BlackCatBonz
Master Black Belt
well first off......anyone that thinks that going into a fight and using the preset sequence of moves in a kata as a method of self defense is out to lunch.
secondly, the majority of martial "artists" out there that practice and teach kata simply do not understand what it is they are teaching. it goes way beyond a preset group of movements. a simple kata like heian shodan has more in it than most of the syllabus' of most modern systems. people dont know what they are looking at or for.
would someone take a technique they have learned and use it as a sole basis for self defense?
they are training tools......and damn good ones.
on other threads i have mentioned that i do not train in or teach from a technique standpoint, but i do teach kata and i do teach breakdowns of the individual movements, and not just the obvious.
they are about teaching proper form through movement. people get to hung up on stances......karate is not about standing still, its all about movement.....when i see someone doing a kata and it looks like im watching a filmstrip presentation, i know they are missing the boat.
any technique that describes a series of movements IS a kata whether you like that description or not.......but if you cant see past the obvious, what are you learning?
shawn
secondly, the majority of martial "artists" out there that practice and teach kata simply do not understand what it is they are teaching. it goes way beyond a preset group of movements. a simple kata like heian shodan has more in it than most of the syllabus' of most modern systems. people dont know what they are looking at or for.
would someone take a technique they have learned and use it as a sole basis for self defense?
they are training tools......and damn good ones.
on other threads i have mentioned that i do not train in or teach from a technique standpoint, but i do teach kata and i do teach breakdowns of the individual movements, and not just the obvious.
they are about teaching proper form through movement. people get to hung up on stances......karate is not about standing still, its all about movement.....when i see someone doing a kata and it looks like im watching a filmstrip presentation, i know they are missing the boat.
any technique that describes a series of movements IS a kata whether you like that description or not.......but if you cant see past the obvious, what are you learning?
shawn
punisher73
Senior Master
I agree with some of what has been said on both sides of the issue concerning kata. But, like most things many people take a pendulum view where they are at one side of the arc and the only other view is the other extreme of the arc.
I have read the Matt Thornton article many times and he has many valid points, but he also misses some important points. He asserts that he is a coach and coaches his athletes on the best methods. But, he ignores alot of the research from sports psychology that support the use of kata. Visualization is a main key in the top athletes, when you don't have anyone around you go through the kata and visualize the attacks (this is assuming you have practiced to know what the moves are for) and your response. He must realize that not everyone has a dojo/gym that they can ALWAYS practice with other people and using kata helps to supplement that part of training if the dojo time is done correctly.
Also, there is alot in sports psychology for practicing the movements WITHOUT doing the actual activity as a part to work the movement and working it slow and relaxed. Things like practicing shooting a free throw and the mechanics of throwing and running.
The other criticism about kata is that it is based on a preset action and response. Yes, I agree but if you don't practice a plan as perfect you won't know when things aren't going according to plan and make the necessary adjustments. Musicians practice music scales over and over and then they learn to be spontaneous in their music, same as with MA's.
I have read the Matt Thornton article many times and he has many valid points, but he also misses some important points. He asserts that he is a coach and coaches his athletes on the best methods. But, he ignores alot of the research from sports psychology that support the use of kata. Visualization is a main key in the top athletes, when you don't have anyone around you go through the kata and visualize the attacks (this is assuming you have practiced to know what the moves are for) and your response. He must realize that not everyone has a dojo/gym that they can ALWAYS practice with other people and using kata helps to supplement that part of training if the dojo time is done correctly.
Also, there is alot in sports psychology for practicing the movements WITHOUT doing the actual activity as a part to work the movement and working it slow and relaxed. Things like practicing shooting a free throw and the mechanics of throwing and running.
The other criticism about kata is that it is based on a preset action and response. Yes, I agree but if you don't practice a plan as perfect you won't know when things aren't going according to plan and make the necessary adjustments. Musicians practice music scales over and over and then they learn to be spontaneous in their music, same as with MA's.
-Interesting thread here. I guess it comes down to whether or not kata works for you, how you spend your time in class and what you're training for. Some martial artists really hate spending time doing things they don't like. It could be a lack of understanding, and it could be other things as well. Right now I'm much more interested in the health/conditioning aspects of martial arts training, so I don't mind doing the forms at all. Doing them really slow is a good workout. Later I may switch and focus on chi sau/sticky hands for the combat applications. Each has its place and its nice to be able to concentrate on one of the other. But thats how things are done at my school, we train based on who shows up any given night, usually by splitting into groups. And if you have to do them, regardless of emotion, make the best of them and push yourself, as you would in your favorite aspect of training. Just my $0.02.
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IMAA
Guest
Hi, I have just read through all 3 sections of this post. It is quite interesting to see some of the answers concerning kata.
I agree with what the one gentlemen said about people going through stages of either liking or disliking kata. It being something that will grow on you. I've been involved in KARA TE for around 19 or 20years. When I was younger and growing up, Kata was what my instructor would make us do when he just didnt feel much like teaching class. He got into this kick near my end of taking lessons there. He didn't teach us any defense or anything out of the kata we would just run them over, and over and over again for months in class. So to my demise I grew to absolutley HATE or be BORED with the kata. In fact I actually left the school because for around 4 months straight all we done was come to class and run kata. My father got upset and said " Im not forking out x amount of cash to run you to class 2 to 3 times a week for you to just run kata over and over and no one show anyting from that" So you can see how I grew to not care for KATA. However, since then I have found "truth" in kata. It came from a couple of people that opened my eyes. They shown me "real-world" combat and practical application from Kata that you would not see in the normal DOJO. One thing that I still see is this traditional excuse for what each technique is for multi attackers in kata. I was watching a set of series of the Heian kata performed by Master Kenneth Funokoshi, during his bunkai method of the video he shares a brief description of what the "typical" movements of each kata represent. I FOR ONE however, have to disagree with alot of those techniques. I began training in the art of Ryu Kyu Kempo and Kyusho arts under one of George Dillman protoge's and found that these methods of KATA really opened my eyes. Not to mention that when I started learning Indonesian Pentjak Silat through the explanation of Djurus I was able to begin picking up teachniques in Karate Kata that most people don't actually see. Kata has now become one of my favorite things to do, and to teach however I would never make kata as boring as my Sensei done to me those many years ago. And although I still respect him for his skill and knowledge he had in other areas I for one teach the bunkai that can appeal to us all to keep kata interesting and keep others from "hating" them.
As I heard another gentlemen speak in this topic thread was "kata is the backbone of the traditional arts" This is the truth, Kata is what seperates each system from one another, as well as how they are performed and taught.
Thanks
IMAA
I agree with what the one gentlemen said about people going through stages of either liking or disliking kata. It being something that will grow on you. I've been involved in KARA TE for around 19 or 20years. When I was younger and growing up, Kata was what my instructor would make us do when he just didnt feel much like teaching class. He got into this kick near my end of taking lessons there. He didn't teach us any defense or anything out of the kata we would just run them over, and over and over again for months in class. So to my demise I grew to absolutley HATE or be BORED with the kata. In fact I actually left the school because for around 4 months straight all we done was come to class and run kata. My father got upset and said " Im not forking out x amount of cash to run you to class 2 to 3 times a week for you to just run kata over and over and no one show anyting from that" So you can see how I grew to not care for KATA. However, since then I have found "truth" in kata. It came from a couple of people that opened my eyes. They shown me "real-world" combat and practical application from Kata that you would not see in the normal DOJO. One thing that I still see is this traditional excuse for what each technique is for multi attackers in kata. I was watching a set of series of the Heian kata performed by Master Kenneth Funokoshi, during his bunkai method of the video he shares a brief description of what the "typical" movements of each kata represent. I FOR ONE however, have to disagree with alot of those techniques. I began training in the art of Ryu Kyu Kempo and Kyusho arts under one of George Dillman protoge's and found that these methods of KATA really opened my eyes. Not to mention that when I started learning Indonesian Pentjak Silat through the explanation of Djurus I was able to begin picking up teachniques in Karate Kata that most people don't actually see. Kata has now become one of my favorite things to do, and to teach however I would never make kata as boring as my Sensei done to me those many years ago. And although I still respect him for his skill and knowledge he had in other areas I for one teach the bunkai that can appeal to us all to keep kata interesting and keep others from "hating" them.
As I heard another gentlemen speak in this topic thread was "kata is the backbone of the traditional arts" This is the truth, Kata is what seperates each system from one another, as well as how they are performed and taught.
