The issue of Extreme Forms and Weapons

 I saw this developing in Pennsylvania back in the early 1980s. The school I am thinking of had its students also study gymnastics then incorporated that into their kata.

 

Personally I believe this had a lot to do with the destruction of the karate image for the public.

Then on moving to New England in 1985 is saw more schools there doing the same. It was one of the reasons I moved my program away from competition.

Of course it was the instructors and of course the judges who allowed this to continue.

I found no martial value in such training. Then around 1993 Ernest Rothrock gave me training in energy point alignment which forever gave me a tactical reason to realize how week their techniques both were and how open such technique left them so  vulnerable. Really atrocious stuff.

Of course ESPN grabbed hold of it as performance art and pushed such folderol into television and the public.

Here are but a few examples of this junk.

I wonder if it survived the the COVID era?

Mr. Evan Turner: Barbie Girl Form
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9zKnUmWyHQ

 
Max Van Eck 2016 ATA World Championship Extreme Form
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8cqaRC_47E

 
2016 ATA Fall Nationals Victory X-Treme Demo Team
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCB_YBTZ2j0

 

 
Extreme Form 2015 ATA ESPN Invitational
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biynlzTLQD4

 

Extreme Weapon 2015 ATA ESPN Invitational
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtuPeHkrrII

 
 
2017 ATA ESPN Invitational - Creative Weapons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=444tv2TYeP8

 


Channah Zeitung 2019 World XMA Weapon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfzyIuVpipg