What is Kata
The martial art of karate developed on the island of Okinawa under the influence of Chinese kempo; under the historical backdrop of the domination of the Satsuma feudal lords. It is believed to have developed in a unique way. The major characteristic is that it was transmitted orally, using no written training manuals. An exception to this is the "Bubishi" of the Naha style, but that is really believed to be the transmission of the White Crane kata of Chinese Kempo.
A major difference between Okinawan karate and karate practiced on the mainland is that because it was prohibited by law, Okinawan karate was practiced in secret, and passed down orally. On the mainland, while there were some schools, which adhered to the principle of "Mongai fushutsu", or keeping the knowledge within the school, for the most part, many styles were given names and transmitted openly.
Characteristics of martial arts of the mainland are:
1.Since katas are practiced with two people, the roles of defense and offense are clearly defined so the use of the techniques is easy to understand.
2.There are instructional manuals. (Techniques are clear)
3.There is a system for advancement in rank.
4.The styles have names. (The lineage of instructors is clear.)
5.For the most part they have been handed down by masters who were part of the samurai class.
Okinawan karate, on the other hand, differs from other martial arts in that it was not taught in dojos, it did not give names to its styles, and it was taught in secret. The following are its characteristics:
1.It was passed down through katas performed individually.
2.There were no written texts.
3.The method of advancement was unclear.
4.There were no styles.
5.For the most part it was practiced by the samurai class, but because it was practiced in secret, there was no system, which clearly defined one person as the founder of the school.
In the end, the only thing we are left with in Okinawan karate is the katas. Thus, in order to know the meaning of karate, it is necessary to know the meaning of the katas, which have been passed down. In other words, we must clarify the katas, which have been left for us in order to know what the true nature of the original karate was.
Until now, most of the study of kata has been concerned with such literary issues as to which Chinese character to use or superficial things such as how each movement differs from style to style. There has been no written discussion, however, of the technical meaning of the actual techniques involved. I believe that it has not been possible due to various factors, such as problems within the different styles, or organizations, or between teachers and students.
The primary purpose of kata was to provide a record of offensive and defensive techniques. Of course the person who created a kata knew the meaning of its movements. There was a possibility, though, that future generations would not know the meaning of the movements by just looking at them, so there was a need to orally pass down the meanings of the techniques, so they could be could be recreated. As I stated earlier, if one understands the bunkai, or meaning of a kata, the external differences need not be such a problem.
The following guidelines are offered to help you approach your katas in this way
1, Practise and continually improve your performance of the katas.
2, Gain an understanding of the applications. All applications should be practised with real fighting in mind and not as choreographed karateka Vs karateka battles.
3, Practise the applications with a partner, who will become less and less co-operative as your skill increases.
4, Look behind the techniques for the principles, e.g. arm bars – forcing the opponent’s joint outside its range of motion using your own body in a way that creates maximum leverage.
5, Experiment by applying those same principles in differing situations, e.g. with the opponent in a different position, on the floor, on partners with differing physical builds etc. Be sure to look at how other martial arts apply the same principles and adopt those methods into your training if appropriate.
6, Spar using techniques that follow those principles in order to enhance understanding and skill in application
