Article 3: The Form

This weekend was an amazing seminar taught by Saunders Sensei, and there was a great deal learnt by all present.  I'll cover what Saunders Sensei taught in the following article, that being said I was really inspired to write about this topic by both what Saunders and Mustard Sensei have been teaching recently.

Why kata or the form?

I want to start with a quote from an article titled Kabala in Motion: Kata & Pattern Pratice in the Traditional Bugei (war arts) by Karl Friday (in Sword and Spirit: Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan by Diane Skoss).

The importance of pattern practice comes from the belief that it is the most efficient vehicle for passing knowledge from teacher to student.

So, where do we go from here?  When people watch Aikido, do they really understand what it is that they are seeing or is it all fake, unrealistic and lacking in spirit.

Firstly, is the form fighting?  Lets take two examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVbd4x4EdUg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7AHRm5uAE8

The first link is of Toda ha Buko Ryu a koryu (old school) of Japanese War Art and the send is Takeno and Chida Sensei teaching Kote Gaeshi.  

Who is senior?  Just like Saunders Sensei said on the weekend, in the koryu the senior student was the one who 'lost', yet he is senior, so surely he would be better and win?  But it's not about winning and losing, it is about strengthening the student, so strengthening the senior, strengthening the dojo and thus strengthening the army.  

The senior creates the situation that allows the student to practice. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7vrbTScmjk

Take this clip for example, the gentleman in white creates the situation to allow the student to practice that technique.  If the tachi (man in white) does something different he will catch  the shijo (blue) out, but is that his job.  Like the opening quote says, the kata is used to pass on knowledge to the next generation.

Why the change for Aikido?  Clearly in the clip with Takeno Sensei he is the senior, yet he does not receive the technique.  Perhaps the more athletic student (uke) can take the severe ukemi (breakfall) required to allow Takeno Sensei to practice.  What ever the reason for the change, the logic remains the same, the kata are designed to let Shite (thrower) learn the technique.  Yet the Uke role is not passive, and 'living under the sword' allows you to learn lessons fast.  How the technique feels, how your posture is broken, how your body is led and the power you receive when thrown, are all lessons that can be learnt.

The most important element to this is that uke creates the CONDITION to allow shite to practice the technique.  So, if you are practising a irimi kote gaeshi, and then uke pushes then uke does not understand what they are supposed to be doing.  As shite should tenkan or pivot if uke pushes.  Each technique has a specific uke, to learn Ikkajo, then uke must move for Ikkajo.  If uke does this then shite will learn the technique, and uke will feel the technique, so when they become shite they have a better understanding of it.

This brings us on to another article, the role of uke.  The most important role in Aikido.

Osu.