Kata as strategy.

[Mr. Precision]

As well as being able to use the first move in heian nidan to dislocate someone's shoulder it looks to me like the kata teach strategy as well.

The juji uke through to empi sequence in heian yondan for example. It's six seperate techniques which just flow together rather too smoothly for coincidence.

[dickclark]

There are several views on kata. One is that each move is and of its self unique. Another is that they are a set of connected techniques. That is there are a string of movements, techniques, against a single opponent. Clearly the movements in Yondan give all the appearance of a continuous attack against one opponent. The opening in Nidan is more elusive. It can be describe as really done on the outside into an arm bar to the ground, as describe by Yamashita, or from the inside as a block and hammer to the head, or any number of thing. I feel that there needs to be enough to put the opponent down. One tap to me is not enough. So the block and single strike, although there, does not seem to be enough to put the dude down. The first, ending in a take down, seems to do the job better.
I would not so much call it strategy as much as a set of moves.

[AngelaG]

Have you read The Book of Five Rings?

[dickclark]

(groan), no, but your going to make me, are you not?

I think I have read parts over the years. not sure if any thing pops into my pudding head. have to check the book shelf at home and see what the kids have not used as coloring books.

[AngelaG]

dickclark said:

(groan), no, but your going to make me, are you not?

Not at all. It's just there is a LOT of talk about strategy in that.

dickclark said:

I think I have read parts over the years. not sure if any thing pops into my pudding head. have to check the book shelf at home and see what the kids have not used as coloring books.

To be honest I have only read parts myself, because it's incredibly hard going... and I don't really understand it all that much I'm not sure if it's the translation, but I find it very hard to make any real sense out of it.

[Aefibird]

It is hard work, but worth reading - expecially the 3rd or 4th time you read it as it is starting to make sense then! lol

[dickclark]

OK, it is on my shelf, and the kids have not colored to too much.
It is better than nothing, but just.

To use kata as a strategic tool, I must assume that you have some understanding of the kata of your choice, and the applications, so how do you make the opponent align themselves so you can use the nifty tools in the kata?

Well, if you have time I suppose you can work this out.

A more rational approach would be to have preset strategies already worked out a head of time, that work given a wide range of opportunities.

For example if you muff a punch and they grab your wrist there are at the minimum two methods in the Kata's (H1, H3) that have tools for this event.

This would seem to make more sense than trying to make them grab your wrist in order to use the tools. You could, but that would make you a pretty smart cookie in my estimation

[katamasta]

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