The Science Behind The Martial Arts

It has always been mans curiosity to explore the functions and structure of his own body. While the English words anatomy and physiology have their origin in the Greek language ,where the study of these sciences began in the 4th century BCE, work in both anatomy and physiology began in Egypt as long ago as 1600BCE. China and India have similiar traditions that date back to 2000BCE. Japan’s introduction into these sciences came from China in the 7th century. All of these countries have a long history of both armed and unarmed combat and their knowledge of both anatomy and physiology influenced they way they fought and the fighting techniques that they developed.

While every technique may have hundreds of variations, the laws of science and the human body limit the ways these techniques can be applied without injury. This knowledge of both anatomy and physiology, the understanding of how the body could and could not move, how joints function, the nature and placement of the major and minor organs and the strengths and weaknesses of the different muscle groups in the body all contributed to the development of more effective and lethal ways of both armed and unarmed combat.

In Japan, with the development of Sumo, this understanding of how the body works and moves, led to the creation of techniques that attacked specific parts of the body. Without an understanding of how joints function, both kansetsuwaza and Kote gaeshi become useless and ineffective. There would be no effective sword technique without an understanding of how the major muscles groups in the legs, hips and shoulders contribute to the coordinated movement of the body and without this understanding there is no understanding of balance and throwing technique.

Conversely, the greater your understanding of these sciences and their application to the martial arts, the easier it is to defend from any attack. Knowing the most effective way of applying a technique makes it more difficult to have that technique applied to you. The mechanics of the martial arts, what position to be in, where your body is in relation to that of your attacker, at what angle the technique should be applied and how to protect yourself from a second attack are all questions which relate back to an understanding of anatomy and physiology. Movement and the application or defense of a technique, are only effective when applied to a specific part of the body to elicit a specific result. The same is true for effective blocking techniques and the application of atemi. As the same technique or attack will vary depending on the height, weight, age, strength, sex and the experience of the attacker, so should the response. Subtle changes in movement and style of an attack, based on these variables, require subtle changes in the center of gravity,balance (kuzushi), position (tae sabaki), distance(maai), and angle of the response.

In truth, all martial arts systems are built around the strengths and weaknesses of the human anatomy and physiology. They are built around one individual’s ability to manipulate and capitalize on the weaknesses and errors of another individual. It is these sciences that form the basis for the study of human motion ,an understanding of which is essential for all students of the martial arts.

The Nature of Kata

In the 11th century, Shinra Saburo Minamoto no Yoshimitsu, a samurai commander and relative to the emperor of Japan made detailed studies of human anatomy and physiology by the dissection of battlefield dead, convicts and prisoners of war. The purpose, of course, was to gain a better understanding of the mechanics of movement and the ways to which any weaknesses in the bodies anatomy or physiology could be exploited on the battlefield. To take advantage of this new found information and to be able to test theories of movement, new techniques and the best way to apply them, the samurai developed prearranged forms, or kata, which allowed them to practice, using a wide array of weapons, without being seriously wounded or killed.

Each Samurai family (clan) developed kata to teach their particular style (ryu) of weaponry. These family movements and techniques were protected and kept as secrets, taught only to those within the clan. The theory being that if someone had never seen your particular movements, attacks, counters or techniques they would be at a loss or disadvantage in defending themselves from them. Thus, the original purpose of kata was to teach men how to kill, and how to become skilled enough not to be killed. Kata was designed to demonstrate how to attack, where to attack, and when to attack. It teaches how to protect your self from an attack and how to counter an attack. As both sides (uke and tori )know and eventually understand both the attack and its defense, kata provides an invaluable teaching tool and the foundation of all martial arts. The design and practice of kata will protect and forgive the mistakes of both the attacker and defender. As each side practices both attack and defense, they learn the strengths and weaknesses of each technique, as well as each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Because kata allows an individual to practice the same movement or technique multiple times with people of all ages, sizes and weights, kata gives the practitioner the ability to experience how those different variables influence both the attack and their own ability to respond to those differences.

Kata is taught though a series of instructions divided by levels of both experience and knowledge. The relationship between student and teacher (sensei), between those who are more advanced and those who have just begun, builds both respect and humility. By teaching the simpler and less complex movements first, kata slowly conditions and changes the way its practitioners move and think. In this method of training, where each new technique or movement is built upon the accumulated knowledge and skills of the previous technique, kata builds concentration and focus. Over time the reflexes and understanding of movement needed to complete each technique is developed. Through this constant repetition of movement, kata builds confidence and the calmness which allows the practitioner to attack or respond to any attack without thought or reflection, without hesitation or fear, with focus and determination.

Through kata we learn the essence of each technique, we refine our own movements, and learn how to apply the principles of distance(ma-ai), balance(kuzushi) and body position(tai sabaki) to our own techniques. It is only through constant practice and attention that our bodies learn and internalize the many different variables that come into play each time we are confronted or attacked and how to respond to them.