After viewing far too many videos of XMA and similar groups at their tournaments I feel I should clearly state my opinion.
I first saw this born'ing in Penna. back in early 1980 open karate tournaments, and more of this in the later 80s and early 90 in NE tournaments until I mostly stopped attending those tournament.
It began with karate instructors having their students getting gymnastic training and then jazzing up their katas to include gymnastic moves.This at that time was done under the guise of 'karate'.
I am not suggesting they are strong, skilled athletes using strong stunting in their performances. IMO most of them could strike with power a bit. But IMO the end result has nothing to do with karate. Of course they renamed their art something like XMA and other names.
But they put such effort into their stunting that leave less power in their karate techniques. They follow the lead of those Japanese tournaments who pose after each technique is executed. And outside of their stunts rarely demonstrae focus in their strikes. It becomes do a stunt, follow with a posed strike and pose. Then do another stunt and another posed strike. Ad infinitum. Then a very dramatic finish move to end the form.
Likewise in their weapons work, much use of a weapon for baton twirling (providing they never have to strike anything which would show they really cannot hold-on to their weapon.) Likewise when they are choosing to use kama, more baton twirling as well as using un-sharpened kama (to keep from injuring them selves, to a large extent).
I also have great problem with their parents who want their children to learn how to slice into an opponent with kama. IMO unthinkable!
Then to top it off, they wear fancy karate dogi. Trying to show parents and those in the stands that this is karate.
This extends to the judges who also wear dogi's for the most part.
The flow, the stunts, the weapon work IMO have nothing to do with what I see karate can accomplish.
The following are a few examples of what I mean.
Then again what they do is what they want to do. It just has nothing to do with an art that I am interested in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8_wMquIJCk
Jayvin Jones battle of Atlanta 2024 11 years old
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jLKc4iea6M
Daniel's XMA weapon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un45oSAzrAk
Xma bo staff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHstYVb-myw
Ssahng Nat Black Belt form
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-otf0Pb-zE
Kamas form
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omaLO8ArALo
Of course after 50 years practicing Isshinryu, 45 years practicing Yang T'ai Chi Chaun and many decades studying a wide variety of other arts, What Do I Know?
No comments:
Post a Comment