 Modern
Karate has become very different from the Karate that had been trained
over the centuries in Okinawa, or after it was brought to the Japanese
main island, for that matter. You may say that it is progress or that it
is retrogression. It depends on how you look at it.
To pursue the original meanings or purposes of the techniques in Kata,
we first have to understand why and how the changes in Karate have happened,
and then trace them back to the originals. Those changes have been made
on a few occasions.
The Okinawan masters who came to the main island of Japan were forbidden
to pass down the true meanings or applications to the Japanese and taught
superficially with less information. Therefore, our seniors who trained
under them had to try to translate what they learned with their knowledge
and experience in Budo with the Japanese Bushi-Do Seishin (Bushi-Do Spirit,
or Samurai Sprit) behind it. That was the natural interpretation for them,
since Bushi-Do Spirit was an important part of Japanese culture and tradition.
I believe that this is how they started developing the Japanese style of
Karate and modifications were made, not intentionally but honestly and
purely, deviating from the Okinawan Karate, which was based on a different
cultural background. The approach to the martial arts in Japan was heightened
by Bushi or Samurai as a way of life in which they gave themselves a higher
moral or code of honor and respected their opponent at the same time. However,
in Okinawa, Karate was more like a means of survival - win a duel, whatever
it takes.
We can find a typical example of this in interpreting "Ikken, Hissatsu,"
meaning "One Blow, One Kill," because there are different philosophies
behind it. In Okinawa, it means to throw a finishing blow after grabbing
an opponent, pinning him down or taking him down to make a confrontation
for sure, as in "Hiki-te" (grabbing and pulling an opponent with
one hand whenever you attack.) On the other hand, in Japan, it means to
throw one clean finishing blow without any hesitation, putting everything
into it, like one full swing with a Japanese sword -- "Win with grace,
and lose with grace, as well." This is what Bushi-Do Spirit is all
about - living and acting gracefully and decisively with pride under any
circumstances and respect to others as well as opponents. I believe that
this is how we started losing the close fighting techniques behind the
movements in Kata - grab, hold down or throw an opponent followed by a
fatal punch or kick, which originally were the principal techniques in
Karate.
Another reason for the change happened when Karate started spreading a
little in Japan.
Those who made efforts to expand Karate in Japan wanted to make it the
third Budo, following Kendo and Judo. To differentiate Karate from Kendo
and especially Judo, which uses throwing, pinning and choking techniques
as its primary techniques, and claim Karate as the third Budo in Japan,
they removed the close fighting techniques, similar to the ones in Judo,
from the training curriculum, intentionally. This is why Karate became
specialized in Dageki-Waze (punching and kicking.) Therefore, Kata, which
was the fruit of many years of pursuit in Karate by great masters in Okinawa,
started becoming just a formality or losing its importance in Karate.
Especially when competing in Shiai (tournament style competition) which
started in the mid 1900s became popular, the change was accelerated and
became much clearer and greater. As a spectator sport, Kumite, which used
to be the way to confirm the effectiveness of the techniques in Kata, became
the game to compete for just its speed and timing, not so much for its
effectiveness, and Kata became the game to compete for just its beauty
in forms and flawlessness in movements regardless of the meanings behind
them, so that it looks good for spectators.
Now that Karate is becoming a very popular "sport" to compete,
not too much to pursue as Budo, it is time for us to go back to the origin
by tracing back the meanings in Kata, I believe. That is the reason why
I started holding the Kata Application Clinic, so that I can share my views
in Karate with you in depth, which is difficult to do enough during regular
classes.
I will try to hold them regularly, so don't miss them! |
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