Thanks
IMAA
A
AnimEdge
Guest
I kinda wish my Ninjutsu had some Kata, manly so it gives me more to practice alone, you can only go through the punches and kicks and such so many times 
One of our Black Belts goes to a TKD school latly and we egt some interesting stories about Kata on how when he was there when doing 2 people practice your oponite had to wait untill you where allready in a block before kicking, interesting stuff like that
One of our Black Belts goes to a TKD school latly and we egt some interesting stories about Kata on how when he was there when doing 2 people practice your oponite had to wait untill you where allready in a block before kicking, interesting stuff like that
P
Patrick Skerry
Guest
The individuals I have met who hated kata were the young, brash, impatient, individuals who see martial arts only for their immediate pragmatic value. The instant gratification, immediate results view on life. To these practical individuals I would suggest plumbing, carpentry, and the rest of the trade vocations as occupations; and BJJ, and MMA as the martial arts they should study (I realize this is pandering to a stereotype).
But it seems the young dislike kata, while the older learned respect for it.
But it seems the young dislike kata, while the older learned respect for it.
BlackCatBonz
Master Black Belt
well patrick........i would say that i dont entirely agree with your assesment of instant gratification and recommending trade vocations. as most skilled trades require a 5000 to 6000 hour apprenticeship, there is nothing instant about them.
patience is a virtue that most people have to work on........its not natural for humans to be patient.
as for young people disliking kata and older people respecting it......i think you will find young and old alike here with differing opinions. there are lots of young people out there who are excellent at it and love it. there are a few guys here who've been practicing the arts for years that have a dislike for kata.
it also seems that you're intimating that MMA and BJJ somehow require less training in order to achieve results, which i do not think is true either.
i think its up to the teacher to develop a curriculum to teach what is both practical and practicable, whether it includes kata or not.
shawn
patience is a virtue that most people have to work on........its not natural for humans to be patient.
as for young people disliking kata and older people respecting it......i think you will find young and old alike here with differing opinions. there are lots of young people out there who are excellent at it and love it. there are a few guys here who've been practicing the arts for years that have a dislike for kata.
it also seems that you're intimating that MMA and BJJ somehow require less training in order to achieve results, which i do not think is true either.
i think its up to the teacher to develop a curriculum to teach what is both practical and practicable, whether it includes kata or not.
shawn
P
Patrick Skerry
Guest
Hi BlackCatBonz,
I'm no expert, but its been my observation that the people who told me they don't like or respect kata is because they want to go directly to the practical aspect of the style, they don't even want to learn the basics, just straight to the technique. As an example: There are guys who want to learn nothing but throwing in Judo and skip learning how to fall. Just teach me how to throw and choke they say.
And I have communicated with BJJ and MMA practitioners who have bragged that those styles take the shortest time to learn.
To me, kata is very refined, and people who have expressed the patience to learn and perfect a kata, have seem to be as different from the people who hate it as an audience to a Symphony is from an audience to the World Series.
I'm no expert, but its been my observation that the people who told me they don't like or respect kata is because they want to go directly to the practical aspect of the style, they don't even want to learn the basics, just straight to the technique. As an example: There are guys who want to learn nothing but throwing in Judo and skip learning how to fall. Just teach me how to throw and choke they say.
And I have communicated with BJJ and MMA practitioners who have bragged that those styles take the shortest time to learn.
To me, kata is very refined, and people who have expressed the patience to learn and perfect a kata, have seem to be as different from the people who hate it as an audience to a Symphony is from an audience to the World Series.
BlackCatBonz
Master Black Belt
like i said in my previous post.......its up to the teacher to develop a curriculum that will teach either fast or slow. i can have a student walk away from a class in one night with something that will help them.
as far as "learning a system or style.......i think you can teach anyone the "basics" in a short amount of time that they can apply, but i dont think they have come remotely close to "learning" the "style".
just because you taught someone how to change the oil in their car, it doesnt make them a mechanic.
shawn
as far as "learning a system or style.......i think you can teach anyone the "basics" in a short amount of time that they can apply, but i dont think they have come remotely close to "learning" the "style".
just because you taught someone how to change the oil in their car, it doesnt make them a mechanic.
shawn
P
Patrick Skerry
Guest
Just curious, are you saying that an instructor has license to develop his own style? And that kata is just optional?
BlackCatBonz said:
RRouuselot
Master of Arts
brandon said:
1) Uhhhh not sure why you would make this statement since kata ARE a collection of self-defense techniques the conditioning and other benifits are just a bonus.
BlackCatBonz
Master Black Belt
im not saying that at all..........but that doesnt stop people from getting a black belt, thinking they know it all and decide to rewrite the book on self defense. but if you could have 2 different shotokan instructors with an entirely different approach to teaching shotokan karate. one might focus on kata and bunkai, for the purpose of learning application timing, distance and application, while another might teach the basics from a different standpoint and use kata for form development.Patrick Skerry said:
i think that when people go off and start something on their own, its usually because they didnt stay long enough to see what it was they were learning or they want some kind of recognition without putting in the time.
shawn
RRouuselot
Master of Arts
BlackCatBonz said:
Just as a side note:
I know people that train at and have also have visited both honbu dojo for shotokan in Tokyo and believe me neither focus on bunkai, they both focus on kicks, punches, and blocks with a major emphasis on kata for show and tippy-tap sparring.
Hwoarang_tkd26
Orange Belt
I personaly have learned to love doing forms, but in the beginings of my training I used to hate it, it just took time and patience for me to understand the perpose of them better.
Now I find forms very interesting, because it shows you the roots of your martial art that you study. From what I can see the forms tend to not evolve nearly as fast as the art itself, for example: TaeKwonDo has evolved so much with in the last 50 or even 20 years with its strong emphasis on kicks, that it now looks very little to the primery art that it derived from (Okinawin Shotokan Karate),
But when you go through the Poomses of TKD, you can see that most of the techniques done in them are almost identicle when comeparing them to the Shotokan Karate's Katas. There are a lot of similarities.
To me thats very amusing, I am noticing this more and more with the forms all the time, and the more I notice the more amused I get.
So if you are interested in the history of your art, the forms are a history lesson of there own.
Anyways I guess that Im just trying to say that I like forms.
- Hwoarang_tkd26
Now I find forms very interesting, because it shows you the roots of your martial art that you study. From what I can see the forms tend to not evolve nearly as fast as the art itself, for example: TaeKwonDo has evolved so much with in the last 50 or even 20 years with its strong emphasis on kicks, that it now looks very little to the primery art that it derived from (Okinawin Shotokan Karate),
But when you go through the Poomses of TKD, you can see that most of the techniques done in them are almost identicle when comeparing them to the Shotokan Karate's Katas. There are a lot of similarities.
To me thats very amusing, I am noticing this more and more with the forms all the time, and the more I notice the more amused I get.
So if you are interested in the history of your art, the forms are a history lesson of there own.
Anyways I guess that Im just trying to say that I like forms.
- Hwoarang_tkd26
Well, I've said this many times before, so I might as well say it again. We all train for different ]/b] reasons. That being said, I wouldn't sterotype people by age, because I've seen people who are "older", as they're being called, also dismiss kata. I'll also say again, that everything has it time and place. One thing that is important to remember, is that alot of times, things are dismissed because people do not understand what they're doing. Regardless if its a SD tech. a kick, a punch, or a kata....if the person doing it does NOT know what they are doing, they will never understand the finer points.
I'll also add, that there are many arts out there that do not have kata but are still very effective. Patrick, let me ask you this. You state that you know Judo. Does Judo have kata? Does it make it any less effective because it does not? The same can be said for BJJ. Highly effective, but it doesn't have kata.
Mike
I'll also add, that there are many arts out there that do not have kata but are still very effective. Patrick, let me ask you this. You state that you know Judo. Does Judo have kata? Does it make it any less effective because it does not? The same can be said for BJJ. Highly effective, but it doesn't have kata.
Mike
RRouuselot
Master of Arts
MJS said:
Yes Judo has kata. ( found here http://www.busenjudo.com/judokata.html and here: http://www.judoinfo.com/katamenu.htm )
They are not like karate kata per say but they are called "kata" none the less.
Judo and BBJJ are good examples of what I was talking about earlier.
Although they do not have kata like Karate or kung fu they do have formal practice techniques which formulate into a group.......
Personally speaking I think karate techniques are easier to remember because they are practiced as a dance as well as man to man.
