By: Jason Kraus
We continue our journey through the Karateka’s Library to the shelf that reads “Kata”.
There are literally thousands of books that explore kata, some useful, most useless. Many kata-related books include at least a few paragraphs or brief explanations that are useful to the inquiring student, but the three books that follow – I’ve found – are entirely useful on the subject and are books I frequently pull off the shelf when I’m deep in kata study.
25 Shotokan Kata by Sensei Sugiyama Shojiro
This book is the only book you’ll need to learn the outer movements of any of the 25 JKA-standard, mainline kata. Sensei Sugiyama’s book describes techniques used in each kata in three languages (English, Spanish, and Japanese).
But what is especially useful is that by using an easy-to-understand, non-linguistic key, the book details the complete rhythm and tempo of the kata plus the direction of the embusen relative to the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west).
Importantly, the pictorial explanation of the kata do not rely on photographs at all. One of the biggest problems with trying to learn kata from a book that relies on photos is that each photograph is only a snapshot moment in time of a single performer of a kata.
Less-than-ideal photos can lead to outright misinterpretations and subtle disagreements about the techniques used, foot positions, hip positions, shoulder positions, posture, and stance structure all based on how the model executes the technique.*
Even worse, photos often overemphasize the use of upper-body muscles, which most karateka already struggle with.
Karate is individual enough that when you see a photo of kata performance, you are seeing one karateka’s execution of technique at one moment in time based on their body. What is efficient and powerful for you may be slightly different from them.
This makes it very important to start from a clear foundation, which is what 25 Shotokan Kata is. This book details all aspects of a kata with clarity, brevity, and specificity. It is the most useful, Shotokan-specific kata book ever published.
The Way of Kata by Sensei Lawrence Kane and Sensei Kris Wilder is a wide-ranging instruction manual on keys to interpreting kata, useful for any martial art that relies on forms to communicate its methods.
Interpretation of kata can be a difficult thing. The intent and meaning of some techniques in kata are not exactly clear, to the point of being initially perceived as useless or even theatrical (I’m looking at you last-three-moves of Chinte…).
If you have the benefit of a skilled sensei, knowledgeable training partners, or even an insightful video, you can learn someone else’s interpretation of every technique. However, there are two problems with that.
First, the interpretation is someone else’s understanding specific to their own body and mentality. For example, a shorter person’s application of age uke can be significantly different from a taller person’s.
Also, if their interpretation of a technique involves striking someone in a potentially lethal area of the body and you are not comfortable with that, then the technique is not useful to you and you need a new interpretation.
Second, each technique in a kata has many – sometimes wildly different – applications. This means that ultimately if kata is to be more than a dance sequence to you, if it’s actually going to be useful to you, deep interpretation, thorough understanding, and unconscious, automatic application can only come from within you through many hours of mindful practice.
Kata has always been the best textbook to learn the art of karate, regardless of style or ryuha. But if you can’t read the text, then what good is the book? The Way of Kata is a Rosetta Stone for examining and interpreting kata in a way most beneficial to you as an individual student of the art.
This book explains the rules and principles necessary to open new avenues of study or even a fundamental reexamination of the most “basic” kata sequences. Topics such as “There is no block,” “Do not be deceived by the embusen rule,” “Cross the T to escape,” “The is no pause,” and others make clear that the understanding of kata is an ever-evolving process regardless of expertise.
This book also includes a lengthy section on the biological processes that happen to humans during physical conflict and how we can use kata to train ourselves how to go with that adrenaline-fueled, chaotic event for maximum utility.
Done well, kata ingrains the martial techniques and mindset necessary to defend yourself. The Way of Kata is practically a cheat sheet to getting the most from your kata study.
Five Years, One Kata by Bill Burgar is a completely unique book that details his deep devotion to practicing a single Shotokan kata – Gojushiho Sho in this case – over the course of five years to fully understand, realize, and ingrain the techniques until they become unconscious and devastatingly effective.
It is a roadmap on how the study of a single kata, done mindfully and scientifically, can provide the student with everything they need to defend themselves.
Years ago, a karate master would only actually know a handful of kata, be expert in fewer, and may only study a single kata for many years at a time.
In his autobiography “Karate, My Way of Life,” Sensei Funakoshi himself relates that he studied only Tekki for about ten years. Very few people these days can maintain such discipline or interest. This book demonstrates the value of such colossal effort.
Five Years, One Kata is probably the best single book ever printed on how to progress from learning the outer techniques of a kata to actual oyo (application) in real fight.
Each technique is measured against a specific criterion to determine its usefulness in qualities such as whether it’s proactive or reactive, useful against the most common attack types, maintains or surrenders initiative, maximizes the karateka’s safety and ability to keep fighting, whether it’s instinctive and can be used under pressure, and others.
Further, each oyo is explained with clear photographs (in this case useful) and includes variations of the technique based on how an opponent responds.
Even more, the book includes both solo and one-on-one partner drills to ingrain technique. The writing is absolutely clear and the photos are demonstrative.
Five Years, One Kata explains in detail how to move from mere performance of dance postures to aggressive application of technique against an attacker in a very mindful and clear way that karateka can use to dissect and explore their own favorite kata.
It is unsurpassed as a resource, worthy of rereading, and rewards diligent study. This is the kind of book that helps you learn the kind of karate that can save your life. It’s an extraordinary resource.
Jason Kraus is a lifelong martial artist. Jason spent decades in various martial arts including traveling to and living in both Japan and Korea. He has most recently returned to his first love, Shotokan Karate.
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