Kata Movement

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Kata movement involves the movement of arms, legs, torso and all of that includes other aspects such as the type of movement, i.e., whether the arms are moved for blocking, for traps and locks, or for strikes and so on. Whether the legs are used to move forward, backward, turn and moving forward or backward to the sides and so on spanning all directions. 

The cadence, rhythm and timing involved dictate what movements are moved when, how and why. The critical aspect here is how all of these movements are accomplished while using and maintaining the integrity of the underlying fundamental principles that give stability and ability to apply force and power while maintaining the integrity of the body, mind and spirit. 

Take turning, what is involved in turning from the primary direction to a secondary such as 90 degrees to either the right or left. This particular action and movement accomplishes a few goals. One, the peripheral vision being utilized in the use of awareness triggers the move because of the detection of some sort of danger. The turning of the head to get a direct view is sometimes used while the body begins its rotation in the proper direction and so on, so that one can start utilizing principles in stopping that threat that is dictated by the actual circumstances. 

In kata such movement is a training tool rather than an actual tactic/technique strategy because its main focus is the application of principles for a specific movement, awareness, detection, etc. The novice student will apply some bunkai to the process at the start to make connections with movement and applications but later will vary that visualization especially when the body, mind and spirit apply principles instinctively. Look at it as layers.

Turning is about maintaining physiokinetic principles such as structure, alignment and alignments while in motion. It uses this aspect primarily because in a true fight/attack movement is constant. There will be a flurry of attack techniques with a goal of overwhelming the victim while disrupting their structure thereby destroying balance and invading close space causing discomfort where the victim often either freezes and/or gets stuck in the OO bounce of the OODA loop. 

When turning, the movement results in the type of tactic and technique needed to stop a threat. The distinction here is learning what techniques and principles are most effective when that movement is in motion. The timing, distances, rhythms, body structure, the alignment of our centerline and centeredness as it relates in motion to that of your adversary and so on ad infinitum - driven by factors ever evolving in an attack and/or fight that cannot be planned and trained according to kata movement and fundamental bunkai. 

Kata movement carries a lot of responsibility but should not adhere to static like bunkai to bunkai processes as that results in mind-states that freeze when those specific processes are not present or not correct in the chaos of an attack and/or fight. Kata movement provides many tools and venues to learn, practice and train the mind and body to live, breath and apply principles in every movement, every thought and every aspect of life especially when then need for self-defense rises up into the present moment. 

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