Why karate kata are important.
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“Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.”
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This quote by Bruce Lee, I believe, means that those who refuse to change their beliefs in spite of the evidence, will never see the truth. You can show them facts and they’ll deny them. They maybe even a lost cause.
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Karate is practical, it is not just a question of gathering knowledge. In other words, one becomes proficient through hard, regular practice, not just by reading about it or watching a YouTube video.
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As an example, there are those with limited knowledge (walking in the darkness), who believe that kata are fundamentally useless and see them as just a way to pass the next belt. (Why do they practice karate?)
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But be reminded that the two person drills, which dealt with combative methods and principles (not ippon…sambon drills), which kata are based upon, came first. Kata were created for us to remember those drills……
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“Drilling with partners is obviously the best way to work combative methods, but kata means we can not only drill with a partner, but we can also drill some more without a partner. The more practice we can get, the better we can get.” ~ Iain Abernethy
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If practiced correctly, kata is a superb way to ensure that the transmission of strategies, tactics, techniques, principles etc of a system are learned and passed along. Using solo templates to record and drill combative methods. Surely the best way to record physical techniques is via a physical medium, and during this period of isolation and social distancing, kata means even more.
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“Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.”
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Treasure, explore, and look deeper into your kata…..Seek the light. ??
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? Photo Credit: Leigh Simms