| "Release the grip by striking here, weaken your | | | | are not right. The old-school teachers wouldn't |
| opponent's balance with a leg trap then apply your | | | | recognise them. |
| response to subdue him appropriately." | | | | The applications become strong blocks and |
| It could be a half dozen movements with blending, | | | | counters to big, long range attacks. We could |
| turning and fluidity. Part of the sequence might | | | | have a competition to see who's the strongest. It |
| include an outside to inside movement of the arm | | | | will encourage the students to work harder and |
| co-ordinated with rooting of the feet and a | | | | make the dojo look good. |
| vibration of energy from the ground up through | | | | Years later more open-minded people ask |
| the hips, waist and spine. To perform the arm | | | | awkward questions. They know the explanation |
| lock you need to disrupt his internal posture with | | | | of the technique doesn't work on the streets so |
| a vital point strike using the other hand and finally | | | | they come up with alternative meanings that fit |
| you execute the throw or tie-up and if necessary | | | | their own cultural needs of the day. They have |
| strike to further vital points to disable your | | | | experience of different self defense requirements |
| attacker. | | | | and are well-educated thanks to the wider |
| It's a possible kata sequence. But try teaching | | | | availability of information. They come up with |
| that to sixty people in one go. You don't have | | | | better applications that work against more realistic |
| time to show them the subtleties; besides, the | | | | attacks they might have faced in the local bar. |
| training methods to learn the technique are quaint | | | | The new ways of interpreting movements are |
| and old fashioned (sparring's better than push | | | | reverse engineered into the kata to help make |
| hands and more suited to physical education). | | | | sense of it all. |
| The sequence has to be broken down and | | | | After some time their bunkai and applications |
| movements are made bigger so the people at | | | | become more refined and they start to |
| the back of the dojo can see. Over time it | | | | rediscover the original inner teachings of the form. |
| becomes step forward in front stance with a | | | | They learn that some teachers didn't modify the |
| "preparation move", inner block, reverse punch. | | | | techniques so the essence of the form remained |
| Ichi ni san. Stand in line and we can all drill it | | | | intact. They are able to go out and find the |
| together. Let's do it faster and with more power | | | | missing links. The kata comes alive. They discover |
| because you need to get fit. And it's good for | | | | internal training methods required to learn the |
| your spirit, it's the Budo way. | | | | principles within the form. |
| The soft flowing kata changes because the basic | | | | Now the bunkai changes as the kata becomes |
| techniques have been broken down too far into | | | | softer, more fluid. The block-punch combination |
| start-stop jerky movements with too much | | | | becomes "Release the grip by striking here, |
| strength and tension. The kata loses its essence. | | | | weaken your opponent's balance with a leg trap |
| A whole bunch of new techniques called kicks, | | | | then apply your response to subdue him |
| blocks and punches are created out of the | | | | appropriately." |
| modified form. They are vaguely similar to some | | | | It's called progress don't you know! |
| of the original movements, but somehow they | | | | |