Technique of the Week (January 8th, 2007)
From Tamir Sensei-Shihan
Ueshiro Suntree YMCA Dojo
Shorin-Ryu Karate USA
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Thought for the week
Kata Training with Yakusoku Kumite
Please review Chapter VI “On Kumite” in The Essence of
Okinawan Karate-Do, by Master Shoshin Nagamine.
He writes on page 252 “…prearranged Kumite must be practiced
as a life-or-death match, but never with the intention of harming
the fellow practitioner.” On page 102 he writes “Karate
training should center on kata.” … “Students of karate-do
should be determined to set kata at the heart and center of karate-do
and practice kumite as supplementary training.” Master Nagamine’s
reference to Kumite (sparring) is Yakusoku (pre-arranged) Kumite.
About 90% of the pages in Master Nagamine’s book focus on kata.
Similarily, 90% of our training should focus on kata. Kata provides
us the ultimate "weapons" arsenal of stances, movements,
shifting and techniques to use in a life or death match. The challenge
is to automatically choose and apply (without thought) the right
weapons out of this arsenal, to disable an aggressive opponent.
Kata repetition and deliberate polishing is that which programs
these weapons into our motor skills for instinctive (automatic)
use. While doing kata we can achieve the ultimate training of disabling
and/or killing the imaginary opponent. In kumite we cannot. In kumite
we must not harm our training partner. However, kumite training
supplements kata training, especially in learning ma-ai (distance)
and in learning the bunkai (application) of the techniques which
we practice in kata.
Take any kata and dissect it. Apply any of it's block-strike combinations
with a training partner in a pre-arranged Yakusoku Kumite fashion,
back and fourth. Also practice these regularly with a makiwara and
heavy bag. This practice effectively expands our critical kata training
into the kumite realm. There are many combinations to practice from
kata. Emphasize training time on your favorite kata, and on your
favorite techniques from that kata. Program these weapons into your
instinctive motor skills, should you ever need them.
As a supplement to the above, review page 44 in Hanshi Scaglione’s
Red Book. Hanshi provides us with some essential thoughts on kumite.
He writes “Improper practice, as in jyu-kumite [tournament
sparring], will dull the natural reflex and response to a threatening
punch or kick.” … “Kata must be our primary means
of training...”.
Keep training kata and pre-arranged kumite … with joy &
vigor!
Hanshi, Domo Arigato Gozaimasu for your continued guidance and leadership.
Tamir Sensei-Shihan
Ueshiro Suntree YMCA Dojo
Shorin-Ryu Karate USA
