Sochin was introduced to Okinawa by Seisho Arakagi based on what he learnt in China from Ru Ru Ko, along with other various Karate and Kobudo Kata.
This Kata possibly has its origins within the Dragon style of Kung Fu. Sochin bridges the gap between Naha-te and Shuri-te as it originates within the Naha line with Arakaki (Naha master) but the most common versions today are from Shotokan (from Shuri/Tomari).
Arakagi taught this Kata to Higashionna who in turn taught it to Kenwa Mabuni.
Mabuni’s style of Shito-Ryu is based on both Naha-te and Shuri-te, as he learnt Karate from both Higashionna and Itosu.
It is plausible that Gigo Funakoshi learnt Sochin from Mabuni as he was the person who then introduced Soshin into the Shotokan syllabus.
The Kata utilises the stance Fudo Dachi (which some styles call Sochin Dachi) maintaining a low centre of gravity. This stance is practical/stable and strengthening at the same time, making Fudo Dachi good for both training and bunkai.
Sochin is quite dynamic and rooted in the ground at the same time. Given its various origins and influences Sochin is unlike any other Kata.
The Meaning of the Kata’s name, ‘Tranquil Force’, can have many different interpretations. The most obvious interpretation is that the name simply refers to the type of techniques used in this Kata. To watch the Kata one might describe the movements as “Tranquil”. Another interpretation might be a description of Sochin’s non-lethal bunkai. As all the bunkai in the Kata would only stop an attacker rather than to permanently injure or kill the opponent (of course this type of non-lethal application of bunkai is not unique Sochin).
Anko Itosu is the most well known student's of Bushi Matsumura. He had an incredible influence on modern karate. Gichin Funakoshi is most often credited as being the main force behind the popularisation of Karate in modern times, but as Itosu’s student he was really just carrying on what had Itosu started.
Having lived from 1831 to 1915, he lived during a time of great change in Okinawa. He grew up during the last days of the old Ryukyu kingdom and in 1879 is saw his homeland annexed by Japan and reformed into ‘Okinawa Prefecture’. Okinawa suddenly became part of a larger modern world and the locals had to adapt to the modern Japanese way of life.
One of the only photo's of Itosu
The Budo that Itosu learned was somewhat ‘old-school’. It was a practical complete fighting method, intended for the practitioners to learn to be part of the warrior class of a relatively feudal society.
As times were changing, Itosu felt that his Budo needed to change also, if it was to have a place in the modern world.
With this in mind he created new Kata (based on already existing Kata) and also made many changes to existing Kata. The changes he made removed much of the complexity and some of the more violent techniques. The aim of this was to make the art form more ‘palatable’ to a wider demographic, specifically the intention was to make modern Karate suitable for children.
There is a theory that he had separated the ‘dumbed down’ version of Karate from the real ‘old-school’ Budo and intended to teach both, but the popularisation of the former overshadowed the latter.
Itosu campaigned to have Karate taught at schools, believing that the positive aspects of Karate training being spread to the greater population will be good for society as a whole. He himself taught at the Shuri Jinjo Elementary School in 1901, and then at the First Junior Prefectural High School and at the Okinawa’s Teachers College in 1905.
In 1908 he wrote a letter to both the Ministry or War and Ministry of Education regarding Karate and it's benefits.This letter is one of the few writings on Ryukyu Budo that survived the war and is a valuable part of Ryukyu Budo history.
The following is a translation of that letter:
Karate did not develop from Buddhism or Confucianism. In the past the Shorin-ryu school and the Shorei-ryu school were brought to Okinawa from China . Both of these schools have strong points and I therefore list them below just as they are without embellishment.
1. Karate is not merely practiced for your own benefit; it can be used to protect one's family or master. It is not intended to be used against a single assailant but instead as a way of avoiding injury by using the hands and feet should one by any chance be confronted by a villain or ruffian.
2. The purpose of karate is to make the muscles and bones hard as rock and to use the hands and legs as spears. If children were to begin training naturally in military prowess while in elementary school, then they would be well suited for military service. Remember the words attributed to the Duke of Wellington after he defeated Napoleon, "Today's battle was won on the playing fields of our schools".
