Kata - "Formal Exercise"

Kata are a traditional training method developed in a time when the practice of Martial Arts was forbidden and secrecy meant survival.

 

Kata practice is still completely misunderstood in the mainstream martial arts world, Solo Kata are a form of shadow boxing where the student practices linking movements together into combinations. Two-person Kata are used to develop the self-defence techniques, these are often mistaken as actual fighting but they are simply a way of safely learning how to apply the techniques. The practice of solo Kata and two-person Kata alone will not enable the student to be able to defend themselves, free fighting and pressure testing must also be employed.

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Solo Kata are a multi-purpose training tool that allows the student of Goshin Kenpo Jutsu to not only be able to train alone but also to retain the information learned in class. Repetition of movement develops correct technique, repetition of correct technique over time develops muscle memory, muscle memory then produces the correct technique under pressure.

 

Kata are an unwritten manual of techniques that are stored in your head allowing you to take them with you wherever you go. Each Kata has a specific purpose and introduces new principles and techniques as the student progresses. 

 

The first Kata Sanchin which translates as "Three Battles" which represents the development of the Heaven, Earth and Man Posture (this became more associated with body, mind and spirit in Japanese martial arts), Sanchin Kata is split over 4 grades, although it looks a fairly simple Kata to practice the depth of content requires at least 12 to 18 months regular training to fully grasp. After that each Kata, it's principles and techniques, are split over two grades so that they are fully understood before moving onto the next one.

 

The second Kata Seisan begins the intermediate stage of training and introduces the Luohan Thirteen Postures (aka Taoist 13 principles) these are the 8 gates and the 5 elements for power generation and footwork.

 

The third Kata Seiunchin (Seiyunjin/Seiyinchin) which translates as "Double Energy" in Okinawan or "Bear-Eagle Battle" in Chinese expands on the application of the 13 principles and the use of "Fa-Jing" or "Explosive Power". The Seiunchin Kata increases power development by using two power methods simultaneously. The Bear and the Eagle originate in Xin Yi Lui He Chuan (Heart Mind Six Harmonies Fist) and Hsing Yi Chuan (Mind Intention Fist), they are paired to work in opposites (Yin and Yang). The Bear uses heavy circular movements and the Eagle uses fast linear extended movements.

 

The fourth Kata Seipai which translates as "Eighteen" refers to the Eighteen Luohan Hands, a very old martial art style from the Shaolin Temple in Northern China which is said to be the foundations of virtually all modern Chinese and Okinawan fighting arts and even influenced Japanese Ju-Jutsu. The 18 postures were originally health based exercises that were adapted into self-defence methods, the eighteen hands provide the tactics for advanced self-defence methods and the Kata can be practiced as an advanced conditioning kata as well as for self-defence.

 

The final Kata contains the entire system this is represented by the number 108 or "Suparinpa" in the Okinawan dialect, "Ibailinba" in Chinese. This Kata is not the same as the Suparinpa Kata found in Goju Ryu and Shito Ryu Karate, it is based on an older Taiji Quan (Tai Chi Chuan) 108 movement form but done in a manner akin to Kenpo-Karate methods so that it does not hide the techniques from view. Taiji Quan's origins are in Shaolin Luohan Quan (Fist of the Enlightened ones), Tai Zhu Quan (Grand Ancestor Fist) Shaolin Rou Quan (Soft Fist) and Hong Quan (Flood Fist), the style was later adapted to include many Taoist Theories and concepts and In many South Shaolin styles a Taiji-like softer flowing form is always the last Kata teaching the highest level methods which are quite often associated with the animal methods of the Dragon, White Crane and the Monkey.