(Approx 2 minute 50 second read)

If you were unfortunate enough to be attacked outside the dojo, doesn’t common sense tell you that getting out of the way would be a good idea?
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Kata is full of principles covering a wide range of scenarios, and one of the most important lessons is – getting off the attack line, or more precisely, obtaining an angle.
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Why is this important?
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Because any attack is at its strongest when it comes straight at you. If the attacker is driving forward, standing in front of them is the worst place to be. Shifting off the attack line so that they are no longer facing you straight on, while you maintain a direct line to them gives you an advantage.
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Yet, many practitioners follow the enbusen – the ‘performance line’ of kata – too literally.

Enbusen is a Japanese term, and while it shows how a kata is performed in a structured way, it does not dictate how real combat plays out. Okinawan karate may allow for slight variations in the path of movement, not necessarily adhering to a strict line.
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The concept of enbusen may have been influenced more by practical needs too – simply like having the space to practice.
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Some take this line to mean that attacks in kata always come from the directions shown in the pattern.
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Kenwa Mabuni addressed this misconception directly: “The meaning of the directions in kata is not well understood, and frequently mistakes are made in the interpretation of kata movements. In extreme cases, it is sometimes heard that ‘this kata moves in 8 directions so it is designed for fighting 8 opponents’ or some such nonsense.”
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He goes on to clarify: “When interpreting kata, one must not get too caught up in these directions. For example, do not fall into the trap of thinking that just because a kata begins to the left that the opponent is always attacking from the left.”
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And further: “The five Pinan kata show us that against an attack from the front, we can evade either left or right to put ourselves in the most advantageous position to defend ourselves.”
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There it is. Kenwa Mabuni, renowned for his deep technical knowledge of kata. And of course there are others of the same era saying the same thing.
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Yet, I’ve seen people argue: “Enbusen is used to show where the attack is coming from, not where the defender was moving.”
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But as we see from Mabuni’s own words, this simply isn’t the case.
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People will always have their own interpretations of terminology and techniques, and if what they do works for them, great. But the problem comes when some claim their way is the only way, because a particular sensei told them so. That kind of thinking is just wrong.
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The truth is, much of karate’s history has been lost to time. We don’t have a direct record of exactly how the founding fathers applied each movement in kata. However, we’re not completely blind either. Writings like those of Mabuni, Motobu, Toguchi and others, give us valuable insight into their thought process and training approach.
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We may not have an exact blueprint for every application, but through experience, common sense, and logic, we can get a pretty close understanding.
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Many kata give us options for dealing with a left- or right-handed attack – not necessarily an attack from the left or right. Of course, attacks can come from various directions, but the best-case scenario is always to move to an angle of dominance, not to a position where both parties are equal.
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At the end of the day, whatever application you prefer, the real question is: does it work in the context you’re training for? Can you apply it under pressure?
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The term not being of Okinawan origin makes no difference, the enbusen is not simply the line you follow to complete a kata. It informs you the angle to which you must take relative to the opponent for the technique to work at its optimum.
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If attackers came at you from predictable angles, self-defense would be easy. In truth, it’s not their position that matters – it’s yours.
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Written by Adam Carter
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Photo Credit: Takayuki Kubota