RRouuselot
Master of Arts
Judo Randori No Kata and Ju No Kata
by Donn F. Draeger
PART 1: NAGE NO KATA and KATAME NO KATA
Donn Draeger
Donn F. Draeger is well qualified to write about this subject. A scholar of oriental history and philosophy, he has done considerable academic and practical research on the oriental martial arts; and as a jujitsu historian, Mr. Draeger is currently engaged in kata research, including the major fighting arts of Japan. As an instructor in the Kodokan's foreign section, he has specialized in the study and teaching of Kodokan Judo kata. He is the only foreigner to have been awarded the official kata teaching licenses by Kodokan, holding licenses in six of the seven recognized kata. His knowledge and skill are attested to by the decision of the All-Japan Judo Federation to permit him to become the first foreigner to perform nage no kata (as tori) at an All-Japan National Judo Championship (1961). He was further selected by the Kodokan to be the first foreigner permitted to perform high-grade kata (uke for goshin jutsu and kime no kata) at the annual Kagami Biraki ceremony in 1963 and 1965 respectively. He was again nominated by the All-Japan Judo Federation to perform nage no kata (as tori) at the 1964 Olympiad -- the only foreigner accorded this honor.
.....Editor
Kata? Not in this dojo. We only do fightin' Judo here. It's bad enough you have to learn some of it just before ya' wanna pass your Dan exam; but after that.....forget it!
The intent and meaning of these and similar opinions about kata having rung out in scores of dojos throughout the country. Unfortunately, it has been relatively easy for a novice judoist to overhear such opinions; and it is still easier for the novice to condition his training by the blind acceptance of such poor advice.
All of us, without exception, have at one time or another harbored such misconceptions about kata. This is due principally to two reasons. First, it is a natural consequence of our lack of familiarity with the intended wholeness of Judo. This natural consequence, in itself, cannot be condemned; but as a prevailing attitude, it becomes an evil which adversely affects the maturation of one's Judo. Secondly, the truth about kata, its intent and purpose as well as training applications, is generally unavailable. It is only through correct Judo education that one may come to understand and appreciate the importance of kata and apply it intelligently to his training and secure it benefits.
Unfortunately, this article cannot give you specific technical advice or discussions about kata because of the space limitations. Such information, correctly written, would require a comprehensive book. It may be more important and appropriate to simply convince you of the importance of kata. This article, therefore, will deal with a "sales talk" about kata, with the hope that it will provoke and "awaken" you to discover the technical truth about it and bring new, vital life to your training. If it can accomplish this, you will reap many benefits. What is referred to as kata applies in principle to all kata. But for the purpose of this article, the interpretation of kata refers to the nage and katame no kata.
Since you are expecting a "sales talk," it may be best to start with something practical about kata. Just who in the Judo world uses kata? Speaking on a top-level international basis, you should first know that there aren't any champions who cannot perform kata; all champions perform it well. While kata alone has not made them champions, the very fact that they can do it expertly means that somewhere along their long, hard training road they have employed it in their training. Their expertise with kata did not come by a process of osmosis.
In terms with which you are at least geographically familiar, few of you will disagree that the competitive style and effect of, say James Bregman is currently the most dynamic and is the best in the USA. Bregman's Judo history and contest record dates back many years; but he may be best known to you as the 1964 National AAU Middleweight champion, the 1964 Olympiad Middleweight 3rd place winner, the 1965 Maccabiah Games Middleweight champion. Having had a large share in Bregman's early years of Judo training, personally designing and directing all of his training schedules during those formative years, I can assure you that he literally "grew up" on large doses of throwing and grappling kata, the nage and katame no kata respectively.
Another national case in point lies with the current National AAU Grand Champion, Hayward Nishioka (Nanka), who also exhibits a tremendously effective and stylish Judo which is outstanding among American Judoists. Nishioka's skill with kata is also remarkable; and, together with Bregman, they were chosen by the All-Japan Judo Federation to perform nage no kata at the 1962 All-Japan National Championship - the second foreigners accorded this honor. Their splendid performance is well remembered in Japan.
Past champions in our national Judo scene include Ben Campbell (Hokka) and, further back, John Osako (Konan). Campbell will be remembered for National AAU weight titles and Pan American titles, and Osako for AAU Grand National Championships and two Pan American Grand Championships. Both of these competitors possess excellent skills with kata.
Currently aboard -- starting with World and Olympic champion Anton Geesink of the Netherlands down through such famous champions as Japan's winning Olympic trio Iasso Inokuma, I. Okano, and Nakatani, as well as Japan's three-time all-Japan champion A. Kaminaga and the currently reigning All-Japan titlist S. Sakaguchi, Canada's Douglas Rogers, and A. Kiknadze of the USSR -- all are, without exception, kata experts. As a sidenote of interest, All-Japan championships on a truly national basis began in 1948; all winners -- two of whom have been world champions -- were and are kata experts.
European past international "greats" who were and still masters with kata include France's B. Pariset and H. Courtine; Belgium's H. Outlet; and Great Britian's C. Palmer, G. Gleeson, and G. Keer.
So much for who does kata in expert fashion; let's see what kata is.
Finding out what kata really is, its purposes, and how to employ it in training is not as easy as you might imagine. But one fact is sure; merely turning to the average daily Judo scene for this information will not produce the answer. Kata as practiced today (perhaps with rare exception) is not the kata intended by the founder, Jigoro Kano, and is not giving optimum benefit to Judoists who perform it. Just why this is a fact requires some discussion.
In my own experience, as I saw more and more kata, I knew that something was amiss; just what that "something" was, however, eluded me. All I could see -- and what you too will see if you take time to look around -- was a meaningless, arid "dance of shadows" in each kata performance. Largely, kata was an exhibition; there was no modern-day training application for it. I became suspicious and immensely intrigued; for, knowing full well the practical and efficient mind of Jigoro Kano, the designer of Kodokan Judo, I knew that he would not give kata such weak intention. Kata for him must have had an efficient function and a definite role to play for judo.
I began with a comprehensive survey of all Judo books published. Every major work on kata ever published, including those in Japanese language, was included. They brought absolutely little or no help for, at best, they are all incomplete, being filled with technical gaps that leave many major issues unanswered. The only exception, in my opinion, was found in the two works of T.P Leggett, The Demonstration of Throws and the Demonstration of Holds, and one Japanese classic. While giving thorough technical details, they however lacked the practical application of kata to training.
Still perplexed, I fell upon the idea of interviewing the oldest and most experienced sensei I could find in Japan. Surely, if this information was unrecorded, it must be in the minds of the oldsters. I was only partially right in this thought. In the interviews, all sensei spoke of modern-day kata as being far off the track. They pointed out technical discrepancies on the current mat-scene which convinced me more than ever that the real truth about kata was not getting out to the modern Judoist, not even from those who knew. The reasons for this apparent laxness will not be discussed in this article. It is sufficient for our purpose to know that it is fact.
In one of my interviews I had the good fortune to meet with the former secretary of Jigoro Kano, who told me that I would find interesting and complete information on kata among the founder's personal technical notes and diaries. These sources, plus the classic work on kata written by Yamashita and Nagaoka (now out of print) and edited by Jigoro Kano himself, were filled with the original concepts of kata. Since he was in possession of those documents, he offered to let me peruse them. I jumped at the chance and found exactly what I had been looking for all these years. I want now to pass on to you some of the information that I discovered, limiting it for the sake of brevity to discussions other than pertinent to specific techniques.
First of all, the great fighting systems of Japan, the bugei, were made effective and were actually constructed from kata. Whether systems of "empty-hand" fighting like jujitsu, bladed-weapon systems like kendo (formerly kenjutsu), or stick systems such as embodied in jodo (formerly jojutsu), all of them became "fighting" systems because of kata. Under no circumstances did these great systems get strong simply by having various combatants getting in and "mixing" it. It was a normal process of "walking before running" in which efficient movements and technique was first designed, tested, improved, and finally standardized through the media of kata. Kata always preceded randori and the true combative test, the shinken shobu. Jigoro Kano, in his synthesis of Kodokan Judo from jujitsu and other combative systems, recognized this necessity and did not build his famous Judo system in a free "hammer-and-tongs" type of training.
In practical terms, translated for your training, this means that unless you have technique built and working for you, you cannot hope to compete effectively on sporting contests because you will not have the proper skills. You too must learn to "walk before you run." The difference between great champion Judoists and those who just putter around and never make it is largely due to the amount of time spent in developing tools to work with -- techniques and a strong body. There is no better way of achieving this than by a balanced use of kata study as a regular supplement to training. Each technique of kata has a basic principle which, if understood and mastered in kata form, can easily be applied to variations which will broaden and strengthen Judo performance in general.
It is also significant that you know that Jigoro Kano thought highly of nage and katame no kata and referred to them under the combined title of randori no kata. His insistence on this term should tell you immediately that they are inseparably linked to randori. The founder thought of these two kata as the basic foundations to every Judoist's skill -- fundamental building blocks by which a Judoist might develop his techniques as broadly as possible. He expected all Judoists to make a regular study of kata.
