“The foundation of karate is the kihon (basic techniques), the kata (forms), and the kumite (sparring). Upon these three rest all technique, all speed, all strength and all progress in karate. They are, in essence, one. And they must be studied as one: without the kihon basic techniques, there can be neither kata nor kumite. Likewise, kata separated from kumite is simply rote movement unseasoned with the knowledge that comes from application. Finally, kumite without kata loses the characteristic agility and effortless smoothness inherent in karate. Kihon is kata is kumite.
At the JKA, we emphasize all three of these equally and simultaneously.
Through years of training and experience, we've developed a unique and unrivalled system of kihon techniques. We put tremendous focus on the fundamentals, teaching scientifically and step-by-step the proper posture, balance and angle of each specific movement. As with most things, continuous repetition is essential, for if you get the fundamentals wrong, there can be no further progress.
After mastering the kihon, you move on to the kata, the core of all karate skills. In kata, there is no wasted or meaningless movement. So we emphasize repeating them over and over again. Through constant repetition, your body learns to move automatically, effortlessly and efficiently. Over time, the techniques become unconscious, rather than deliberate mechanical movements. You can do them without thinking, which frees your mind to be still and experience the dynamics of that moment.
At the JKA, we've refined the kata to be more applicable in kumite sparring. Through the techniques learned in the kihon and practiced in the kata, you discover how to respond to situations naturally and freely, and apply your techniques appropriately as the circumstances demand.
And that's when the true power of karate can be known. When your entire being —body and mind—explodes forward and downs the opponent with one blow, it is called kime. Kime is the ultimate purpose of the kihon-kata-kumite trinity.”
This approach towards karate training, which removes personal preferences and requires strict adherence to it’s training methods, has produced some of the worlds strongest and finest karate-ka. Another benefit to this approach was that it was easy to duplicate and allowed for the rapid spread of JKA Shotokan from it’s creation in 1949 to it’s presence in over 100 countries around the world today. The basic movements of a properly trained karate-ka should be almost identical to that of another karate-ka that lives and trains thousands of miles away. That is the goal of the formal, systemized training that the JKA is famous for.
When we are asked, “what style of karate do you train?” , our broad answer is “JKA style Shotokan”, which to me is defined as having a heavy emphasis in kihon, or basics, with countless hours of repetition of core techniques in low stances which build strength and power which translate into precise kata and effective kumite skills. After years of training, a karate-ka begins to infuse their karate with their own style or “flavor”. That’s what this assignment is about. We were asked to identify the characteristics that set Shihan John McClary / Shihan Steve Robinson Best Karate Shotokan apart from JKA Shotokan. During our last session, Shihan McClary asked us to define Best Karate; does it have a set number of kata; do we recognize outside influences? He spoke directly to this by asking Sensei David Kremin, a Tang Soo Do practitioner, to teach a specific concept during our last class. He went on to remind us that we don’t just tolerate techniques and teaching from other styles, we are happy to experience them and incorporate them into our own training!
I consider myself fortunate in that I had no training experience prior to becoming a student at Best Karate, so I didn’t have to make adjustments to techniques or break any bad habits because I was starting from scratch. This benefit however, has proven to be difficult in putting this assignment together because I don’t have a physical point of reference to compare with. I do have a visual point of reference from dozens of hours of reviewing video and watching students from other schools performing at tournaments. One thing that I have been able to do, even with my limited experience, is to identify students from the same school simply by the way they move. Students tend to take on the characteristics and style of their Sensei and so to define our particular brand of Shotokan, what would an outside observer see in our movement that would identify us as students of Best Karate?
Quoting Shihan McClary, “the key is a word that Nakayama used in his first English publication, Dynamic Karate”. He then asked us to look up the definition of the word “dynamic”. This definition, along with the observations of our instructors, would help us define what Best Karate Shotokan was all about. The definition of the word is as follows:
1. energetic; vigorous; forceful
2. marked by usually continuous and productive activity or change.
Best karate’s trademark is this “dynamic” movement which can also be described as “electric” movement. Everything we do is done with the intention of stopping our opponent immediately. Defensive movements become offensive, blocks become strikes, and our whole body is engaged to the point that any contact with our opponent is painful for them and they are either defeated or deterred from any further action. It is important to note that this is not a departure from traditional training. Beginners are strictly drilled in basics with occasional hints of what is to come. Proper placement of the feet, hips, tanden, hands, shoulders, knees, etc. are the focus of their training. After months of training, the individual karate-ka has hopefully developed the strength, stamina, and technical precision required to fully appreciate the advanced concepts that will begin to be shared with them. The emphasis begins to shift to the concepts of expansion, contraction, vibration, rotation, and kime. It is these concepts, when properly drilled, that provide the “electric” movement that becomes our signature.
When performing kata, our movement is again characterized as dynamic. As a style, Shotokan’s signature kata is Kanku-Dai, and taken a step further, the signature kata for Best Karate is Bassai-Dai because it provides the perfect opportunity to show the emphasis that we place on hip rotation and forceful, rapid movement. Of particular note is the movement from the left arm uchi uke from a high zenkutsu dachi to the first right arm shuto uke in kokutsu dachi. While other karate-ka would be satisfied with simply stepping forward into the stance, we are taught to emphasize rapid and forceful rotation of the hips 180 degrees, while contracting the body down, and finally exploding into the shuto uke. This type of movement is carried on throughout the kata, with every technique having the potential to inflict pain or stop the opponent. It is not simply performing the movements quickly, but with intention and purpose that defines our brand of Shotokan.
While consistently training in the traditional 26 (27) Shotokan kata, Best Karate has taken this a step further by incorporating several other kata, most of them created by Asai Sensei, into our curriculum. Asai Sensei was well known for his “unorthodox” fighting style which was also described as being dynamic, constantly moving and shifting, using the whole body as a weapon. The kata that he developed are designed to develop this ability and most importantly, allow us to train to move in directions that the original 26 kata do not emphasize thereby expanding the possibilities of movement for us during kumite. Again, it is this willingness to “look outside of the box” and learn from individuals outside of our direct lineage that makes us different from the JKA. There have been other incredible karate-ka that embraced this philosophy, among them, Asai,
Earlier, I gave one of the definitions of “dynamic” as being marked by usually continuous and productive activity or change. Nothing can better describe Best Karate kumite than that! Instead of the posing and occasional one or two step frontal attack, Shihans McClary and Robinson like Asai Sensei are also well known for rapid and continuous shifting of the body, left, right, front, back, up, down, and the flurry of attacks that accompany this movement.
When giving the definition for dynamic, I purposely bolded the words continuous and productive. This is because the movements that we attempt to emulate are not done just for the sake of jumping around, but like our kata, also have purpose and intent behind them. The rapid shifting of the body makes us a difficult target and gives us an opportunity for our opponent to make an error in judgment and become vulnerable to our attack. When we do attack, each technique has a purpose behind it and are almost always done in rapid succession causing confusion and retreat. Having experienced this first hand while training with Shihan Robinson I can attest to the effectiveness of this.
While still remaining true to our JKA roots and our traditional training, we are part of the evolution of Shotokan karate by sharing the teachings of Shihan John McClary’s and his flavor and style as passed down to his top student, Shihan Stephen Robinson who is teaching and inspiring a whole new generation of students. As Kenshusei, we have the distinct honor of being part of that legacy.
Luis Santana
Triangle’s Best Karate
February, 2008
1 comment:
Thanks Sensei Luis for your article and teaching me the importance of control in counter punches :-)
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