"Claim your FREE subscription to my "KarateTips" newsletter (a $69.95 value, yours free!)... You'll get access to the backlog of 40+ articles for improving your karate skills!" Simply enter your name and e-mail address below, and you will be subscribed INSTANTLY: Your First Name: Your Last Name: Your Primary E-mail Address: Important: I will never share your contact information with anyone. And you can unsubscribe at any time! Privacy policy.

-- Testimonials --

"I like your web site. Since I am a traditional Martial Artist it is nice to see the content... I think your web site is great for the beginner in martial arts and any new competitor to traditional Karate tournaments who wishes to improve. I hope you keep it up."

- Rodger Pyle
USANKF Team Coach

"I absolutely love the site and am so glad I found it after conducting endless searches for a decent and interesting site. The articles are great and I have already found someone who's training my style (Goju-Ryu) and is near to my grade, and we are chatting via e-mail. Thanks again."

- Fynn Robertson
Goju Ryu
South Africa

Learning Kata in 15 Minutes..."

From: Jason Stanley, 3rd Dan Shitoryu
8th March, 2004

It was September 1992.

The clock read 7.45 pm...

There were 15 minutes left in the class and we still hadn't learned the kata that Sensei had promised us... I was becoming disappointed. I'd been eagerly awaiting the entire course to learn the new kata...

I heard it was supposed to be a really cool advanced Shitoryu Kata. Perhaps you've heard of it or know it yourself.

The kata that I'm talking about is called Seipai.

I'd never seen Seipai before but from what I'd been led to believe it had some great moves, some very interesting bunkai, and was quite difficult to perform.

I'd heard whispers that it was a "black belt kata", maybe even a "3rd dan kata" and that we would love it...

I was so looking forward to learning it but there were only 15 minutes left in class - hardly time enough to learn it - and Sensei Tommy would not be back for another year... so I was bummed.

For the last 3 nights we'd been practicing our basic technique, some sparring drills & strategy, and loads of ippon kumite & self defense application. In fact for the previous 3 hours of the course we'd been doing just that...

While I really love self defense application, and though we learned so much fantastic stuff in that time, I was frustrated that we were just about out of time - and still hadn't learned Seipai.

Or had we?

On the command "yame!" we were all asked to line out to learn our kata. We quickly ran into our lines and assumed our ready position.

Thoughts were racing through my head...

"5 hours and 45 minutes of training.... no kata so far and we've got to learn it in 15 minutes!"

"Not a snowflake's chance in hell"

But then something amazing happened for me....

I can still remember and feel the sense of astonishment, and then immediately feeling ashamed. I had started to focus on the negative side of things rather than keeping an open mind. I guess I thought 15 minutes wasn't going to be long enough... but as it turned out the next 15 minutes proved to be ample time.

How was this possible?

Well as we made the second move of the kata it hit me like a ton of bricks. The "self defense" applications and the ippon kumite that we had been practicing for the last 3 hours were the exact bunkai from the kata we were learning.

We had actually spent 3 hours over 2 nights learning the precise movements for both attack and defense for every single move. All we had to do from here was to get the pattern embedded in our minds and refine the technique a little - but the basic movements and the understanding of what we were doing was already ingrained.

Undoubtedly these are the most critical aspects of learning kata - and this was a fantastic way to learn!

Not to mention what a surprise we all received. I don't think that anyone actually realized that we already knew the movements. It was like your parents telling you that you were going to get a new bike for Christmas, but when you looked under the tree on Christmas morning it wasn't there. Then to your amazement you did get your new bike - and not just the one you thought you were getting, but the top of the line with all the bells and whistles!

The first few movements I made with ease. When we changed directions, the movements were again natural and flowed like water through a pipe. I had already etched them into my mind and now we were simply building the pipe work.

The only thing we had to do for the next 15 minutes was ensure we learned which sequence followed the previous segment.