Still another important issue about kata is that the founder did not want kata to be purely a ceremony. In all his technical notes, the underlying idea is "take the ceremony out of kata." What this implies is that, while kata is an excellent manner by which to display or exhibit Judo, this should not become the fundamental purpose of kata. Kata properly applied belongs in the training of all Judoists; kata is a training method, a "tool," if you will. By the founder's thought, full Judo maturity cannot be achieved without substantial doses of kata applied throughout the Judo life of each Judoist.
Kata is an intrinsic training method of Kodokan Judo, and it has two distinct developmental stages. The first of these is the "doing" stage -- a time when we must study and practice it so that we can gain a mechanical understanding of it. It is a time when we are concerned with each and every technical detail. At this stage, kata is of little training value as a completed training tool; we are simply shaping this tool for later use. After we have a rather good technical basis for kata and can give a rather polished performance of it, then we can put it to use and find answers to technical problems about the various techniques it embodies. This is what can be referred to as the "using" stage. Then and only then will kata become truly useful. Each Judoist differs in his learning ability, and it is difficult to generalize about when to begin kata study and when to expect that a Judoist can attain the "using" stage. Though kata can be begun at almost any level of Judo experience, it is perhaps best started at the sankyu level; and with constant study and practice, allowing two or three years in which to complete the "doing" stage, a Judoist can, after that, put it to optimum use.
Inherent in each technique of kata are "lessons" essential to an understanding of that technique, basic and variation factors which enhance the polished performance of the technique for randori and shiai. In direct practical terms for training, this means that kata can teach the reasons why a technique will succeed or fail in randori or shiai application. However, in order to be able to find those "lessons" in the kata, the Judoist must have developed his kata out of the "doing" stage into the "using" stage.
That kata is a prearranged exercise is perhaps the source of the biggest misunderstanding. To most Judoists and many inexperienced instructors, this "cooperation" has come to mean that tori is always a "winner," uke going down to a well-deserved "defeat." It also comes to mean that uke, in his cooperation, must "jump" for tori, trying his best to make the whole performance look good. Nothing could be more erroneous or injurious to the use of kata as a training tool. To see this, let us turn back to the two developmental levels of kata, the "doing" and "using" stages discussed earlier.
Kata performed as an exhibition or demonstration is largely a "doing" type of kata. By the nature of demonstration, kata used in this fashion always sees tori emerge victorious to graphically show technical aspects about Judo in informing or entertaining an audience. Ukes cooperation here, however, must not be one of "jump" for tori, in spite of the predetermined condition of "losing" to tori. Kata, as a demonstration, is but a shallow and limited usage of kata; it is not the primary purpose of kata, though most tendencies in modern Judo restrict it to this role. But, even here, if correctly performed as the founder intended, it is a beneficial performance.
Kata, performed as a "using" type of exercise, will see the failure of many attempts by tori to apply his techniques; tori will not always "win."
This is as it should be, if kata is being used correctly. The kata is thus an evaluation device with registers incorrectly applied technique and can reveal the reasons why tori is failing to produce the correct results. In nage no kata, uke makes only predetermined efforts to foil, and tori beforehand realizes these actions are to come. In spite of this knowledge, should the technique not come off well, it is a very definite sign tori is not applying his technique properly. How can he, under failure with a cooperative uke, expect to "defeat" a non-cooperative uke in randori or shiai? In katame no kata, after certain preliminaries, uke is free to actively, and in an undetermined way, extricate himself from toris technique. Ukes escape actions are not prearranged, except to the extend of utilizing legitimate Judo methods. If, with this "perfect" chance to immobilize uke, tori fails, how can he ever hope to immobilize a uke who, from the beginning, is struggling to defeat him?
Cooperation in kata is only a limited one which requires uke to be in a certain position at a certain time so that tori can apply the required technique. This arbitrary preparation does not include the "jumping" of uke or feeble attempts to grapple with tori. In nage no kata, uke is thrown down and thrown hard! In katame no kata, uke is held, choked, or arm-locked effectively, or uke is at liberty to escape. This is the founders intended "use" of kata; nothing less an interpretation has optimum value.
When speaking of the prearranged nature of kata, I found something in Jigoro Kanos technical notes which was a "bombshell" to me -- at least until I thought it out. I pass it on to you. How many times have you heard a Judoist say, "kata.....nah. Never use it for training. Im a believer in uchikomi as the best way to learn a technique"? Heres the "bombshell": In the founders mind, uchikomi is kata. Think about it. In uchikomi we have nothing more than a prearranged method of working with our uke. We repeat certain actions against his more-or-less cooperative self. We both know what is going to happen.
I am rapidly exceeding the space allotted to me, and so I cannot give you much more data; but I do want to leave you with two more important aspects about kata. The first of these is that from the onset, as you study and practice kata, you must have a thorough understanding of the basic roles of tori and uke from the standpoint of who is attacking. On the surface, this sounds like a silly statement; but since the essence of the kata is here, let us take only a brief general look at it.
Generally, it can be seen that uke attacks tori and by skillful, correct maneuvering, tori manages to overcome uke. This is not always the case! In nage no kata, there are certain techniques where uke only wishes to attack; he "thinks" about attacking and has the attack initiative "stolen" from him by tori. Still another, uke attacks, loses the attack initiative, regains it, and loses if finally. The technical explanation here is involved and is related to what is known as different stages or sen or "initiative": we cannot delve into this here. I merely wish to alert you to the fact that, unless you know each and every technique from the standpoint of who attacks and defends and the interchange of attack initiative, you cannot hope to perform kata correctly. Only competent instruction can guide you here; seek it out.
Finally, many Judoists complain that kata is subject to instructor interpretations, "How can I do kata when one teacher says one thing and another says something else?" The question is pertinent and so important that I want to squeeze it in here. Kodokan kata is standardized. There is a technically "right" way (only one); but you must bear in mind that, by natural evolution, Kodokan kata has changed over the years. From the founders time, there have been modifications -- even the actual changing of techniques. In 1960, the Kodokan sought and got the agreement of all master Judoists in Japan, formulating a standard method of kata. Therefore, Judo instructors who are not up to date on this standardization may be using older concepts no longer in vogue. Other variations in teaching are usually the result of personalized versions or lack of knowledge about kata. Thus, the selection of a qualified up-to-date instructor is vital to your getting the truth about kata for your training.
Along these lines, you should also know that Kodokan kata, while standardized, is not the only Judo kata existent. There have been various attempts by high-grade Judo instructors from Japan to establish private kata or interpretations of Kodokan kata. The matter becomes not so much a matter of which kata are "right" and which are "wrong" as understanding that this divergence exists. But the thing you can be sure of is that a standardized Kodokan kata exists; and if you are interested in it (and you should be), you will perhaps have to search it out from quite a variety of kata styles.
Kata is vital to Judo maturation -- both to the Judo as a system, and to you as an individual Judoist. It must be emphasized as a training method, not a demonstration. The truth about kata is not currently being placed before the Judoists of the world, and they have every right to label what they now see being passed off as kata, as something weak and almost useless. They are right about true kata. It is a case of the singer, not the song.
PART 2: JU NO KATA
Donn Draeger
So-called "Forms of Gentleness," as the ju no kata is referred to, is a grossly misinterpreted standard of Kodokan. As performed in modern-day judo, it contributes little more than restricted and token help to judo training. Ill begin by qualifying this statement.
The Japanese ideogram ju coincides in form and meaning with its Chinese prototype, though not taken from Chinese conceptual sources. it was merely adopted as a Chinese ideogram for phonetic purposes. Ju denotes various meanings in the Oriental mind which, in the English language, can be approximated only by concepts including: gentleness, softness, pliancy, yielding, tractibility, submissiveness, weakness, harmoniousness, as well as a state of being at ease. All of these denotations involve philosophical complexities of absoluteness and are not relative or practical connotations. Herein lies the source of the error.
The usual word selected for the international interpretation of the ideogram ju is "gentleness." This, however, is compounded and confused by the fact that the Japanese, including Jigoro Kano, endorsed it. But the word gentleness had a different meaning to Jigoro Kano than it had for the westerner.
Not only has the interpretations of the ju no kata been undermined, but the very principle of judo has become warped and distorted from the original Kanoian thinking.