3. Karate cannot be quickly learned. Like a slow moving bull, it eventually travels a thousand leagues. If one trains diligently for one or two hours every day, then in three or four years one will see a change in physique. Those who train in this fashion will discover the deeper principles of karate.
4. In karate, training of the hands and feet are important, so you should train thoroughly with a Makiwara. In order to do this, drop your shoulders, open your lungs, muster your strength, grip the floor with your feet, and concentrate your energy into your lower abdomen. Practice using each arm one to two hundred times each day.
5. When you practice the stances of karate, be sure to keep your back straight, lower your shoulders, put strength in your legs, stand firmly, and drop your energy into your lower abdomen.
6. Practice each of the techniques of karate repeatedly. Learn the explanations of every technique well, and decide when and in what manner to apply them when needed. Enter, counter, withdraw is the rule for torite.
7. You must decide if karate is for your health or to aid your duty.
8. When you train, do so as if on the battlefield. Your eyes should glare, shoulders drop, and body harden. You should always train with intensity and spirit as if actually facing the enemy, and in this way you will naturally be ready.
9. If you use up your strength to excess in karate training, this will cause you to lose the energy in your lower abdomen and will be harmful to your body. Your face and eyes will turn red. Be careful to control your training.
10. In the past, many masters of karate have enjoyed long lives. Karate aids in developing the bones and muscles. It helps the digestion as well as the circulation. If karate should be introduced, beginning in the elementary schools, then we will produce many men each capable of defeating ten assailants.
If the students at teacher training college learn karate in accordance with the above precepts and then, after graduation, disseminate this to elementary schools in all regions, within 10 years karate will spread all over Okinawa and to mainland Japan. Karate will therefore make a great contribution to our military. I hope you will seriously consider what I have written here - Anko Itosu, October 1908
The Original Letter
This particular translation was commissioned by Iain Abernethy, his comments on the translation are as follows:
The translation was taken from scans of Itosu's original handwritten letter. This translation was also done independently by a leading professional translator who is a specialist in this kind of work. The translator was not a martial artist and he therefore had no specific view to promote. I therefore have no reason to doubt its accuracy. That is not to say other translations are necessarily inaccurate - it is certainly similar to others; as you would expect - however, there is no denying that in parts the one I commissioned expresses very different sentiments to some other translations. I would encourage the reader to compare the existing translations and decide for themselves which make most sense and are likely to be the most accurate.
(link to full article below)
Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have. J
Sepai has many things in common with last weeks Kata Seiunchin. There is so much in common between the two kata, there is a theory that Sepai was originally the second half of Seiunchin (but unfortunately, there is no real evidence to back this up). Just like Seiunchin, Sepai is a very close-range Kata relying on maintaining a low centre of gravity using leg and core strength.
Sepai can be suited to a person of any size, it works best for a person of small stature and great strength (which is very common in native Okinawan Budoka). Many of the bunkai techniques focus more on unbalancing the opponent after striking them as a distraction.
There are different interpretations of the Kata’s name '18' or '18 Hands'. There are a few Kata with similar names e.g. 18 hands, 36 hands and 108 hands, all of which are divisible by 108. It is thought that this comes from Buddhist beliefs and ideals as the number 108 is important in Buddhism. The 'Hands' part is thought to be an Okinawan term, they say that in the original Chinese it was thought to be 'steps','positions' or 'people'. I personally think the 'Hands' part of the names are a recent addition, an attempt to make the kata sound more meaningful. It is a relatively recent addition to the interpretation of the name and most likely not the original intention at the time that the name was decided. The reason being is that we only see 'Hands' when it's written down (十八手). The Japanese for '十八手' is 'Jū hachi-te' (sounds nothing like Sepai).
