KYB disagrees that the purpose of martial arts is to swell the ego. The purpose of marital arts is to produce a stronger person. The martial artist can use the strength to swell the ego or use the strength to balance the ego.

Some people think that people’s ego can not be disciplined, and in general, in the real world this is usually true. So it is also, unfortunately, usually true with martial artists. But still, a choice exists.

At KYB’s current karate school, one of the instructor’s held up my application to join the umbrella organization because he didn’t think someone like KYB could do karate. KYB was able to demonstrate to the instructor that his predjudice and arrogance was standing in the way of his role in teaching–this wasn’t an easy task. The instructor came to see his error and approved my application. Once I had won his respect. he later came to seek out my counsel about his teaching approach and experience.

The real mistake the instructor made was that KYB was always that person he could count on; he was just too egotistical to see it. Josh, over the internet, I can’t do anymore than explain as best I can what I have learned.

KYB believes that kata, as is martial arts training, is endlessly progressive. This endless progression is what confers the ability on karate fighter’s to become so devastatingly effective in real fighting.

Chris, KYB has been ‘labeled,’ including at his current karate school as a ‘sissy,’ not aggressive enough, too traditional, to questioning, etc., etc. This is because KYB trys to ‘get out’ of free-style sparring whenever he can. KYB does not exhibit a lot of aggression and ego in his behavior. You might consider KYB, an uninformed novice, a “Karate Freak.”

The real-life problem with labeling people and sterotyping is that it is done with narrow, often self important thinking–as my opponents have found out.

People can claim KYB does kata because this is how I have control. KYB does kata because it makes my karate EXCEL.
One can claim KYB is pretending kata does this or that. When those people who have faced me in the in-class sparring contests, they find their sterotypes and labels are useless against good karate. This includes some boxer and kickboxer types who pride themselves on their fighting acumen. They all lost.

KYB thinks Waynes comment above is an example of the proper way to view kata training.

KYB wants to say also that like Wayne, not everybody enjoys kata practice or wants to devote a lot of effort to it. Wayne has the discipline to do kata, and he should benefit.

Furthermore, KYB wants to say that people have different apptitudes and preferences in their training. So kata may not provide the best forum for their karate training in some ways. Traditional martial arts provides for this by having a number of parts to the training regimen; individual practitioners are free to emphasis what they wish.

However, kata is there, included for a reason; it is up to the practitioner to get the value out of it–just like real life.

The first part of Mr. Patterson’s comment, KYB bascially agrees. Let KYB also say that he recognizes that traditional martial arts training, particularly the karates, have weaknesses, so KYB can be a critic also.

The second part of Mr. Patterson’s comment, KYB takes some issue with and would like to add another perspective on kata and the “bunkai, ” or fighting applications presented in kata.

Notwithstanding these bunkai, and the importance of them in developing actual, practical fighting skill, the major, critical value of kata IS NOT “bunkai.” The real value of kata is that kata is the synthesis of traditional martial arts training in one, comprehensive exercise. Kata is taught the way it is because this is how one builds that very high level of martial arts skill.

Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions of martial arts critics and practitioners both is that you have to do a lot of free-style sparring to become a good fighter. And contrary to the conventional thinking that kihon (basic) karate is of poor applicablity in a ‘real’ fight, karate basics technique ALONE can make you a very good fighter.

Where karate basic techniques fail in a real fight is in two cases: (1) the KARATE skill-level of the karate practitioner is low; (2) the basic techniques are misapplied, used in a ritualistic way rather than intelligentlly applied to accomplish the designed, KARATE effect.

While it is good practice to train kata with a mind to practical applications, this is really laying a lot of extra work on an already highly sophisticated training tool; and KYB thinks that Chris’s comment about topping out in kata training could well come into play. KYB is by no means saying to ignore or exclude kata applications and bunkai.

The main goal of kata training is to give you the fundamental martial arts physical and mental skill set to compete / fight at a very high level of performance. In martial arts, there is NO better substitute.

KYB believes Chris is wrong, theoretically speaking.

Traditional martial arts skill, such as karate, is achieved through a common regimen of training. Kata is the most sophisticated component of this training regimen. Because kata is very sophisticated, many martial arts people do not understand it or apprecitate what kata is trying to do.

This is not to say one cannot progress in martial arts without doing kata, or that one cannot become a good fighter by training solely in applied fighting-type techniques. What is true is that kata, trained properly, imparts a highly sophisticated level of martial arts skill.

Time or other pracitical limitations may preclude one from training in martial arts as the regimen calls for.

However, the mistake that virtually all critics of the traditional martial training regimen make, is that they put the goal of wanting to be a good fighter ahead of the discipline it takes to study, understand and learn well the skills imparted by rigorous, traditional martial arts training.

KYB doesn’t think that the korean martial arts masters are the best at explaining karate.

KYB does think one of the best quotes about the correct attitude to have on karate training comes from a Tang Soo Do master who said; “Remember, it is not how much you know, It Is How WELL YOU KNOW What You Have LEARNED!”

–great question!