Have Fun With Kata – “. . . That’s OK”

Martial artists in general and karate-ka in particular all too often view kata as a serious endeavor. Both in my own kata practice and my writings on kata, I also find myself confined within the boundary of seriousness. Recognizing this I think it is time for you and I to “lighten-up” our kata practice (this also applies to my non-martial arts readers that have learned SanchinKata).

This does not mean that we should routinely practice kata in a trivial manner, rather, we should, when appropriate, recognize the joy of kata. What a radical idea – Kata for the fun of it!

With that in mind, I submit the following OK (Online Kata) Session – “Fun With Kata – That’s OK”
Remember, the group dynamic is not fulfilled by all of us being geographically present, rather, it is fulfilled by each of us performing Sanchin in the proscribed manner.

Session Parameters:
Date: Week of: July 13th, 2015
Time: anytime the mood to perform Sanchin (or other kata) strikes you, BUT, especially when life gets a little too serious;
Location: any location is acceptable;
Salient Points:

• first and foremost, ENJOY your kata session;
• feel good about your kata;
• smile as you practice your kata;
• relish the fact that you have the ability to perform a unique and historical, yet living, art called – KATA.
• The last requirement of this Sanchin Pilgrimage is to remain in a state of “Zanshin” (the “remaining mind”) – in other words – (to borrow a lyric from Bobby McFerrin), “Don’t worry, BE HAPPY”

Here’s some fun I had performing Seienchin Kata with a wild horse herd during my last visit to the Lower Salt River in Arizona.

Once again, you may wish to not only perform this session as scheduled, but may also revisit the specific pilgrimage and allow Sanchin to unlock the cage imposed upon your by the drama of daily life. Do this as an integral part of your regular Kata practice.

In closing I remain, in a playful mood – – – seriously,

Sensei John Szmitkowski

     For information on my no-risk kata seminars, please visit the seminar page using this convenient link https://senseijohn.me/seminar-kata/

 For a refreshing and innovative discourse on kata and bunkai, please feel free to visit Sensei John’s Kata Laboratory using this convenient link: https://senseijohn.me/category/kata-laboratory/

© Copyright 2015 Issho Productions & John Szmitkowski, all rights reserved.

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You may wish to view my other blogs –
   my fishing blog which includes my fishing journals and the interrelationship between martial arts protocol & ideology to fishing http://flyfishingdojo.com
and
 the Goshin-Do Karate blog at http://defeliceryu.com

Tags: Academy of Goshin-Do Karate, Enjoy Kata, Goshen-Do Karate, Group Kata, Jiriki Kata-Do, Kata Outdoors, Kata Practice, Kata Training, Sensei John