The Chinese names give's away the fact that 'Hands' isn't included. '18 Hands' in Chinese is 'Shíbā Shǒu', but just 18 is 'Shíbā'. It seems obvious to me that 'Sepai' is the Okinawan pronunciation of the Chinese word for '18'. The same is true of the other kata mentioned above: Sanseru (36) 三十六 Sānshíliù Suparinpei (108) 一百零八 Yībǎi líng bā None of them mention the Chinese word 'Shǒu' (meaning Hands)
Sepai was taught to Chojun Miyagi by Kanryo Higashionna. It is thought that Higashionna brought this Kata to Okinawa from what he learned from Ru Ru Ko in the Fujian province of China. Techniques that exist in Sepai may have also been introduced to Okinawa much earlier by the 36 families that immigrated from the Fujian province and started Kumemura village in the late 1300’s. Much of Okinawa’s early martial arts are thought to have been introduced by the 36 families.
Seiunchin, like many Kata, has an unclear history. The most commonly accepted theory of Seiunchin is that Chojun Miyagi created this Kata from what he learnt from Ru Ru Ko in China. The techniques themselves most likely originating within the Hsing-I Chuan style of Kung Fu.
Seiunchin is a very close-range Kata relying on maintaining a low centre of gravity using leg and core strength (which is not unique among the kata of the Naha-te styles).
A big part of mastering this Kata is the understanding of balance between contrasting opposites. Some example of this are 'expansion/contraction', 'tension/relaxation', 'preparation/execution' and 'external/internal power generation'.
The meaning of the Kata’s name, ‘to control and pull into battle’, refers directly to the bunkai of the Kata. The whole Kata involves gaining control of the opponent, then pulling then into the counter attack. Seiunchin is designed for defence against larger attackers, turning a smaller persons disadvantage into advantage. By relying on low centre of gravity and its close range; Seiunchin negates a larger opponent’s size and reach.
Seisan is the oldest and most widespread Karate Kata. It predates Karate and there is even a theory that it possibly predates eastern martial arts itself.
Seisan is the only Kata that is prevalent in Shuri-te, Tomari-te and Naha-te. It can be found in styles including: Shōrin-ryū, Gōjū-ryū, Isshin-ryū, Chitō-ryū, Wadō-ryū, Shitō-ryū, Uechi-ryū, Shotokan, Tang Soo Do, Meibukan, Moo Duk Kwan, Ryū-te, Ryūei-ryū, Seito, Matsumura-ryu, Seibukan, Shōrinji-ryū, Shinki-ryu, Ishimine-Ryu, Koshinkai and Yoshukai Karate. Almost all versions of this Kata that are now practiced in modern Karate can be traced back to Bushi Matsumura in some way or another.
Being that the Kata is so old, there are many theories regarding Kata’s name and origin. Many people say that the name translates as "13 Hands", "13 Fists", "13 Techniques", "13 Steps" or "13 positions". These are just not true. Seisan is the Okinawan pronunciation of the Chinese word “Shisan” which simply means "13".
The number 13 is a lucky number in Chinese culture. The reason being that digit 1 when positioned in tens sounds like the word 'definite' (shi) in Mandarin and dialects such as Cantonese; while the digit 3 sounds like life, living or birth.
As a result, the number 13, which is pronounced as shisan in Mandarin, can mean 'definitely vibrant' or 'assured growth'. Within the Kata there are 13 unique techniques and the most common bunkai is defending against 13 different attackers.
Gichin Funakoshi changed the name of most of the kata that he taught. He gave Seisan the name ‘Hangetsu’. There is a theory about this Kata that it possibly outdates martial arts practice itself. It's thought to have it's origins in having been a sort of a tribal dance relating to the lunar cycles, the tides and months. This theory might explain the reason for the meaning of the name ‘Hangetsu’ which is ‘Half Moon’. An interesting "coincidence" is that there was apparently a 13 day Luna cycle in their culture at the time. It's possible that this is the origins of the kata, but it's equally as possible that it simply had it origins like any other kata.
Gichin Funakoshi is well known for making changes to Kata techniques and even simplifying them. It's known that he didn’t like this Kata as much as others and so didn't make so many changes. It's possible that it could mean that the Shotokan version of Hangetsu has remained relatively unchanged since the days of Isosu and possibly Matsumura. If this is true, it means the Shotokan version would be one of the oldest versions of Seisan that is practiced today.