Westerners have accepted the Japanese selection of the word "gentleness" and have, arbitrarily, without familiarity or regard for the founders intentions, taken the word in its absolute denotation. By this absoluteness, "gentleness" has come to imply only soft, prissy, almost mamby-pamby sort of action or the "la-de-dah" type of movement which admits to no great application of muscle strength. Under this interpretation of "gentleness," judo is all yield. To yield is esteemed, while hardness is shunned. Thus armed with this conceptual error, western Judo instructors are developing a "soft" Judo, thinking it to be in line with the founders ideas. Persistence in this type of thinking is doing great damage to western Judo (just as it did to jujitsu in Japan) and is certainly not in concept with the intention of the founder, Jigoro Kano, who always took exception to the abstract philosophical view and insisted on the narrower, but relative and practical outlook.
There is a large amount of documentation to support the Kanoian thought; but somehow it isnt being seen, or if it is, it is not being correctly read or understood. In Jigoro Kanos own writings we find:
... by giving way, a contestant may defeat his opponent; and as there are so many instances in Jujutsu (Judo) contests where this principle is applied, the name Jujutsu (Judo), the "gentle" or " giving way" art, became the name of the whole art.
Such is the principle of ju. But, strictly speaking, real Jujutsu (Judo) is something more. The way of gaining victory over an opponent by Jujutsu (Judo) is not confined to gaining victory only by giving way.
Here it is evident that the founder did not consider "gentleness" to be "softness" or "yielding" as the entire makeup of the principle of Judo. He indicates that still another facet is inherent, by continuing:
Sometimes a person takes hold of his opponents wrist. How can someone possibly release himself without using strength against his opponents grip? The same thing can be asked when somebody is seized from behind around his shoulders by an assailant. If thus, the principle of giving way cannot cover all the methods used in Jujutsu (Judo) contests, is there any principle which really covers the whole field? Yes, there is; there is one principle which consistently emerges: In any form of attack, to attain our objective we must make the best use of our mental energy and physical strength. This is also true in defense.
It is now clear that the founder recognized the necessity of using strength to overcome some forms of resistance and included resistance itself within the principle of Judo. It is not the factor of strength that Dr. Kano opposed, but its misuse. Ju, in the principle of Judo, stresses flexibility in change or the adapting to any situation and economizing mental and physical energies
Perhaps a better interpretation of ju would have been "flexible" or "flexibility"; although these too, tend to narrow the tone. Yet, they seem to approach more closely the founders idea of ju.
The ju no kata is an exercise making use of the practical interpretation of "gentleness" -- not its idealistic, absolute, and impractical meaning which most westerners attribute to it. As a kata, it is really not "gentle" at all. In the absolute sense. As a properly performed exercise, it is a smooth, efficient application of mental and physical strengths, a harmony of movement combining hardness and softness in economic balance, making the kata completely functional. In this kata there are moments of yielding and resisting in both roles of tori and uke; never is there a yielding action solely.
This fact provides an interesting test to its effect on Judoists who think it a useless exercise. If any well-conditioned Judoist will perform this kata correctly with a master performer, first as uke then as tori, he will find that no matter how well conditioned he may be, this kata will cause him to be covered with perspiration; his body muscles will "scream" in protest under the contractions and extensions imposed on them. To permit him to take each situation correctly, he would experience the actual moments of "softness" and "hardness" and the necessity for flexibility, both mental and physical. He would come away from this experience with a new and deep respect for ju no kata.
Figure 1. shows a correctly executed ukigoshi movement of the kata as its moment of climax. Compare its technical correctness of almost hyper-extended legs, lowered head, and flattened back with a pronounced lean to the right side, to the same movement being incorrectly performed in Figures 2 and 3.
Those Judoists unfamiliar with correct ju no kata technique might arbitrarily approve of the form in Figures 2 and 3. However, this form is filled with technical errors. Primarily, it is incorrect because the knees remain bent. They have not been fully extended. The upper body of tori is inclining instead of declining and has no lean to the right. Toris head is being dropped. This fact tends to round or hump the back, and make it impossible to "table" for ukes use. Only a very skillful uke shown in these photos would have been able to salvage some exercise benefit for herself. Tori gets no real exercise benefit from the form shown, and perhaps comes away discouraged with the whole thing.
Todays concept that ju not kata is not functional and that it is fit only for girls training as a dance or game is entirely wrong. Speaking with Professor Aida, the leading Kodokan authority on ju no kata, I found that the Professor had learned directly from Jigoro Kano. He proved to be a wealth of information.
While ju no kata may be ideally adapted to womens training, it was not the founders idea to restrict this kata to the womens dojo. In order to understand this better, let us take a brief but important look into the historical foundation of Judo.
In developing his Kodokan Judo system, Jigoro Kano was aware that a still older judo system existed, the Jikishin school. It represented a practical approach to combative exercises by being a synthesis of jujutsu systems. In one sense, it was a challenge to the Kodokan system. However, with jujutsu on the decline in the Meiji Period (1868 - 1912), anything similar in nature had little chance of survival. Professor Kano thus labored under terrific handicaps in bringing about a national interest and governmental recognition for his Kodokan system. By his tremendous foresight and his experience as an educator, he knew that unless his Judo system could obtain official governmental sanction, it too, was doomed along with jujutsu systems.
To achieve this sanction, he appealed to the Ministry of Education. Before he could do this, however, he had to show that Kodokan Judo differed from jujutsu as an educative entity in accord with the modern democratic society. One of the ways by which Professor Kano obtained approval for Kodokan Judo was through the ju no kata. It helped bring Judo into the educative sphere and meet the requirements and criteria characteristic of modern societys educational needs.
When properly performed, ju no kata gives a balanced exercise for the whole body. Constant use of this kata over an extended time period results in a harmoniously developed, flexible, and strong body, as well as giving the user the fundamental mechanics for sport and self defense Judo applications.
Professor Kanos original idea was for all Judoists, regardless of age or sex, to study and practice ju no kata. Ideally, it was to begin at an early age. Through constant practice, sound bodies could develop which might otherwise be less harmoniously developed by randori alone. Ju no kata was to be continued during adult training too, but with lesser need for body development. The higher skill of the adults with this kata permitted them to study applications of Judo mechanics and self-defense. A Judoist who might start late in life would be given ju no kata practice in order to bring his body condition to a more suitable level for randori.
The tendency to let girls "take over" ju no kata has, in the opinion of many Judo experts, seriously weakened its intrinsic values. This parallels one other such case in Japanese martial arts history. Originally, the naginata, a long halberd-type of bladed weapon, was a formidable weapon in combat. It remained in male samurai hands until the Tokugawa Period (1614 - 1867). As an effective weapon requiring perhaps the least amount of physical strength to make it combatively effective, the weapon was given to samurai women as their combative "baby." Their consequent development of it has brought the naginata jutsu to todays level of combative degeneration, and it has become largely an aesthetic practice. The nature of women making physical exercise beautiful, graceful, and the like, is similarly affecting the Kodokan ju no kata. even in Japan it has deservedly gained the appellation of odori no kata, or "dance forms," and is the subject of ridicule by most young male Judoists who have never had sufficient experience to realize that this is not true ju no kata.
It is another case of the singer, not the song. The ju no kata of today can qualify only as a moderately good exercise, but it falls far short of the original Kanoian form. If efforts were to be made to recover the original form and if Judoists were to study and practice this kata as part of their normal training, all would benefit. Apparently, the limiting factor is the inability to find instructors who know and are able to teach the original form. Until this adjustment is made, Judoists will go on referring to it as "useless" and a waste of training time, and something which should be restricted to female trainees.
Judo instructors charged with placing and maintaining Kodokan Judo within educational institutions should realize that unless ju no kata is included as a regular part of Judo training, Judo is narrowed. It will not meet the criteria required of the Principle of Judo applied to self-defense situations; and unless the instructors are qualified through experience with this kata, he cannot hope to understand these elements. Nor can he teach this kata properly. The present day deficiencies in applying this kata to training can only be remedied by instructors who take the initiative to restore the Kano form.
Kodokan emblem
While the old form, jujutsu, was studied solely for fighting purposes, Kano's new system is found to promote the mental as well as the physical faculties. While the old schools taught nothing but practice, the modern Judo gives the theoretical explanation of the doctrine, at the same time giving the practical a no less important place.
.....T. Shidachi, 1892
by Donn F. Draeger
PART 1: NAGE NO KATA and KATAME NO KATA
Donn Draeger
Donn F. Draeger is well qualified to write about this subject. A scholar of oriental history and philosophy, he has done considerable academic and practical research on the oriental martial arts; and as a jujitsu historian, Mr. Draeger is currently engaged in kata research, including the major fighting arts of Japan. As an instructor in the Kodokan's foreign section, he has specialized in the study and teaching of Kodokan Judo kata. He is the only foreigner to have been awarded the official kata teaching licenses by Kodokan, holding licenses in six of the seven recognized kata. His knowledge and skill are attested to by the decision of the All-Japan Judo Federation to permit him to become the first foreigner to perform nage no kata (as tori) at an All-Japan National Judo Championship (1961). He was further selected by the Kodokan to be the first foreigner permitted to perform high-grade kata (uke for goshin jutsu and kime no kata) at the annual Kagami Biraki ceremony in 1963 and 1965 respectively. He was again nominated by the All-Japan Judo Federation to perform nage no kata (as tori) at the 1964 Olympiad -- the only foreigner accorded this honor.
