Kata – Classical Jazz – a Magnum Opus

7-6-2001 

Hmmm, viewing kata as a musical theme.  Interesting suggestion Lee and Bill.  So if you like what follows, feel free to take the credit. If you don’t, feel free to simply call me possessed.

* * Overture * *

I believe most within the Isshinryu system would subscribe to kata being ‘classical’, meant to be unchanging.  Where you practice the classics for perfect form, etc. 

In my experience whenever somebody strays from their instructor’s or group’s classic it is often thought of as heresy.  Of course my current reading of Dava Sobel’s ‘Galileo’s Daughter’ and the charges of heresy faced by Galileo’s make me consider that misinterpretation of the classics may be the real heresy.

* * First Movement – Beating Drums Slowly * *

Isshinryu’s founder, Shimabuku Tatsuo, crafted his system from his own studies with various Okinawan instructors.  If you look at them and the systems they spawned you will find the classical theme did not hold true.  A great deal of the Isshinryu system kata came from his studies with Kyan Chotoku. Kyan Sensei was known for teaching variations on his system at different times.  If you can take the time to review the systems which sprang from the Kyan source you are struck with the fact that there are many differences on each of the kata themes.

Does this mean there was an original score (kata) and Kyan played with it for his own reasons or perhaps to meet the individual needs of those students?  Of course there is no answer just the resulting explosion of those students establishing systems.

Looking at the one Kyan student, Shimabuku  Tatsuo, he took those themes and actually kept playing jazz with them.  When he originally began scoring a system, he first named it for Kyan nickname although eventually he took on the name Isshinryu.  

Take one note, the punch.  At times he would play it with a twisting punch.  At other times he would play it with a vertical punch. Then return to the twisting punch and finally turn to a vertical punch.  Variations on the score. But interestingly, it was Kyan himself who felt the vertical punch was strongest for him, being Kyan.  Shimabuku Tatsuo choosing it as the major theme in his work remained honoring his instructor’s own belief’s.

Then he played with his audience, being one’s students.  In some sense when he began teaching the American Marines in the mid 1950’s he began to create a new theme with his kata.  Stances, punches, and perhaps even embusen were changed for them. He had crystallized his new work and named it. New students without any conception were a blank score to write against.  But the American’s were only part of his audience. As when a classical composer breaks new ground and the audience walks out, so did many of his students on Okinawa leave.  Whether it was the presence of the Americans or the new score replacing the older one is not an easy question to answer.  Shimabuku responded with more freedom permitting both scores to play in the same hall at the same time.  So the Okinawan students most often used twisting punches, and the American students used the vertical ones.

As he taught, jazz might be a worthy explanation as he often varied the kata for the individual student.  Most American students were there for 1 and ½ years.  Some will remark (as my own instructor) that they observed Shimabuku’s varying practices. Others most likely zoning in on their own training, didn’t observe the jazz themes. This being a common theme in the student at all times.

Then those works, the students, returned to the USA and began teaching…. The Classical Art of Isshinryu.

Frankly they were in excess of 90% on the same score, but the minor differences and the distances involved over the US did much to break them into camps of ‘correct’ practice.  In 1964 Shimabuku Tatsuo taught in Pittsburgh, Pa. For 6 months, and he had returned to the older score for the kata including the twisting punches.  Returning for a quick visit in 1966 he had changed his theme again.

Perhaps Shimabuku Tatsuo was a Classical Jazz musician.  

*  Interlude 1 * *

Shimabuku Tatsuo never did recover the Okinawan strength in his Isshinryu.  For many reasons on his death it appears most of his students choose not to remain with his son, leaving karate or migrating to other systems.  Yet the system did prosper, abet overseas in the United States and other environs.  But with the efforts of his son in law a new generation of Okinawan Isshirnyu continued and from what I understand is re-making the name on Okinawa itself.

*  Second Movement – Always Faithful

My instructor, Tom Lewis (or following Okinawan sensibilities Lewis, Tom)  followed the themes laid down by Shimabuku Tatsuo during his days on Okinawa.  Kihon, Kata and Kumite (Sport Style American).  In kata, he was fluid, making changes as he choose.  To us his students, that was simply the way of our classes. In fact, the 15 or so instructors were the vehicles of the change. They would teach a kata as they understood it, each direct from Sensei Lewis, and often different from each other. Then they demanded we execute the kata as they taught it when they were teaching.  Of course you didn’t have to just remember the kata variation, but also the instructor who taught it that way.

Now there would be those who would then charge heresy!  Fiddle faddle, that was simply the way we trained. Sensei was always watching, and was mostly concerned about correct execution of the version we were doing.

The outsider would say, what’s the big deal, they were mostly the same kata, and they were.  But the small changes in technique, angle or flow, kept the basic themes very alive for us.

Sensei taught as he was taught. He demonstrated and corrected, but did not explain.  Those of us who stayed and trained often sought out our own answers.  For example we thought the kata may have been varied to place better in open karate competition.  In fact Sensei may have used that as part of his motive on occasion. But many years later I discovered those variations weren’t from his own efforts, but rather from the observations of the differences being taught on Okinawa.

*  Interlude 2 - * *

You may notice I did not mention Bunkai (actually a Japanese term and not of Okinawan origin).  Bunkai were not part of the study.  Shimabuku Tatsuo did demonstrate many self defense techniques in public, and they were all based on kata technique, but formal study of kata technique application was NOT part of his curriculum.  You cannot conclude that it didn’t exist, but likely was reserved for the most advanced students. Given hundreds of athletic Marines over the years, all conditioned to follow orders, and only having a year or a year and a half, it would not be difficult to construct why this training did not follow.

