What in the world does that broad statement even mean? Sure, it sounds great on the surface, but in what way? Based on what does one make the judgment that something is not 'combative' enough, if at all?
The above is taken from something that was shared with me, told to the sharing party by one of their Seniors after a test which they had not passed.
Are they looking for mindset? How do they gauge mindset? Are they looking for something specific in the Kata itself? What are they looking for?
This has been rattling around in the back of my head since the day it was shared with me.
This, coupled with the state of Karate as a whole, begs the question... What does it mean to be more 'combative?' Also, why such a vague and broad statement without specifics to work on? Is it considered Teaching when nothing is actually taught? It seems to me to be more confusing than enlightening, unless the party that made this statement did not fully understand it themselves? I doubt that is the case, considering who said it.
Combatives imply a very different emphasis from Sport or even Self Defense.
The emphasis is important, as is being direct and detailed by what you mean when you explain something so that the Student walks away knowing exactly what to work in order to improve.
If we are being vague we are doing no service to our Students, our Art takes a huge hit, and people walk away throwing up their hands.
Zen Masters we are not, but we can seek to improve upon ourselves, although in Combatives that is NOT the main aim of Training.
So what does it mean?
Some will give more vague statements at this point; they don't really know what they are talking about, they are just trying to seem hardcore and mysterious at the same time.
If THAT is the case, run, run as far away from those people and that place as you can because all they want is your money and some form of influence over you in a role they do not truly deserve.
Maybe they have competed in a Tournament or two, maybe even have a whole Competative Career to back them up, but that just means they understand the Sport Emphasis.
While there is some carry over, there is a huge difference insofar as the emphasis.
Sport Karate is a game of tag, Judo is a game of pushing, pulling, and imbalance, Jujitsu is a game of submissions, in Combatives there IS no aim to make anyone tap out, nor to target soft, medium, or even hard punches along a specific 'T' shaped area along the body with other areas being illegal.
No, we should not hurt our Training Partners or Students, but the focus, the mindset, the emphasis is completely different.
HIM DOWN NOW is very specific. Nothing flashy, nothing fancy, no vaguely cool-sounding riddle to solve... It is simple and to the point; YOU AIM TO PUT HIM DOWN RIGHT NOW!
The mindset itself changes the focus, changes how things are trained, you cannot achieve something truly Combative Oriented if nothing else changes.
Sure, you can emphasize a ferocious mindset, but most don't really know how to do that either.
Let's face it, most who go to a nice Dojo that can afford the Tuition, along with the various costs of testing on top of that, they are not used to being in situations that require a complete mental shift from their suburban middle-to-upper-class lifestyles.
Most I know have degrees, which is nothing to sneeze at as that is quite an achievement, which also takes time, money, and dedication, but these are also people who live in nicer areas of town, some even business owners, who really don't have to deal with day-to-day violence.
Not to stroke my own ego, but I have never been that type. Everything I have I have worked for, with the help of others looking to see me better myself and my status, to whom I am extremely thankful.
Most of my life I have lived in rough neighborhoods, I have experienced Drive-by Shootings, I have experienced a Gang of twelve Red Boys storming our Apartment Building armed with pipes and, eventually, a machete, while four of us stood them down in the street.
I have experienced meeting School Bullies after school, fighting it out, and becoming friends afterwards as well.
I have been nearly gutted by a drunk wielding a curved shard of broken glass more than a foot long from a broken glass table they had fallen into seconds prior.
I have had a gun held to my head, a knife pulled on me, I have been sucker punched in a shady area of Downtown Spokane, and my brother was beaten in the back of the head with a retractable baton in that same area.
So what does it mean when you say 'Make your Kata more Combative?'
What is it you are looking for when you give that directive to the person who shared this with me?
That is like moving a fist that has been punching air for an hour two inches without explanation, the two-inch Sensei, what is the reasoning behind it? This is why the art of Karate is suffering in the image people have of it.
People believe it to be an art that is good for children, but nothing more, without even paying lip service to Karateka that have been successful in MMA... The likes of Lyoto Machida, GSP, Bas Rutten, etc.
Here is a hint... Your Kata will look a thousand times different, the emphasis moves from 'technique' to 'concept and principle,' from stances to 'footwork and positioning,' from form to 'function,' and from Style to 'Strategy.'
You may not even practice Kata at all at this point, it does not really matter, or you may still practice Kata, but on a different level, from a different perspective.
You will certainly no longer perform 'techniques' the way you once did, you will not spend a tremendous amount of time punching air, you will hit the Makiwara, the Heavy Bag, and a Training Partner who fully resists in sessions of Iri Kumi.
You will not be aiming for specific techniques, you will only seek to take what your opponent gives you, you will seek to take them down NOW.
There are no blocks, there are no punches, there are only various ways to get the job done.
So what, exactly, is the person who made the statement looking for? What exactly are they meaning when they say they want to 'See Kata become more Combative?'
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