.....Editor
Kata? Not in this dojo. We only do fightin' Judo here. It's bad enough you have to learn some of it just before ya' wanna pass your Dan exam; but after that.....forget it!
The intent and meaning of these and similar opinions about kata having rung out in scores of dojos throughout the country. Unfortunately, it has been relatively easy for a novice judoist to overhear such opinions; and it is still easier for the novice to condition his training by the blind acceptance of such poor advice.
All of us, without exception, have at one time or another harbored such misconceptions about kata. This is due principally to two reasons. First, it is a natural consequence of our lack of familiarity with the intended wholeness of Judo. This natural consequence, in itself, cannot be condemned; but as a prevailing attitude, it becomes an evil which adversely affects the maturation of one's Judo. Secondly, the truth about kata, its intent and purpose as well as training applications, is generally unavailable. It is only through correct Judo education that one may come to understand and appreciate the importance of kata and apply it intelligently to his training and secure it benefits.
Unfortunately, this article cannot give you specific technical advice or discussions about kata because of the space limitations. Such information, correctly written, would require a comprehensive book. It may be more important and appropriate to simply convince you of the importance of kata. This article, therefore, will deal with a "sales talk" about kata, with the hope that it will provoke and "awaken" you to discover the technical truth about it and bring new, vital life to your training. If it can accomplish this, you will reap many benefits. What is referred to as kata applies in principle to all kata. But for the purpose of this article, the interpretation of kata refers to the nage and katame no kata.
Since you are expecting a "sales talk," it may be best to start with something practical about kata. Just who in the Judo world uses kata? Speaking on a top-level international basis, you should first know that there aren't any champions who cannot perform kata; all champions perform it well. While kata alone has not made them champions, the very fact that they can do it expertly means that somewhere along their long, hard training road they have employed it in their training. Their expertise with kata did not come by a process of osmosis.
In terms with which you are at least geographically familiar, few of you will disagree that the competitive style and effect of, say James Bregman is currently the most dynamic and is the best in the USA. Bregman's Judo history and contest record dates back many years; but he may be best known to you as the 1964 National AAU Middleweight champion, the 1964 Olympiad Middleweight 3rd place winner, the 1965 Maccabiah Games Middleweight champion. Having had a large share in Bregman's early years of Judo training, personally designing and directing all of his training schedules during those formative years, I can assure you that he literally "grew up" on large doses of throwing and grappling kata, the nage and katame no kata respectively.
Another national case in point lies with the current National AAU Grand Champion, Hayward Nishioka (Nanka), who also exhibits a tremendously effective and stylish Judo which is outstanding among American Judoists. Nishioka's skill with kata is also remarkable; and, together with Bregman, they were chosen by the All-Japan Judo Federation to perform nage no kata at the 1962 All-Japan National Championship - the second foreigners accorded this honor. Their splendid performance is well remembered in Japan.
Past champions in our national Judo scene include Ben Campbell (Hokka) and, further back, John Osako (Konan). Campbell will be remembered for National AAU weight titles and Pan American titles, and Osako for AAU Grand National Championships and two Pan American Grand Championships. Both of these competitors possess excellent skills with kata.
Currently aboard -- starting with World and Olympic champion Anton Geesink of the Netherlands down through such famous champions as Japan's winning Olympic trio Iasso Inokuma, I. Okano, and Nakatani, as well as Japan's three-time all-Japan champion A. Kaminaga and the currently reigning All-Japan titlist S. Sakaguchi, Canada's Douglas Rogers, and A. Kiknadze of the USSR -- all are, without exception, kata experts. As a sidenote of interest, All-Japan championships on a truly national basis began in 1948; all winners -- two of whom have been world champions -- were and are kata experts.
European past international "greats" who were and still masters with kata include France's B. Pariset and H. Courtine; Belgium's H. Outlet; and Great Britian's C. Palmer, G. Gleeson, and G. Keer.
So much for who does kata in expert fashion; let's see what kata is.
Finding out what kata really is, its purposes, and how to employ it in training is not as easy as you might imagine. But one fact is sure; merely turning to the average daily Judo scene for this information will not produce the answer. Kata as practiced today (perhaps with rare exception) is not the kata intended by the founder, Jigoro Kano, and is not giving optimum benefit to Judoists who perform it. Just why this is a fact requires some discussion.
In my own experience, as I saw more and more kata, I knew that something was amiss; just what that "something" was, however, eluded me. All I could see -- and what you too will see if you take time to look around -- was a meaningless, arid "dance of shadows" in each kata performance. Largely, kata was an exhibition; there was no modern-day training application for it. I became suspicious and immensely intrigued; for, knowing full well the practical and efficient mind of Jigoro Kano, the designer of Kodokan Judo, I knew that he would not give kata such weak intention. Kata for him must have had an efficient function and a definite role to play for judo.
I began with a comprehensive survey of all Judo books published. Every major work on kata ever published, including those in Japanese language, was included. They brought absolutely little or no help for, at best, they are all incomplete, being filled with technical gaps that leave many major issues unanswered. The only exception, in my opinion, was found in the two works of T.P Leggett, The Demonstration of Throws and the Demonstration of Holds, and one Japanese classic. While giving thorough technical details, they however lacked the practical application of kata to training.
Still perplexed, I fell upon the idea of interviewing the oldest and most experienced sensei I could find in Japan. Surely, if this information was unrecorded, it must be in the minds of the oldsters. I was only partially right in this thought. In the interviews, all sensei spoke of modern-day kata as being far off the track. They pointed out technical discrepancies on the current mat-scene which convinced me more than ever that the real truth about kata was not getting out to the modern Judoist, not even from those who knew. The reasons for this apparent laxness will not be discussed in this article. It is sufficient for our purpose to know that it is fact.
In one of my interviews I had the good fortune to meet with the former secretary of Jigoro Kano, who told me that I would find interesting and complete information on kata among the founder's personal technical notes and diaries. These sources, plus the classic work on kata written by Yamashita and Nagaoka (now out of print) and edited by Jigoro Kano himself, were filled with the original concepts of kata. Since he was in possession of those documents, he offered to let me peruse them. I jumped at the chance and found exactly what I had been looking for all these years. I want now to pass on to you some of the information that I discovered, limiting it for the sake of brevity to discussions other than pertinent to specific techniques.
First of all, the great fighting systems of Japan, the bugei, were made effective and were actually constructed from kata. Whether systems of "empty-hand" fighting like jujitsu, bladed-weapon systems like kendo (formerly kenjutsu), or stick systems such as embodied in jodo (formerly jojutsu), all of them became "fighting" systems because of kata. Under no circumstances did these great systems get strong simply by having various combatants getting in and "mixing" it. It was a normal process of "walking before running" in which efficient movements and technique was first designed, tested, improved, and finally standardized through the media of kata. Kata always preceded randori and the true combative test, the shinken shobu. Jigoro Kano, in his synthesis of Kodokan Judo from jujitsu and other combative systems, recognized this necessity and did not build his famous Judo system in a free "hammer-and-tongs" type of training.
In practical terms, translated for your training, this means that unless you have technique built and working for you, you cannot hope to compete effectively on sporting contests because you will not have the proper skills. You too must learn to "walk before you run." The difference between great champion Judoists and those who just putter around and never make it is largely due to the amount of time spent in developing tools to work with -- techniques and a strong body. There is no better way of achieving this than by a balanced use of kata study as a regular supplement to training. Each technique of kata has a basic principle which, if understood and mastered in kata form, can easily be applied to variations which will broaden and strengthen Judo performance in general.
It is also significant that you know that Jigoro Kano thought highly of nage and katame no kata and referred to them under the combined title of randori no kata. His insistence on this term should tell you immediately that they are inseparably linked to randori. The founder thought of these two kata as the basic foundations to every Judoist's skill -- fundamental building blocks by which a Judoist might develop his techniques as broadly as possible. He expected all Judoists to make a regular study of kata.