Today's post is part 2 after last week's post. If you haven't read that yet, please click here.
守破離 SHU-HA-RI This is a Japanese term. A similar concept exists within in Chinese culture, called DI-REN-TIAN 地人天. This literally means 'Earth - Human - Heavens'.
The Earth with a Human standing on it under the Heavens
This concept exists within Chinese martial arts. So it's probable that one concept has given rise to (or inspired) the other.
Today's post is about the major part of real Budo training, 'HA', the stages involved that might lead towards the next level (RI) and how to identify the characteristics of a practitioner in the HA level.
Stages of HA It's important to understand that the stages involved in HA are not a simple linear progression as they are in SHU.
New Horizons - Not actually a stage, but a moment. It is that point of crossing the threshold from SHU into HA. That point when you realise that there is A LOT more too it than what you've been doing before now. The funny thing is that this might happen several time while in HA.
Questioning - Taking everything you know and question it. Every little assumption, every rule, all techniques, everything! Seek to understand why it is the way it is, think about why different people do it differently. The aim is to deepen your understanding of all things related to your Budo.
Searching - Seeking information to broaden your knowledge, skills and abilities, this is different to the previous level. When in SHU it's all handed to you. In HA you need to find new knowledge yourself.
Innovate & Create - Take the framework you built in SHU and slowly add and remove different aspects and techniques so that it works better for you.
Lost In Ha - With no clear rules as a guide and so much more information and options, it's easy to "get lost". It is a requirement to get a little bit lost within HA in order to find your own way, but you must be careful not to get completely lost. Getting lost completely among all the different ways and opinions could take your budo somewhere you don't want it to go.
Repeat - As I mentioned, this is not a linear progression. You may come into these stages in almost any order and it's possible to be in a couple of stages at the same time for different aspects of your budo. You won't be able to just tick a box and say "I've done that now, time to move on" It doesn't work that way. You will find you'll need to go over things again and again.
In a previous post (this post), I explained that the whole process is complex and different depending on the skill you're trying to master. So the path that your journey takes will be structured differently for different skills and mindsets, compared to other people's. In reality, it looks less like the linear journey depicted below on the first picture and more the second picture:
Make it your own When you're in SHU, you're following someone else's way. For example, everyone that trains in the Shotokan style are following Funakoshi's way. Where the point of SHU was to "follow the rules", the point of HA is to "break the rules". In other words, you no longer follow someone else's way, you need to use the knowledge you have to find YOUR OWN WAY.
12 Signs that you're in HA
Questioning Everything - Take nothing for granted. Double check and question everything. -
Value of Teaching Others -A person who has to explain it others develops a deeper understanding for themselves. As the saying goes "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." - Albert Einstein (apparently) -
Multiple Bunkai - With practice experience we eventually realise that every section of every kata can have more than one application. It's probable that the person who originally devised the technique only had one Bunkai in mind, but a wise budoka realises that almost any technique can be applied in almost any situation. -
Beyond Pettiness - A person who has truly progressed past the SHU level, knows that all the immature things (that I mentioned in point 12 in last weeks post) are only going to hold back future development. Budo should be for 'Character Development', and a person with a 'developed character' is a mature person. -
Beyond Styles - A person who has truly progressed past the SHU level, knows that all the styles and all the variations don't really matter. What matters is what you are learning and who you become. The style you do this in doesn't really change anything. A person who has truly progressed to the HA level should be seeking different opinions and looking outside their style anyway. -
Optional Embusen - They say that Chojun Miyagi coined the term: "Do not be fooled by the rule of embusen." The embusen of a kata is there for those in SHU, in order to learn and remember the kata. A person in HA knows that the patterns that the kata follow doesn't have any bearing on how the Bunkai could be executed. -
Critical Thinking - Not everyone is naturally used to using critical thinking automatically all the time. But a true Budoka must develop the skills to objectively analyse as much as possible. They must know to think for themselves and not always rely on the judgments of others. -
Making No Assumptions - When thinking and analysing, it's easy to draw certain conclusions and not bother to double check or find some sort of evidence. If you draw a conclusion without putting extra effort into making sure that it's correct, then you've made an assumption. A smart person doesn't let assumptions influence their opinions. -
Open Mindedness - While a true Budoka don't need to rely on the judgments of others, they should be open to other ideas and opinions. Especially if it's not in line with their current views and ideas. -
Who You Are, Not What You Do - The realisation that Budo training is about the person you become rather than the fact that you "train in martial arts". It's less about appearances and more about who you are in the inside. -
More Than Fighting - As I explained in this post, traditional Budo is a fusion of fighting skill and learning to be a virtuous person. A person who has reached the HA level starts to understand how much effort is required in the 'virtue' side of Budo training. -
Understanding the 'Way'- A big step on the journey is actually realising what "the way" is. It's a tricky thing to figure out for some, but an important stage in your understanding.