Later American’s trying to take other studies (books, magazines, other instructors) trying to get Okinawa to explain Bunkai often were met with resistance.  One of my seniors who trained in Okinawa in 71, years later did return and tried to question the son in law on those points.  He met with stiff resistance, making me conclude that our external understanding of what a system might include does not necessarily compel the Okinawan’s to comply with our definitions.  Of course in this my and our experience is simply too shallow for a complete definition.

*  Third Movement – New Beginnings * *

When I began to teach, I found myself in much the same circumstances as the American originators of our systems. I was on my own, with nobody looking over my shoulder, teaching a system that at that time had no available formal templates or scores, and except for my instructors and friends best wishes, was free and authorized to follow my own instincts.

Of course at first, my themes were incomplete. I tried teaching as I practiced as a Brown Belt, far to intense for students.  I learned to begin with a simpler melody, and consciously picked a classical approach to instruction. Kata became fixed without jazz.  I became a specialist in teaching youth and felt a classical score would be more pleasing, instead of confusing them with jazz.

O I made them aware of its existence but only in a more theoretical manner.

As this continued I followed my own studies in the infinite, dissonance and harmony together.  Many systems, instructors and theories.  Magazines, books, videos, clinics and camps followed.  I became aware of the lack of understanding, the ‘bunkai’ and sought to find its place.

My studies led me to many places.  As has been mentioned many times, in those days almost nobody worked application of kata in any depth.  One of my instructors and close friend, with incredible depth of knowledge in his Chinese system applications, never once showed me what might be there.  Instead he lead me by asking leading questions and followed my working out the answers myself.

Another instructor followed a different path (yet akin to the Chinese) and to his close students (Dan level only) taught Bunkai, but Bunkai as a mnemonic device.  Each kata, had ‘hidden’ applications , not related to the technique in most cases, at different movement points.  Thus his system became a symphony of jutsu techniques, perhaps several thousand, taught in specific order.  A San Dan working the 4th movement point in Hangetsu would be learning a specific technique, as opposed to a Sho Dan working the same 4th movement point in the same kata.  The techniques are marvelous, and when executed complete the destruction of an opponent. The student never works to understand a movement. Instead they work to learn the movement and how to apply them, then the tactical choices between their various studies.

Actually in my friends Northern Chinese system a similar methodology is followed. Every form technique has one and only one application.  But their forms are so long and complex, and in such diverse numbers, they eventually learn thousands of techniques, and the tactics surrounding them. Thus the student does not attempt to figure out movement potential. They have no time to do it, instead they practice.

On counterpoint, we have so much available literature where Okinawan instructors will discuss or show a basic application, and re-iterate that now the student must study to learn new on their own.  Of course if you do take the time to work something out for yourself, it becomes more valuable to one, but so much time is left to re-create the studies of others that might be more profitably spent on practice for better execution.

In my own case, I would work hard to understand how a movement in a kata would work..  On several occasions I didn’t like the answer I found, and discovered how small changes in the kata would create a more workable technique. Then when I could make it work, it became so meaningful I would then follow through and make change to the kata and teach it anew. So my classical work became slowly fluid. Not in great detail, but in several small key movements.

Eventually my studies in application began to understand underlying themes, and greater depth of potential uses followed.

*  Fourth Movement – the Superman * *

One day the phone rang, I could make a symphony of phones ringing influencing my studies.  But from that ring cam the Superman, one who spent the past 40 years taking those inspired demonstrations of Shimabuku Tatsuo and working on the themes of kata application. He is Sherman Harrill (ok, Harrill, Sherman), who would kill me for calling him a Superman,but no other term really applies. He began in Okinawa alongside my instructor, and fell in love with and really mastered the application of kata.  Any movement becomes hours of potential applications.

The themes I worked out myself, shown forth in his work, but with literally decades of work in advance of my own studies.  His basic theme, was ignore the differences between our different Isshirnyu kata, and look at how much they have in common.  Next he works very hard to never change the kata as he studied it (although he is one of my sources on Shimabuku Tatsuo’s own changes), but allows the jazz to shine in his approach to applications. Where the kata become unchanging, the kata application become the most fluid possible.

Movement would be applied in any angle, any attack, sub movement would be utilized, so any strike might be used for many sub-component strikes, all with great effect.  Locks, grabs, strikes ,throws, chokes and more come flowing forth.

As time passes, his movement becomes akin to your own, and you follow similar paths applying more and more of the classical studies..

He also becomes a counter-point to the changes, giving reason to re-consider the classical anew.

Kata no longer has only one or several themes. Any one has hundreds and more, and newer works beckon, crossing technique from the various kata for greater effect.

*  Ending  *  *

Well from classical jazz I’m surrounded with many themes and choices.  I wonder each day what is the best answer, what choice should I make today following an older theme, or beginning a new melody.

How do I, as the instructor, create a stronger approach for the student?  Must they follow my path, or should I fix the path to give them greater skill and freedom?

I do not possess the wisdom or knowledge to know which will follow, but boy do I love the sound of the music I can participate in creating.

*  Exit Music * *

What is the sound of one hand slapping?  Lean closer and I will show it to you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bBzIgIaPS4