Pre-Emptive Techniques in Kata

[Dana Sheets]

http://karate-do.net/#

At the above page is an e-zine with articles from several instructors. The last articles is by Bill Burgar (UK) author of "Five Years, One Kata" and raises some interesting points about kata and also the concept of "logjam" in mental process.

For any given two assults you should be able to rank them as more likely/less likely and therefore should be able to rank all assults in the order of most likely.

...

Pre-emption is the natural outcome of Probability Theory.

...

"I believe that the Okinawans followed as similar line of thought to the probability theory. They knew the types of common attacks they would face and devised specific methods of defense. They used kata as a framework to help them practice those techniques. They only needed one or two kata because it is essential to reduce the number of techniques to a handfull in order to prevent undue hesitation when then the technique is required (called "logjam" by Peter Consterdine.) Therefore it is my belief that kata contain techniques which may be used to pre-empt many of the habitual acts of physical violence.

Is "logjam" really a risk? Can we have too many tools in the toolbox that are dull and none that are sharp?

[MikeK]

I think you can practice many techniques and have none wired into the firmware.

[Dana Sheets]

And that's bad. IMO. So how do things get "into firmware" the FAST Defense folks say things used under adrenal stress are formative.

How then, in our relaxed and friendly dojo, do we ensure that these skills are not just practiced but actually learned? And how, if it can exist, do we avoid the "logjam"?

[JimHawkins]

Don't think, feel!

In other words I suggest sensitivity drills that reinforce the desired concepts and use of tools.

[maxwell ainley]

Take the ryu with twenty thirty kata ? they must have thought it would work .Here again it all depends whos working the large number of kata / moves etc, .....input .

Most don't wish to highly work one kata ,yet obviously this will program the moves internal for starters ,when i made a choice to do this over thirty years ago no body i knew gave this concept much thought at all ,the amassing of material was top priority ,the major flaw I saw ,was a lack of daily commitment to these large kata number by most ,no one I knew was attempting to use moves out of Kusanku in sparring ,and thirty years later I still have not seen their use .
The first problem with working one kata is coming to terms with for the moment thats all you have got ,but if you tell your self you will program them at a faster rate you have a massive intial purpose .

[Stryke]

Good post Max

I agree less is more , I have a lot of kata filed away but find the themes and lessons are redundant after a while and the repeat .

I think understanding is the key point , Usually kata show variations on themes after a while , so understand the initial theme and you understand many more moves .

The problem occurs when they all become different techniques , rather than variations of principles .

I do few kata now , In fact Sanchin`s been my sole study for a while now .

I think knowing a few kata deeply is at least necessary to understand a lot of kata broadly .

better to have a few sharp good tools than a large collection of damaged tools .

But Max I`m keeping kusanku , it`s a good kata but took me along time to realise how it worked . To many changes over the years .

[2Green]

"The problem occurs when they all become different techniques , rather than variations of principles ."...Stryke.

So true!
The more I learn in Uechi, the less technique and the more principle I find.
So many various techniques all seem to be tied to only a few fundamental principles. This reduces the memory test, speeds up the recall under pressure, and ties a lot of material together that once looked like separate stuff to learn.

You might say, "it's getting harder, but it's getting simpler".

NM

[maxwell ainley]

Strike , Kusanku great kata

Could be a system in its own right ,plus again it could be singled out for more intensive attention .

Single kata study ,with say internalising the moves at a faster rate in preperation for combat effectiveness ,I love this concept ,and its a direct way into the kata ,but the major problem in teaching this way is hardly anyone wants it .
its sometimes nice to sit by the fire drinking coffee ,pondering a course of single kata study ,yet another putting it into practice ,taking action can pose major problems for interested people you will be virtually alone in this series of actions ,syllabuses just dont cater for this ,and 99% of teachers have no knowledge of single kata study ,has a total method of training ,remember its one thing relating many things back to say our sanchin ,but a totally different concept taking sanchin to all .

The second major problem is you have no crutches to lean on to whilst preparation for this ,fast internalisation program takes place .

A mantra for this could read ; to internalise this principle at all costs ,because sanchin is going to be taken to all .