Still another important issue about kata is that the founder did not want kata to be purely a ceremony. In all his technical notes, the underlying idea is "take the ceremony out of kata." What this implies is that, while kata is an excellent manner by which to display or exhibit Judo, this should not become the fundamental purpose of kata. Kata properly applied belongs in the training of all Judoists; kata is a training method, a "tool," if you will. By the founder's thought, full Judo maturity cannot be achieved without substantial doses of kata applied throughout the Judo life of each Judoist.
Kata is an intrinsic training method of Kodokan Judo, and it has two distinct developmental stages. The first of these is the "doing" stage -- a time when we must study and practice it so that we can gain a mechanical understanding of it. It is a time when we are concerned with each and every technical detail. At this stage, kata is of little training value as a completed training tool; we are simply shaping this tool for later use. After we have a rather good technical basis for kata and can give a rather polished performance of it, then we can put it to use and find answers to technical problems about the various techniques it embodies. This is what can be referred to as the "using" stage. Then and only then will kata become truly useful. Each Judoist differs in his learning ability, and it is difficult to generalize about when to begin kata study and when to expect that a Judoist can attain the "using" stage. Though kata can be begun at almost any level of Judo experience, it is perhaps best started at the sankyu level; and with constant study and practice, allowing two or three years in which to complete the "doing" stage, a Judoist can, after that, put it to optimum use.
Inherent in each technique of kata are "lessons" essential to an understanding of that technique, basic and variation factors which enhance the polished performance of the technique for randori and shiai. In direct practical terms for training, this means that kata can teach the reasons why a technique will succeed or fail in randori or shiai application. However, in order to be able to find those "lessons" in the kata, the Judoist must have developed his kata out of the "doing" stage into the "using" stage.
That kata is a prearranged exercise is perhaps the source of the biggest misunderstanding. To most Judoists and many inexperienced instructors, this "cooperation" has come to mean that tori is always a "winner," uke going down to a well-deserved "defeat." It also comes to mean that uke, in his cooperation, must "jump" for tori, trying his best to make the whole performance look good. Nothing could be more erroneous or injurious to the use of kata as a training tool. To see this, let us turn back to the two developmental levels of kata, the "doing" and "using" stages discussed earlier.
Kata performed as an exhibition or demonstration is largely a "doing" type of kata. By the nature of demonstration, kata used in this fashion always sees tori emerge victorious to graphically show technical aspects about Judo in informing or entertaining an audience. Ukes cooperation here, however, must not be one of "jump" for tori, in spite of the predetermined condition of "losing" to tori. Kata, as a demonstration, is but a shallow and limited usage of kata; it is not the primary purpose of kata, though most tendencies in modern Judo restrict it to this role. But, even here, if correctly performed as the founder intended, it is a beneficial performance.
Kata, performed as a "using" type of exercise, will see the failure of many attempts by tori to apply his techniques; tori will not always "win."
This is as it should be, if kata is being used correctly. The kata is thus an evaluation device with registers incorrectly applied technique and can reveal the reasons why tori is failing to produce the correct results. In nage no kata, uke makes only predetermined efforts to foil, and tori beforehand realizes these actions are to come. In spite of this knowledge, should the technique not come off well, it is a very definite sign tori is not applying his technique properly. How can he, under failure with a cooperative uke, expect to "defeat" a non-cooperative uke in randori or shiai? In katame no kata, after certain preliminaries, uke is free to actively, and in an undetermined way, extricate himself from toris technique. Ukes escape actions are not prearranged, except to the extend of utilizing legitimate Judo methods. If, with this "perfect" chance to immobilize uke, tori fails, how can he ever hope to immobilize a uke who, from the beginning, is struggling to defeat him?
Cooperation in kata is only a limited one which requires uke to be in a certain position at a certain time so that tori can apply the required technique. This arbitrary preparation does not include the "jumping" of uke or feeble attempts to grapple with tori. In nage no kata, uke is thrown down and thrown hard! In katame no kata, uke is held, choked, or arm-locked effectively, or uke is at liberty to escape. This is the founders intended "use" of kata; nothing less an interpretation has optimum value.
When speaking of the prearranged nature of kata, I found something in Jigoro Kanos technical notes which was a "bombshell" to me -- at least until I thought it out. I pass it on to you. How many times have you heard a Judoist say, "kata.....nah. Never use it for training. Im a believer in uchikomi as the best way to learn a technique"? Heres the "bombshell": In the founders mind, uchikomi is kata. Think about it. In uchikomi we have nothing more than a prearranged method of working with our uke. We repeat certain actions against his more-or-less cooperative self. We both know what is going to happen.
I am rapidly exceeding the space allotted to me, and so I cannot give you much more data; but I do want to leave you with two more important aspects about kata. The first of these is that from the onset, as you study and practice kata, you must have a thorough understanding of the basic roles of tori and uke from the standpoint of who is attacking. On the surface, this sounds like a silly statement; but since the essence of the kata is here, let us take only a brief general look at it.
Generally, it can be seen that uke attacks tori and by skillful, correct maneuvering, tori manages to overcome uke. This is not always the case! In nage no kata, there are certain techniques where uke only wishes to attack; he "thinks" about attacking and has the attack initiative "stolen" from him by tori. Still another, uke attacks, loses the attack initiative, regains it, and loses if finally. The technical explanation here is involved and is related to what is known as different stages or sen or "initiative": we cannot delve into this here. I merely wish to alert you to the fact that, unless you know each and every technique from the standpoint of who attacks and defends and the interchange of attack initiative, you cannot hope to perform kata correctly. Only competent instruction can guide you here; seek it out.
Finally, many Judoists complain that kata is subject to instructor interpretations, "How can I do kata when one teacher says one thing and another says something else?" The question is pertinent and so important that I want to squeeze it in here. Kodokan kata is standardized. There is a technically "right" way (only one); but you must bear in mind that, by natural evolution, Kodokan kata has changed over the years. From the founders time, there have been modifications -- even the actual changing of techniques. In 1960, the Kodokan sought and got the agreement of all master Judoists in Japan, formulating a standard method of kata. Therefore, Judo instructors who are not up to date on this standardization may be using older concepts no longer in vogue. Other variations in teaching are usually the result of personalized versions or lack of knowledge about kata. Thus, the selection of a qualified up-to-date instructor is vital to your getting the truth about kata for your training.
Along these lines, you should also know that Kodokan kata, while standardized, is not the only Judo kata existent. There have been various attempts by high-grade Judo instructors from Japan to establish private kata or interpretations of Kodokan kata. The matter becomes not so much a matter of which kata are "right" and which are "wrong" as understanding that this divergence exists. But the thing you can be sure of is that a standardized Kodokan kata exists; and if you are interested in it (and you should be), you will perhaps have to search it out from quite a variety of kata styles.
Kata is vital to Judo maturation -- both to the Judo as a system, and to you as an individual Judoist. It must be emphasized as a training method, not a demonstration. The truth about kata is not currently being placed before the Judoists of the world, and they have every right to label what they now see being passed off as kata, as something weak and almost useless. They are right about true kata. It is a case of the singer, not the song.
PART 2: JU NO KATA
Donn Draeger
So-called "Forms of Gentleness," as the ju no kata is referred to, is a grossly misinterpreted standard of Kodokan. As performed in modern-day judo, it contributes little more than restricted and token help to judo training. Ill begin by qualifying this statement.
The Japanese ideogram ju coincides in form and meaning with its Chinese prototype, though not taken from Chinese conceptual sources. it was merely adopted as a Chinese ideogram for phonetic purposes. Ju denotes various meanings in the Oriental mind which, in the English language, can be approximated only by concepts including: gentleness, softness, pliancy, yielding, tractibility, submissiveness, weakness, harmoniousness, as well as a state of being at ease. All of these denotations involve philosophical complexities of absoluteness and are not relative or practical connotations. Herein lies the source of the error.
The usual word selected for the international interpretation of the ideogram ju is "gentleness." This, however, is compounded and confused by the fact that the Japanese, including Jigoro Kano, endorsed it. But the word gentleness had a different meaning to Jigoro Kano than it had for the westerner.
Not only has the interpretations of the ju no kata been undermined, but the very principle of judo has become warped and distorted from the original Kanoian thinking.
Westerners have accepted the Japanese selection of the word "gentleness" and have, arbitrarily, without familiarity or regard for the founders intentions, taken the word in its absolute denotation. By this absoluteness, "gentleness" has come to imply only soft, prissy, almost mamby-pamby sort of action or the "la-de-dah" type of movement which admits to no great application of muscle strength. Under this interpretation of "gentleness," judo is all yield. To yield is esteemed, while hardness is shunned. Thus armed with this conceptual error, western Judo instructors are developing a "soft" Judo, thinking it to be in line with the founders ideas. Persistence in this type of thinking is doing great damage to western Judo (just as it did to jujitsu in Japan) and is certainly not in concept with the intention of the founder, Jigoro Kano, who always took exception to the abstract philosophical view and insisted on the narrower, but relative and practical outlook.