12 Signs that you're lost in HA The majority of Budoka don't progress into the final level (RI). Many stay in HA. The main reason is that there is no clear direction to follow when you're making it your own. Without a map or compass, it's easy to get lost if you're not careful. Here's 12 signs that you're lost in HA:
Confusion - If you lack a clear idea of your Budo's direction of development. In the transition from SHU to HA, the options and decisions to be made drastically increases . It's easy to become overwhelmed by everything. -
Boredom - If you find you have lost your momentum and motivation for Budo. This can also be a result of becoming overwhelmed by everything. -
Over-Complicating Bunkai - In last week's post I mentioned that people stuck in SHU can sometimes over-simplify bunkai. The opposite can also be a problem. Budoka sometimes tend to think up overly complex applications for kata. The thought is that is that if they can come up with an incredibly complex and convoluted bunkai, then they're obviously a better (smarter) martial artist. This is not true. The more complex a bunkai, the less chance is that you'll be able to make it work when you need it to. It's about keeping it simple, but of course not so simple that it's ineffective. -
Completely Change Everything - The idea of HA is 'making it your own', but sometimes a person will go too far and change too much too quickly. When in SHU we learn what Budo is about, if we completely throw all that away, then what we come up with when 'making it our own' will most likely be ineffective and probably nonsensical. -
Forget Practicality - To just focus on the 'art form' and forget the purpose of those techniques. The physical aspect of Budo training is always about being able to defend ourselves. If you don't have that, irrespective of how nice the kata looks, you're not really a budoka. -
Too Busy Teaching - Many people in the HA level make their priority about teaching, rather than their own training. Remember, a good instructor still does their own training more than they teach others. -
Learning Lessons But Not Learning From Lessons - With the transition into HA brings new insights and knowledge. We learn many new ideas and concepts. The problem is that with many people (not just martial artists) learn something or gain a new insight in life, but they fail to actually apply it to their practices and/or way of living. So will become frustrated in something that has become more and more an obvious truth, but they still haven't learnt from it. "Sometimes in life, your situation will keep repeating itself, until you learn your lesson."- Brigitte Nicole -
Arrogance - With the realisation that you are no longer required to 'follow the rules' sometimes comes an attitude of "I'm pretty awesome, look how far I've come!" Letting your progress go to your head is not the way and an indication that you fail to realise how much more there is yet to still learn. -
Failure To See Other Points Of View - As I mentioned above, When 'finding your own way' it's easy to only rely on your own opinion. Of course a good Budoka finds their way, but still be open to the lessons and ideas of other Budoka. -
No longer "Budo" - When you've changed things so much that what you're doing is no longer martial arts. It resembles sport and nothing else. This is a very unfortunate thing to happen and perpetuates the type of schools many know as the "McDojo". -
Not RI - A person lost in HA will be unable to find their way to the RI level. Next weeks post will have details about what the RI level is, but if you're lost in HA (for whatever reason) you will not reach the understanding and natural skill required to -
Stopped Learning - In my mind, the saddest thing to happen to a Budoka (and budo as a whole) is if the Budoka stops learning. This is most common in certain people who achieve the higher grades and special titles like "Hanchi" and "Shihan". Many of these people and their students wouldn't like to admit it, but you can see it with older instructors, especially the ones that run certain clubs. Some have been training in the way of Budo for 40, 50 or even 60 years but have now stopped learning (in some cases even stopped training). This is the extreme of the above point about being "too busy teaching". These people have amassed extensive knowledge and wisdom over the years, but then just stop. Their own budo stagnates. No one person can 'know it all' but these people have forgotten that there is always more to learn. To put it bluntly, they're so wrapped up in being the 'head-honcho' that they miss out on truly reaching the RI level. You might say, maybe they have already reached the RI level, but if that were true then their budo wouldn't have stagnated. They would still train (regardless of age) and they would still be seeking new insight and abilities.
