When I was a new
black belt I began teaching through the Scranton Boys Club (I taught young men,
and also young women. The first program to bring young women into the Boy’s
Club at that time.) I taught Isshinryu exactly as I learned it, and those
students learned it well.
But as the years
passed I began to wonder if there was a
stronger way to prepare the young. Then when I had to move for a new position,
and had occasion to begin again at the Greater Derry Boy’s and Girl’s Club, I
put many things I had also learned into practice.
Simply put, I
wanted to slow the pace of learning, yet keep the classes engaging to allow the
students to better develop. I had no reason to rush the process, my only
concern was to produce better Isshinryu.
Over the proceeding
6 years I had learned many things, learned and personally worked on them. I had
great faith in the power of kata, and that was where I began.
I had learned several systems approaches to beginning
kata. I no longer remember where I saw it, but was more impressed with Fukyugata Ichi
as a beginning kata. I had conducted some
experiments sharing it with my previous students, and the first thing I
realized was to change the name (kids would change the name into a terrible pun
the F*** You kata) and I could not allow that.
So it became
Kata Sho to me. Then I adjusted the technique and stances into Isshinryu
technique and stances.
[ As
an aside, what I was doing was using Kata Sho and Kata Anaku (also
Isshinryuized, as subsidiary precursors for eventual Seisan kata instruction.
Allowing the time to create stronger student technique before beginning Seisan.]
But what began
as a beginning kata became much more to me over time.
First, because
of it’s shorter length student’s would understand the concept of kata more
readily. Simply because they could do one. That made teaching subsequent kata
easier.
Then I found
another use. It became a binding group kata for everyone. By using it as a
group kata, it allowed everyone to work more closely together. Binding the
newer students to the same performance of the older students. Making a stronger
group identity possible.
Next I began to
find more possibilities.
As a group kata,
the first performance at class beginning was often less dynamic that when done
as the final class group exercise. They were of course more into the kata grove
by class end.
So to show
everyone their efforts could produce more on their own effort.
I first just had
them do Sho, at their beginning performance. Then I had the group do it again
with 25% more power. Then another time at
50% more power. Now I had them do the kata again, with the absolute maximum
power they could put into every technique. Then again down to 50% power, then
again down to 25% power, finally finishing a their regular performance.
Then I would
explain that they were the ones that did it. They always had that power, just
did not choose to use it. A very powerful lesson to build on.
Another use was
to take a beginner who barely knew the kata. On their own they would freeze
when others watched them and be unable to complete it.
But when placed
between two black belts, or brown belts, they would stay with them even to
black belt speed and power of execution. They knew it better than they
realized. Everyone learned they could do the kata as a black belt, and it was
them that was holding back. This was a lesson everyone learned.
Other
variations. Took the students it three row, shoulder touching shoulder. 2nd
and 3rd row students chest against the students before them back.
Simply a very tight formation. Then I had them do so with the teeniest possible
techniques, their smallest possible motions. The smallest steps. And to stay
together. The first time they fall over as a unit, until they understand they
really have to stay together to do it. Another group binding exercise, not for
martial purpose, rather understanding they have to use their senses to hear,
and trust each other. Sense training of Sight, Hearing and Touch.
There was always
time in classes over the years to use it in different ways.
One thing that
happens is students get to used to doing any kata always facing the same
direction. If you have them face a different way, their performance often
suffers. They got used to the same visual cues from repeated performance. So I
hit on a different use.
I had two
students perform Sho both of them facing opposite directions. The kata didn’t
change but they had to deal with their partner working the opposite direction.
And they were to keep their kata timing the same.
Then I built on
that. The two students now beginning with their right shoulder facing their
partner’s right shoulder had to bow, step open and do the opposing kata as a
close order drill, in fact the first time they passed each other, their low
blocks would be don’t as strikes to each others arms (shades of Kokite). On the
return pass they had to avoid locking arms with their rising blocks. A very
precise performance the goal.
Something I had
learned from Tristan Sutrisno was a black belt exercise in multiple striking,
each strike becoming a 5 count strike, each strike flowing into another strike.
I would use this drill the same way as a supplementary black belt exercise. But
I would also apply as an advancing kyu exercise. In this case each punch in Sho
would become a 3 count strike, repeated in place os each punch in the form.
Students would
eventually learn an advanced timing version of the form. Instead of technique
then technique. They would begin to down block then step and punch, or where 3
punches were in a row, the 2nd and 3rd strike done on a
one count. Beginning of the possibility that kata could be done different ways
with different results.
This is not
everything I saw or used.
I think by now
you get the idea that I could use that very simple kata for many different
learning experiences. All of them supporting drills. Not all of them at one
time. Secondary support for the students primary training and other kata.
Then after dan,
there were other advanced uses for Kata Sho. It became a test bed to use for so
many different things. Everyone knew the kata so well, it could be used for
studies in breathing, studies in what definition of a technique could be,
studies in advanced multiple striking ( the 5 count) and so much more.
This would be
different in work on application studies the form presented.
Of course this does not define everything I
did. Just uses for one minor form.
There are no such things as a minor form.
There are the infinite potential of all karate.
