th Chamber of the Shaolin – We Get It, You Train A Lot

• Training Intensity:      ****
• Campiness:                *****
• Music Awesomeness:  **
• Montage Purity:          ****

You wanna talk about training? How about a movie that’s filled with it. 36th Chamber revolves around the protagonist progressing through his Shaolin training. Every skill a monk needs is presented via a separate chamber. Has any premise been better setup for a progressive montage?

 Take-away exercise to try: Bo circling with pointy, injurious consequences.

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4. KickBoxer – A Tree’s Worst Enemy

• Training Intensity:      ****
• Campiness:                ****
• Music Awesomeness:  ****
• Montage Purity:          *****

If you didn’t know Jean-Claude was going to make this list then shame on you. JCVD has an almost supernatural talent for creating training montages, and Kickboxer is one of his finest masterpieces. Who knew coconuts and palm trees could be so nightmarish?

Kickboxer training (full video) by bRu7-eXeC

 Take-away exercise to try: Just don’t kick trees.

 3. The Karate Kid – Daniel’s Private Training

• Training Intensity:      ***
• Campiness:                ***
• Music Awesomeness:  *****
• Montage Purity:          *****

Here’s the thing – this isn’t even the best montage in this movie. That’s how insane the original Karate Kid is. As we all know, the tournament sequence at the end of the movie is one of the best montages of all time. However, that’s not really for training, and thus doesn’t make the cut here. But that doesn’t mean Daniel’s private training isn’t a fantastic moment. It gets such a ranking due to the scope and emotional charge of the movie. A real classic.

 Take-away exercise to try: I’d say the crane kick, but I’m not sure you can handle that yet.

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 2. Rocky IV – U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.

• Training Intensity:      *****
• Campiness:                ***
• Music Awesomeness:  *****
• Montage Purity:          *****

Say the words “training montage”, and “Rocky” will be the first word uttered in response. I probably could have picked any of the Rocky movies for this, but I feel like IV is the most monumental. You might argue that boxing isn’t a pure martial art, and therefore Rocky should be disqualified from this list. That’s a tricky call, and since it’s so close (and Rocky is such a dominant montage force), I decided it was right to include it.

  Take-away exercise to try: Draaagooooooooooooooooooo.

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1. Bloodsport – To Keep an Open Miiiind

• Training Intensity:      ****
• Campiness:                ****
• Music Awesomeness:  *****
• Montage Purity:          *****

In the purest sense, Rocky is a better montage. But since we are listing the best martial arts montages, Bloodsport rules as King. This sequence is the perfect collection of campy 80s music, training development of the protagonist, hardships endured, winning respect from the hard nosed teacher, and techniques just real enough that we want to try them. Surely Bloodsport holds a special place in the montage hall of fame.

   Take-away exercise to try: Unnecessary splits. Blindfolded tea. Everything.

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That’s it! I hope you enjoyed this journey. I won’t keep you any longer because you probably want to go running through the woods, carrying giant rocks on your back while hitting yourself with sticks. I understand, I’m pumped up too.

Don’t forget to add your two cents in the comment section below. Do you think there are any other movies that should have broken the top 11? Do you think some of these movies should be swapped around in rank? Let me know!