[Stryke]

Good stuff

I agree Max , to go deeper into one aspect mostly requires an individual effort , not many are willing to teach that way . I think it really has to be an internal choice almost .

The realisation that less can be more .

You might say, "it's getting harder, but it's getting simpler".

me and Rick had this exact same discussion when talking kata , great minds think alike .

And Max I agree about Kusanku , It is a style to itself , the keystone of modern shotokan IMHO

I can see however that the Naihanchi were and perhaps that wasnt a bad thing .

thansk guys , thoughtfull stuff

[maxwell ainley]

To teach this way requires levels of knowledge of boredom ,and how to over come this threat ,so it follows knowledge is needed of human types .

Boredom leads to inertia ,as we know learning shuts down ,we end up going through the motions with little or no learning , but with the single kata principle we must get to grips with boredom ,or make provisions for its entrance at some date .
A conflict of sanchin is to face up to boredom and replace with interest ,but its got to come from within the student ,I could talk all day long about sanchin from a teaching viewpoint to stimulate constant interest, but I want the conflict to kick in ,internalisation must take boredom into account ,because its part of the slowing down ,when we want the opposite to move towards internalising combat moves at a faster rate .

Mantra; internalise at all costs .

Single kata study brings us closer to how our inner feelings work [sooner, we need this information ,because we are going to internalise quicker rapid fire moves ,and we don't want inner feelings playing havoc at a moment of truth ,and blocking these hard won principles firing like lightening .
A outcome of this type of study for general life is ; boredom will start to lose its hold over certain instances in our lives were we quickly connect to boredom mode ,you will apprehend more in all and most situations ,maybe things that you had no natural interest in ,we are taking sanchin into all.

[maxwell ainley]

A bit more on boredom ; it must affect across three things ,the mind the body and the spirit ,the mind may encounter boredom yet we find the body is still operating ,or the body starts to yearn ,for other things than say a single kata ,but the mind wants to actualise its goal internalising the single kata moves so they will readily function at truth time .
The spirit part of the single kata principle is slightly bored and not fully behind the mind or the body ,these three parts are seperate ,yet the mind likes the idea .
All three can influence or effect one and another ,conflict ;-the body and spirit are in conflict with the mind ,the idea is under attack from within ,regardless of all external
wisperings from outsiders to fail ,this is why traditionally a

single minded focus helped to at least stop the external
wispering from unserping the program .
Inner wisperings ,outer ones ,are in conflict with growing attention ,the body wants to stop ,the spirit too ,all these things are raining down fast and hard ,at attention at mental focus .


mantra ;internalise at all costs

[Stryke]

mantra ;internalise at all costs

[maxwell ainley]

There can be no single kata study with out mental focus ,yet mental focus does not guarantee internalisation ,the body too must focus ,and the spirit ,in other words we would have to get into the spirit of the principle for single kata study ,its got to enter our blood stream .
Now we are in a better position to learn, make no mistake of this ,we have also accepted for now less technique,this gives a lighter feel to digestion ,plus because the students consciousness is small at this stage , we have kept strickly to the bare essentials .

[maxwell ainley]

Thanks Strike,

That specific mantra is short term within a course of single kata technique internalisation ,taking into account individual input ,my own specific mantra was differant yet within its structure it encompassed that one .
For a interested individual the short term one is invaluable ,because it can reach and connect to long term ones ,so to me it as very positive value .

[maxwell ainley]

"How do things get into the firmware "
Each of us is a massive bundle of habits ,yet these are in there ,childhood ones / teen year ones then adult ones ,each of our conditioned habitual responces will ,if we observe , feel/see each connection to those three fields when and were at each occasion they change and appear ,we have soaked them up during each of those periods .

Now we can ask the question which of the three periods ,did we learn at a faster rate ?.

Plus we sometimes put our adult clothes on top of our old ingrained chidhood habits ?
In single kata study done right for a individual say from a sanchin viewpoint there will be a conflict between these three fields mentioned ,instinctivly as a conflict hits home it can jolt us to seek our best learning route whilst a more evolved learning route can put into place ,yet we still need at early doors to protect our mind from outside chatter and influence ,concentration is vital for this protection,so we are adding new stratergy to what our student already possess by way of best learning routes .

These things must be inbuilt into the framework of the teaching method .