(Approx 2 minute 20 second read)

I’m writing about angles again as I had so many comments and messages about this, I want to try and make my case a little clearer.
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When you’re in the dojo and you begin to practice any step-kumite, drills, or sparring, you stand facing an opponent, right?
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So why is it that, when applying kata, some people stand still, staring straight ahead, as if waiting to be attacked from the left, right, or even behind?
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That makes no sense, does it?
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I don’t know about you, but for me, I want to face any opponent who wants to ‘get jiggy’ with me.
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I’ve written about this several times, and there are many people who argue that I am wrong. I welcome different opinions, and I remember a time when I too was taught this was the way to practice ‘bunkai’ applications.
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But for me, I believe this is a misconception.
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Forget for a moment what you have been taught. Is it logical that you would be waiting, looking straight ahead, staring into space, waiting to turn to face an enemy from the left, from the right, or from behind – that any turns you do make, in kata, represent where an enemy is attacking from?
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Doesn’t it make more sense, that you move TO an angle in relation to the enemy. The turn is not where they are attacking FROM.
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For example, many kata initially perform what seems like a left turn. But what you are actually trying to achieve is an angle in relation to your opponent. In other words, you have moved off their attack line.
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Consider this. Your initial movement may start by dealing with the appropriate arm that is leading the attack. Obvious right?
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As an example. If the attack starts with a push, shove or attempted grab by an enemies left arm, we can be pretty sure from this that a possible follow-up is about to come our way.
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By shifting left, off-angle, we can secure the push, shove, or grab from the left arm while simultaneously moving away from a likely follow-up – whether it’s a punch, head-butt, kick, or something else.
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Of course this can also be shown on the opposite side.
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An effective kata application should move us to a position of dominance with an attacker, to me this would not be directly in front of them.
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You can of course consider moving them off the attack line too.
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Any application which gets you to the point in which you are equal with your attacker, is not effective and useful. To be truly effective any position we obtain lies in achieving a dominant position.
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We don’t want to engage in any to-and-fro sparring match, we need to control and get the heck out of there.
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I have cited many quotes by pioneering instructors emphasized this principle, Kenwa Mabuni for one, who have told us this often neglected principle. But for some reason, the stand and wait principle is the one that many practitioners support the most.
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It may look impressive in a demonstration, I get it, but in reality standing staring into space waiting to be attacked from different directions makes absolutely no sense at all. Look at all the combative arts, or any combative sport, don’t they all face each other? Shouldn’t we? Makes sense doesn’t it.
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Written by Adam Carter