This is the second in a series of posts I'm doing regarding SHU-HA-RI. The next post will be all about the next level 'RI' and the ultimate aim of the most advanced Budoka. So stay tuned.
Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have. J
Last week's post was about what traditional Budo actually is in the modern world and that it can't be found in the style or the system itself, but in how you approach and think of the training. I talked about how Budo isn't just about fighting, it's also about being a person of virtue (Bunbu Ryodo - the two fold way of pen and sword).
Within the last 100 years or so Budo has slowly changed. It has become modernised so that it can fit in with the modern world and the mindset of a modern practitioner.
When we talk about the modernisation of budo today, there is an additional element that has been added into the mix that has become an integral part of martial arts for many practitioners.
The large majority of modern martial arts clubs are making their focus on the sport and competition aspects of training.
When sport and competition was added into the equation, it creates a problem. The problem being that the above venn diagram can't exist. There isn't a way to balance sport, fighting system & virtue at the same time.
I know that many would disagree with the above statement, but if you have a closer look you'll find that it's like trying to force a square peg into a round hole and for it to actually work you need to compromise something and that something is quite often the virtue part.
First we'll look at each aspect of the above diagram, I'll explain my reasoning. The three main elements of the diagram are:
The Fighting System
Virtue
Sport & Competition
The fighting system is the martial art. It's all the techniques and knowledge. Everything that makes up the physical part of martial arts, as well as everything you need to learn and know about the art form. The culmination of this being the skills, ability and understanding that can be used in order to deescalate a potentially violent confrontation.
Virtue is all about the character development stuff. Learning to be a better person and everything that entails. It's about setting high standards for who you are and having the strength & integrity to live by those standards in your daily life.
The Sport side of it (as far as I see it) can be divided up into two parts. The first part is taking the martial system and using it as you would any other sport. It simply becomes a physical activity with an emphasis on the fitness and ability. The second part of sport is about utilising the fitness and abilities you have gained from training in competition with others.
These 3 elements should be pretty obvious for any Karateka. The issues arise when you analyse the sections of the venn diagram that overlap.
The Fighting System & Virtue makes Budo
Sport & Fighting System make Glorified Violence (or something worse)
Virtue & Sport makes some other thing
Budo is the fusion of the fighting style and the way of virtue. As I mentioned in last weeks post, this is what I think 'traditional' martial arts were in pre-modern times.
The 'Glorified Violence' section of the diagram, which is the combination of fighting and sport, has become two basic types these days.
The first type of fighting sport is what we know as UFC (and things like cage fighting). It's the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Where people train to be at the peak of physical fitness and learn techniques and skill with the aim of entering a competition to see if their skill and training is better than the skill and training of other competitors. This is the epitome of the term 'Glorified Violence' when we analyse what this is. A person literally trains with the ultimate goal of being able to get in a ring and pound the crap out of someone before that person is able to do the same to them. Being a person of virtue can in no way be synonymous with this type of activity. For what reason would a virtuous person want to deliberately cause damage to another person?... None, there is no need to want to deliberately cause damage to another person (unless there is no other option, as is the case in a real self-defence situation) It seems to me that the whole point of this type of fighting sport is to prove that your skill is better than the skills of others. A virtuous person is secure enough to not have any need to prove to anyone that they're better than anyone else, especially when it's really about making money as a show for spectators.
