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Article 3
About KATA / by Kancho
Articles List:
About KATA \ by Kancho.
During the long history of mankind are the communication and the transfer of knowledge reflecting the values, the level of a civilization as being passed to the future generation's trough writing, monuments, art, songs, stories and tales?
If we know about the life and civilization in the ancient, Greece or Egypt, about ROM or the Middle Age it is because their civilization after they disappear left (behind a time of glories many evidences from their great past: Monuments, churches sculptures, theaters circus arena and shrines.
It is easy to forget that during the last century to our days the majority of the individuals living on earth were illiterate. To write and get a higher education was a great privilege for a small minority. The public writers were in care of the majority.
For the large public the knowledge, the transfer of information's and entertainment, become available mostly (Or only) by public tales, theater or music plays.
Acting, singing, plays an instrument or dancing in public was a way to bridge the gap between the harsh daily life and the dream for a brighter future.
Often the play or the song criticized the rulers, the economical power or talked about love, war, travel, the faith of the heroes.
It was for the citizen the nearly only sources of information and entertainment.
Every actor, singer or speaker from play to play adapted, interpreted in His way the text, the gesture or the music.
Because this remain and thanks to them we got today a good knowledge of the political, architectural or social life from the past. It is more a nostalgic and cultural knowledge than a practical useful tool in our daily life.
To the contrary, the techniques included in the kata stay unchanged. They survived the time erosion and the historical changes during more than six centuries. Like a direct bridge between a global theoretical useful self-defense concept (from the past), a heritage legacy from one or few masters and today's modern reel Combat application of the same fighting concept. The society changed but the Art of karate stay like it always was!
The purposes of kata are:
The transmission of a basic knowledge like a code. Only the members of the Ryu will get the code key to use it.
To become like a glossary containing all the techniques.
Existing in karate to use it as a perfect efficient instrument for self-defense
- To be use for a shadow "box", simulating a fight against an imaginary opponent (Mental training).
Simulating fighting against one or few adversary attacking from different directions.
Control the impulse flow between the two part of the brain, between the brain and the body.
Develop the breezing capacity and lower the blood pressure.
To improve the physical fitness.
To develop the spirit.
To control the stress and face any trait or danger with No fair.
Through the practice of kata, the Art of karate was preserved to our days nearly intact. The fact that very few peoples in Okinawa at that time know to read or write never affected the practice of the art of karate.
Like a tale, the knowledge and the skill passed from generation to generation to our days through the kata training.
The configuration of the kata permitted the transmission and the preservation of the Art with very little possibility for misunderstanding or misusing… In opposite, the modern society preserved and accepted the ancient techniques and skills and sparked a worldwide stream of expansion in a westernize environment and way, but with the same basic and goal.
The way of Karate becomes for many a part of life.
2002 10 16
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