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.

The Kuzushi of JuJutsu

Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, is generally credited with the first real technical understanding of the role of kuzushi, the use of balance and unbalance in the execution of throwing technique. However, this understanding and training in the ways of unbalancing an opponent in martial combat had existed in Japan for at least fifteen hundred years before the advent of judo.

The art of sumai, or sumo as it is called today, was Japan’s first system of empty hand combat. Employing striking techniques and the use of many forms of unbalancing techniques, most historians believe its origins date back to 23 BC. Often used in conjunction with religious or seasonal festivals, sumo’s originally objective was to ‘force an opponent to surrender unconditionally, or to kill him.” To this end sumo developed many techniques and principles which later found their way into numerous styles of jujutsu and more recently judo. Bare chested and wearing only a loincloth, these grappling techniques rely on a true understanding of balance as well as the strength and focus of the practitioner. Throughout the centuries training in sumo has been most martial artist’s introduction into the principles of kuzushi and their subsequent training in the martial arts.

The classical Japanese warrior, the samurai, was trained in multiple arts and weapons, the yumi,(bow) and later the naginata (pole weapon) and Katana (sword) as primary examples. The use of these weapons in combat, sometimes while seated on a horse, required years of training, coordination, an absolute control of the weapon and understanding of one’s center of gravity and balance.

With the advent and use of armor, the art of Yoroi Kumi-Uchi, grappling in armor, a system developed between the 9th and 15th century enhanced the samurai’s ability to fight in close proximity to one another. This system of grappling and locking to each other developed the samurai’s understanding and use of his balance, leverage and mobility to unbalance and ultimately kill or capture his opponent. While not designed as a strictly unarmed system of combat and as several versions of Kumi-Uchi developed as the armor of the samurai changed or was eliminated, the skills and techniques of this art formed the basis for many classical jujutsu styles. It is in these classical jujutsu styles, developed from the 15th century onward, which melded the skills and techniques of the bladed samurai arts with the lessons and understanding of anatomy, balance, motion and leverage learned through the many centuries of practice in Kumi-Uchi.

Without the benefit of a weapon, differences in size, weight, age and skill levels between opponents became more pronounced. These new challenges required a refinement of the fighting techniques and more thorough understanding of the variables which could affect the outcome of a conflict. The importance of natural posture (shizen hontai), mental alertness(zanshin) position (tai sabaki), and distance (ma-ai), skills which were always and integral part of the combat training of the samurai, were reevaluated and modified as classical styles of jujutsu were created.

Many of these classical styles fully embraced the flexibility and pliancy of the ‘ju” in jujutsu. This concept of both yielding and resisting an opponent’s attack, first by absorbing and thus negating its power and then taking advantage of the vacuum created by the attackers momentary weakness is the core of all martial arts. The ability to control, manipulate and ultimately negate an opponent’s attack is at the essence of all martial arts training. While it is this understanding of “ju” which enables a smaller man to defeat a much larger and stronger one and an unarmed man to defeat an attack by someone with a weapon, it is the accumulated wisdom and knowledge of over a thousand years of training and execution, much involving weapons and much by mortal combat, that allowed Master Kano to create judo, and gives the martial artists of today our understanding of kuzushi and all the other variables which form the essence of jujutsu.