There is a large amount of documentation to support the Kanoian thought; but somehow it isnt being seen, or if it is, it is not being correctly read or understood. In Jigoro Kanos own writings we find:
... by giving way, a contestant may defeat his opponent; and as there are so many instances in Jujutsu (Judo) contests where this principle is applied, the name Jujutsu (Judo), the "gentle" or " giving way" art, became the name of the whole art.
Such is the principle of ju. But, strictly speaking, real Jujutsu (Judo) is something more. The way of gaining victory over an opponent by Jujutsu (Judo) is not confined to gaining victory only by giving way.
Here it is evident that the founder did not consider "gentleness" to be "softness" or "yielding" as the entire makeup of the principle of Judo. He indicates that still another facet is inherent, by continuing:
Sometimes a person takes hold of his opponents wrist. How can someone possibly release himself without using strength against his opponents grip? The same thing can be asked when somebody is seized from behind around his shoulders by an assailant. If thus, the principle of giving way cannot cover all the methods used in Jujutsu (Judo) contests, is there any principle which really covers the whole field? Yes, there is; there is one principle which consistently emerges: In any form of attack, to attain our objective we must make the best use of our mental energy and physical strength. This is also true in defense.
It is now clear that the founder recognized the necessity of using strength to overcome some forms of resistance and included resistance itself within the principle of Judo. It is not the factor of strength that Dr. Kano opposed, but its misuse. Ju, in the principle of Judo, stresses flexibility in change or the adapting to any situation and economizing mental and physical energies
Perhaps a better interpretation of ju would have been "flexible" or "flexibility"; although these too, tend to narrow the tone. Yet, they seem to approach more closely the founders idea of ju.
The ju no kata is an exercise making use of the practical interpretation of "gentleness" -- not its idealistic, absolute, and impractical meaning which most westerners attribute to it. As a kata, it is really not "gentle" at all. In the absolute sense. As a properly performed exercise, it is a smooth, efficient application of mental and physical strengths, a harmony of movement combining hardness and softness in economic balance, making the kata completely functional. In this kata there are moments of yielding and resisting in both roles of tori and uke; never is there a yielding action solely.
This fact provides an interesting test to its effect on Judoists who think it a useless exercise. If any well-conditioned Judoist will perform this kata correctly with a master performer, first as uke then as tori, he will find that no matter how well conditioned he may be, this kata will cause him to be covered with perspiration; his body muscles will "scream" in protest under the contractions and extensions imposed on them. To permit him to take each situation correctly, he would experience the actual moments of "softness" and "hardness" and the necessity for flexibility, both mental and physical. He would come away from this experience with a new and deep respect for ju no kata.
Figure 1. shows a correctly executed ukigoshi movement of the kata as its moment of climax. Compare its technical correctness of almost hyper-extended legs, lowered head, and flattened back with a pronounced lean to the right side, to the same movement being incorrectly performed in Figures 2 and 3.
Those Judoists unfamiliar with correct ju no kata technique might arbitrarily approve of the form in Figures 2 and 3. However, this form is filled with technical errors. Primarily, it is incorrect because the knees remain bent. They have not been fully extended. The upper body of tori is inclining instead of declining and has no lean to the right. Toris head is being dropped. This fact tends to round or hump the back, and make it impossible to "table" for ukes use. Only a very skillful uke shown in these photos would have been able to salvage some exercise benefit for herself. Tori gets no real exercise benefit from the form shown, and perhaps comes away discouraged with the whole thing.
Todays concept that ju not kata is not functional and that it is fit only for girls training as a dance or game is entirely wrong. Speaking with Professor Aida, the leading Kodokan authority on ju no kata, I found that the Professor had learned directly from Jigoro Kano. He proved to be a wealth of information.
While ju no kata may be ideally adapted to womens training, it was not the founders idea to restrict this kata to the womens dojo. In order to understand this better, let us take a brief but important look into the historical foundation of Judo.
In developing his Kodokan Judo system, Jigoro Kano was aware that a still older judo system existed, the Jikishin school. It represented a practical approach to combative exercises by being a synthesis of jujutsu systems. In one sense, it was a challenge to the Kodokan system. However, with jujutsu on the decline in the Meiji Period (1868 - 1912), anything similar in nature had little chance of survival. Professor Kano thus labored under terrific handicaps in bringing about a national interest and governmental recognition for his Kodokan system. By his tremendous foresight and his experience as an educator, he knew that unless his Judo system could obtain official governmental sanction, it too, was doomed along with jujutsu systems.
To achieve this sanction, he appealed to the Ministry of Education. Before he could do this, however, he had to show that Kodokan Judo differed from jujutsu as an educative entity in accord with the modern democratic society. One of the ways by which Professor Kano obtained approval for Kodokan Judo was through the ju no kata. It helped bring Judo into the educative sphere and meet the requirements and criteria characteristic of modern societys educational needs.
When properly performed, ju no kata gives a balanced exercise for the whole body. Constant use of this kata over an extended time period results in a harmoniously developed, flexible, and strong body, as well as giving the user the fundamental mechanics for sport and self defense Judo applications.
Professor Kanos original idea was for all Judoists, regardless of age or sex, to study and practice ju no kata. Ideally, it was to begin at an early age. Through constant practice, sound bodies could develop which might otherwise be less harmoniously developed by randori alone. Ju no kata was to be continued during adult training too, but with lesser need for body development. The higher skill of the adults with this kata permitted them to study applications of Judo mechanics and self-defense. A Judoist who might start late in life would be given ju no kata practice in order to bring his body condition to a more suitable level for randori.
The tendency to let girls "take over" ju no kata has, in the opinion of many Judo experts, seriously weakened its intrinsic values. This parallels one other such case in Japanese martial arts history. Originally, the naginata, a long halberd-type of bladed weapon, was a formidable weapon in combat. It remained in male samurai hands until the Tokugawa Period (1614 - 1867). As an effective weapon requiring perhaps the least amount of physical strength to make it combatively effective, the weapon was given to samurai women as their combative "baby." Their consequent development of it has brought the naginata jutsu to todays level of combative degeneration, and it has become largely an aesthetic practice. The nature of women making physical exercise beautiful, graceful, and the like, is similarly affecting the Kodokan ju no kata. even in Japan it has deservedly gained the appellation of odori no kata, or "dance forms," and is the subject of ridicule by most young male Judoists who have never had sufficient experience to realize that this is not true ju no kata.
It is another case of the singer, not the song. The ju no kata of today can qualify only as a moderately good exercise, but it falls far short of the original Kanoian form. If efforts were to be made to recover the original form and if Judoists were to study and practice this kata as part of their normal training, all would benefit. Apparently, the limiting factor is the inability to find instructors who know and are able to teach the original form. Until this adjustment is made, Judoists will go on referring to it as "useless" and a waste of training time, and something which should be restricted to female trainees.
Judo instructors charged with placing and maintaining Kodokan Judo within educational institutions should realize that unless ju no kata is included as a regular part of Judo training, Judo is narrowed. It will not meet the criteria required of the Principle of Judo applied to self-defense situations; and unless the instructors are qualified through experience with this kata, he cannot hope to understand these elements. Nor can he teach this kata properly. The present day deficiencies in applying this kata to training can only be remedied by instructors who take the initiative to restore the Kano form.
Kodokan emblem
While the old form, jujutsu, was studied solely for fighting purposes, Kano's new system is found to promote the mental as well as the physical faculties. While the old schools taught nothing but practice, the modern Judo gives the theoretical explanation of the doctrine, at the same time giving the practical a no less important place.
.....T. Shidachi, 1892
RRouuselot said:
My appologies Sir, I should have been more specific. I was making a ref. to kata as you'd see done in TKD, Shotokan, Kenpo, etc. Thanks for posting the links! :asian: That being said, we could even say that boxing has 'kata'. The combos that are thrown, jab cross, jab cross hook, etc. are preset moves or combos that are put together in a certain way. However, when stepping into the ring, they are not always put together in that way..hence, being able to have an understanding of whats being done.
Mike
RRouuselot
Master of Arts
MJS said:
Exactly!
Kata in Karate are the same. In a kata techniques are "strung" together for the sake of memory.....not because that is the way they will happen in a real fight. Nobody knows what will happen in a real fight.
Basically I think the problem with kata is that most non-Japanese users of the word don't know what the word kata really means and therefore don't understand what they think they dislike or like as the case may be.
