Blocking in Kata

In my Goju Ryu class we did in fact make a distinction between blocks and strikes. However, the caveat was that every time you blocked you were supposed to be damaging the opponent's limb.

Higher levels of Goju Ryu featured more re-directional or "softer" blocks. But it really wasn't until I started Judo that I began to see the throwing application in some of the Katas.

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"You must eat bitter before you can taste sweet"- Iron & Silk
"I see no virtue where I smell no sweat"
"Arm yourself because no one else here will save you" - Chris Cornell

I would never had known if I didn't actually research it. I like Karate, but I guess it's not for me. But it's great that people are actually researching kata applications.

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"You must be brutalized to become brutal." - ClaytonOT

To be fair its not just a problem with karate. It happens in any club where students are taught to parrot moves without question. Its particualy a problem with arts that rely on forms. Students should be taught to be rigourus about the way they practice forms, but students should also be taught to diagnose the movements in a form, to question, to work out new applications for themselves and to test them out. The ultimate aim should always be to produce thinking martial artists not robots.

But you know how it is, either there a McDojo, doing it for money, and they don't give a damn. Or the teacher doesn't know any better, which is a great pity.

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"You must be brutalized to become brutal." - ClaytonOT

It doesn’t matter what the subject is a teacher can’t know everything, but if the teacher is honest about what they know (both with themselves and with the students), then the students will learn something of value.

That's very true. But it's a pity that what they learn is limited, due to what their teachers taught them or chose to teach them.

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"You must be brutalized to become brutal." - ClaytonOT

Yeah and as I said the teacher should allow for the students to be creative with technique and application.
Teach the form to standard sure and students should know how to play the form as expected (as taught) but then play it other ways, different directions, to different attacks than were originally described.
To a weapon attack or now with a weapon in your hand. If its a weapon form, ok now do it empty handed and make it work based on what the principles of the style are.

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One hit, see blood.

It's not enough to just not get hit

I couldn't agree more. But these days it's just follow the instructor, and get my black belt and then I'm mean bad ass, who can take on any body. That I've seen too many times.

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"You must be brutalized to become brutal." - ClaytonOT

“	Originally Posted By: Ben Grimm I couldn't agree more. But these days it's just follow the instructor, and get my black belt and then I'm mean bad ass, who can take on any body. That I've seen too many times.	”

I try to avoid that. But its an easy pitfall to succumb to.

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"You must eat bitter before you can taste sweet"- Iron & Silk
"I see no virtue where I smell no sweat"
"Arm yourself because no one else here will save you" - Chris Cornell

When I see instructors like that, your avatar says it all.

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"You must be brutalized to become brutal." - ClaytonOT

Have a look at Nage no Kata on youtube

yahhhhhhhhhhhh infy

howz training?

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"...any theory that satisfies the facts demands assumptions which are completely absurd."

Aleister Crowley

Quite good thanks Wingy.

Aiming to get my 1st dan next year. Also entering the BJJ competitions in the UK

Might start posting here a bit more too, I should be able to provide some help regarding grappling/bjj/judo/etc.

great stuff

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"...any theory that satisfies the facts demands assumptions which are completely absurd."

Aleister Crowley

Like most all forms based martial arts I don't think most of what you see is designed to be a technical skill (meaning it will not be applied like that in a fight).... moreso to develop attributes and intangibles.

Let's consider the premise of what a lot of traditional karate styles are based on.... one strike, one kill. Very much like the philosophy of Japanese sword fighting.... which could be why many of the traditional blocks in most trad. karate styles are based on the same principles and motions of blocking, re-directing and deflecting with a sword. Their intention is to divert the attacker's initial attack and then to deliver their own killing blow.... not to get in a sparring match. There is no secret why sparring matches never look like the moves done in forms.

Also, a lot of moves in traditional forms based arts are done greatly exaggerated and can often look uneconomical in motion and overly superfluous. This is because when in a real "fight" techniques tend to "shorten" themselves due to adrenaline, endorphins, fight or flight syndrome, etc... The idea is that if practiced overly exaggerated then when in crunch time they won't be overly shortened to the point of uselessness (reduction of power) or counter-productivity (leaving one open to counter attack).

There are many styles that have blocks and redirects that are designed as counter strikes and throws and there are many found in some styles of karate. At the very least most of the blocks in the karate styles I know may not be designed as strikes themselves but are often done with the intent to do damage to the opponent's weapons or wear them down (destructs). They are seldom done as simple, benign blocks.

“	In my classes the word “block” is strictly forbidden. Instead we use the words control and re-direct.	”

I used to feel the same way and I still prefer the term re-direct. What I noticed was that after a stint of time doing full contact stuff and focusing on practical application in a live environment, especially against other people that had skill, was that often times one is left with no time or choice but to simply block as a last case scenario. Of course I love the ideal of not being there at all or intercepting and re-directing force but if you fight enough against skilled opponents blocking is often a necessity. I have also found that depending on the footwork and skills of the opponent that blocking can often times be better for putting one into range to counter strike whereas simply deflecting, evading or re-directing can be great defense but will remove us from range to properly counter with our own attack.

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Rock On!
Cam
"Raise up your mind....."