So we continued through the kata and put the entire thing together before the clock ticked over to 8.00pm. In those 15 minutes we were all able to learn and remember the new kata easily - as we'd already practiced the movements for the past 3 hours. We just didn't know that's what we were doing!

Now the reason I shared this with you is to illustrate 2 major points.

Firstly many students often see learning a new kata as difficult, monotonous and boring.

Not this way!

To learn a new kata like this was a great experience and one that I now use to teach my students. I don't tell them that we're going to learn a new kata - because half the class immediately sighs with "oooohhhhh!"

But if I tell my students that we are now going to learn a whole bunch of self defense techniques, the enthusiasm of the class is charged. They love to learn self defense. They love all those gruesome movements...

Then, when we've completed the bunkai and I tell them that we are now going to learn a new kata in 15 minutes they all have the same sense of disbelief that I had. And then when they realize what's happening, you can see the joy and enthusiasm in their faces.

As a teacher you will see that by having a "twist" at the end of the "story" your students will be intrigued and more enthused to learn new kata. By changing the mind's perspective on a subject, so that it perceives it as "fun" rather than a chore, you will find it will be enjoyed much more - and remembered more easily.

This is a great way to teach, and a great way for students to learn.

Secondly, if you already know your kata, then this is an excellent way to learn it off by heart. Break it down and practice the bunkai step by step exploring each movement and it's application (notice that quite often there is more than one bunkai that fits).

Three to four movements are much easier to remember than fifty. So practice each sequence with a partner. One person does the attack and one does the defense, then switch. Proceed through the entire kata performing and perfecting each part.

You will find that actual kata movements will vary depending on the size and shape of your opponent. Notice that sometimes a bunkai will fit like a hand in a glove - and other times, well, the glove might not fit so great.

That's perfectly ok - don't think that the bunkai therefore doesn't work and is useless. Rather think of it as a guide as to what you are doing. Bunkai sometimes needs a little modification to work perfectly.

Three reasons for this are -

1. Kata movements are sometimes made to "look nice" for competition and therefore the bunkai may not be an exact fit for the movements. That's ok - work with what you've got and make sure you realize the difference.
   
   
2. Some kata movements are hidden or are very subtle and not immediately apparent. In this case be sure to explore all possibilities and ask yourself how it might make sense.
   
   
3. People of different heights, shapes and sizes will have different techniques in terms of angle and distance. This in turn forces a necessary change to the distance between you and your partner and also the defensive bunkai movement, in order for it to work properly.

Practice your bunkai thoroughly and you'll gain a deep understanding of what you are actually doing. Then when it comes time to do the kata by yourself, you'll be able to easily imagine the attack. Visualizing an opponent in front of you and striking and moving as though they were really there will boost your skills.

As a student learning kata in this manner, you will dramatically improve your proficiency and rarely forget what you are doing - because once you've explored, analyzed and practiced many possibilities you'll have set the foundations in your mind.

In summary...

1. For students - break down your kata step by step and practice the bunkai as self defense application with a partner. Make sure you completely understand the defending and the attacking movements, so it becomes easy to visualize an opponent when performing.

2. For teachers - change the way your students think about kata by changing their perspective. Don't tell your students that you're going to teach them new kata - instead tell them you're going to spend the class practicing self defense - then when they discover your "twist" they will enjoy it much more and be more inclined to remember the bunkai.

Once you truly own this concept of teaching and learning kata in this manner, you will see instant results - trust me when I say your ability will improve.

Finally from here on out, whenever you practice your kata I want you to think about and ask yourself what you might be doing - even if you don't know the exact bunkai. Do this and your mind will search for answers - it's the way the human mind operates! It doesn't rest until it has a solution - so be sure to ask!

And don't be surprised when the answer just "comes to you" at a random moment during your day, or if you're a karate-oholic like me, you might just wake up at 3am and have a "light bulb" moment.

Until next time...

Train hard and stay safe.

Jason Stanley
www.karatetips.com