I’m no genius. I am; however, curious. Since I was a youth my curiosity led me to books and a love of reading. Now with the internet there is a wealth of resources at my fingertips. I’m almost as addicted to reading as I am to kata. Both are an integral part of my day, and therefore myself. It seems I can’t simply enjoy a book, or for that matter, watch a video. While doing so, my mind invariably begins to incorporate what I’m reading or watching into my practice of kata and the philosophical and ideological beliefs derived from same.
When I first began my Kata Laboratory project over a decade ago, I set forth a simple mandate – “Think – Sweat – Experiment” with kata. The thinking part comes from not only internal sources, namely my own mind, through a process called “Bunkai” (analysis). “What is the practical application of a kata sequence?” “How does this kata make me feel?” “What impact does a kata have on my state of mind?” “What would it be like to do a kata in a snowstorm, at the beach, or in the rain?”
The thinking part is also stimulated by external sources. For me thats what I read or watch. To this end, many karate-ka disregard, or are unaware of the impact of other disciplines, on their kata experience. By disciplines I do not mean other martial arts or styles of karate. Rather, I mean disciplines like science, philosophy, psychology and others.
I find it extremely intriguing and rewarding to incorporate ideas and concepts from the sciences and arts into my study of karate. Thus the second and third aspect of my Kata Lab motto – “sweat” and “experiment” (try new things). The results of which I sometimes write about but mostly, perhaps selfishly, keep to myself.
If I choose to write about it, particularly here on this blog, I do so by “inviting” the author to my Kata Laboratory. One such “guest” was the eminent physicist Dr. Richard Feynman. Now, of course, Dr. Feynman did not actually visit my Kata Laboratory. In fact he had already passed away; but, his concepts were “invited” and applied to kata and especially, bunkai (analysis) of Kata. Here are two of his visits. The first is when Doctor Feynman and the chess grandmaster Emanuel Lasker “visited” to add insight int the fleeting nature of kata bunkai –
The second is when the good doctor visited to provide insight the “correct and only bunkai” you may have had to learn from your Sensei – https://senseijohn.me/2015/11/09/kata-bunkai-a-temporary-triumph-dr-feynman-visits-the-kata-lab-part-ii/ .
So, after fulfilling my 2017 GoodReads challenge of reading 36 books last year, I drew up a “Guest-List” of invited speakers. I’d like to share not only that list but also some of the topics that they may, or may not provide insight on. Incidentally, I highly recommend each and every book. All are truly insightful on a wide range of subjects – and, I submit ALL can provide deep insight into your kata. In other words using these resources to help you “Think” you will most certainly be motivated to “Sweat.” Those two independent processes will encourage you to “Experiment” and find new, untapped, hidden insights into kata. At least they did so for me (and still continue to do so). Hey, if you read these authors and have your own insights, let me know, we can compare notes. Or, you can keep doing the same old thing that has been done for centuries in the martial arts because that’s “tradition.” But then again, at least your doing something other than the majority that sit home on the couch eating Cheetos while surfing the web.
So here’s the guest list:
- Eckhardt Tolle and his book “A New Earth” (Penguin Books, New York, New York, 2005, 2016);
- Shelly Kagan and his book “Death” book (Yale University Press, 2012) and video lecture series;
- Victor Frankl – “Man’s Search For Meaning” (Beacon Press, Boston, MA, 2014)
- Jospeh Campbell – “Myths To Live By” (Campbell Foundation, San Anselmo, CA 2011);
- Neil De Grasse Tyson – “Astrophysics For People In A Hurry” (W.W. Norton & Co. New York, NY 2017)
- Adam Frank – “About Time” (Simon and Schuster, New York, NY 2011)
- In addition, I’m deepening some of my thoughts in light of seeing a video of the very esoteric Gassho-No-Kata of Goju-ryu.
So look for these gusts to appear in my Kata Laboratory in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, “Think – Sweat – Experiment” with your kata!
Featured Video:
Respectfully submitted,
Sensei John Szmitkowsski
For information on my “no-risk”, kata seminars, please visit the seminar page using this convenient link https://senseijohn.me/seminar-kata/
My seminars are the ONLY seminars that allow you to pay at the conclusion, thus insuring your complete satisfaction!
For a refreshing and innovative discourse on kata and bunkai, please feel free to visit Sensei John’s Kata Laboratory and “THINK * SWEAT * EXPERIMENT” using this convenient link: https://senseijohn.me/kata-lab/
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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 to fishing http://flyfishingdojo.com
and
the Goshin-Do Karate blog at http://defeliceryu.com
Esoteric Kata 
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