What does a person get out of this type of fighting sport? Obviously someone who is successful gains money and the notoriety, two things that a virtuous person doesn't compromise their values for. These people do learn fighting skill, so they are capable of defending themselves and others, but what mindset does it perpetuate in people (both the practitioners and the spectators)? That violence is good? That being the best at hitting people is somehow worthwhile? I think that many people develop a subconscious attitude of "If I have a reason to get angry and someone stands up to me, then it's ok to physically beat them until they can no longer stand." Disagree with me? Look up the stats on domestic violence. Here you go. Clearly there are people out there that think their anger is a good thing and that they can solve problems with violence. I'm definitely not saying that UFC fighters and fans are all wife beaters, but when violence is glorified, idolised and sold as a good thing, people who lack self-control would be more likely to justify using it - even against loved ones... There is absolutely no virtue in this at all.
The second type of fighting sport is the tournaments. The average Karateka doesn't enter UFC type cage fights but can still compete in a relatively non-violent setting. Tournaments are more the "sport" part of the fighting sport, hence it's this type of competition that will be included in the Olympics. Tournaments can be fun but there are some serious flaws. The first flaw being that what is considered 'good technique' for a tournament is not the same 'good effective technique' in real world confrontation. Generally tournaments have kata and kumite competition, both of these promote ineffective technique. Tournament kata tends to ignore bunkai completely (bunkai is the practical application of techniques). The technique you see are all about looking good. In many cases techniques that have actually sacrificed something that might be strong, stable and effective just so that it can impress judges.
If there is ever any bunkai in tournaments it also has been rendered ineffectual so it can look fancy but will never work in reality.
The kumite part of karate tournaments is different but just as good at promoting and instilling techniques that are ineffective. In kumite there are many rules, primarily for safety (which is fair enough), but in real life there are no rules. I have seen practitioners taking part in tournaments that have rules about no contact to the head, that learn to not bother guarding their head. This is, of course, utterly ridiculous. What sort of martial artist doesn't worry about protecting the most vulnerable part of the body??? Changing the fighting techniques to suit tournament rules isn't the only issue with tournaments kumite. The other problem is with the way tournament kumite is performed in general. Put simply, it's not real fighting.
In this video you can see two practitioners jumping around and darting all over the place in an effort to disguise the telegraphing of offensive techniques. The techniques that are thrown are quite often over extended and lack any control.
Real martial arts have no time or room for such techniques. There's no jumping around and no big long extended punches.
Tournaments might have their origins in martial arts, but they have become purely sport.
What drives this need to change technique to become more and more ineffective over time? Why do people feel the need to prioritise tournaments over a fighting system that really works as a fighting style?
Beyond promoting bad technique, karate tournaments also inherently instil a bad attitude, a culture of competitive pettiness and immaturity. This is the opposite of virtue, it's these type of things that martial artists should be above, rather than perpetuate.
As far as I see it, people are driven to compete out of a subconscious sense of insecurity, which ultimately comes from immaturity. They feel that if they 'win' then it means something, if they 'win' it will prove their worth to everyone (including themselves). A secure person finds self-worth from within, they don't try to find it externally. Externally derived self-worth is shallow, temporary and fragile. I've seen people put a great deal of importance on how they do in a tournament, as if the entire world hinges on the tournament on that day. It's not just kids (who might be to young to understand), I've seen Dan grade adults lose it, even cry, when they fail to get the "gold medal". Being that one of the main purposes of Budo training is character development and becoming a better (well-adjusted) person, this sort of behaviour is obviously not a part of real budo and the clubs that foster the "importance of winning" mindset are not teaching martial arts, it's just sport.
You might say something like: "I do tournaments just as a test of my ability, I don't care if I win or lose." and you might think that this is virtuous. While it is indeed a more mature mindset than the 'sooky la la' I mentioned above. There is still no virtue in competition. Competition with others gives you no actual indication of your ability level. If you compete and win against 7 other people on a particular day but those 7 people are of a horribly crappy standard, then you might go home mistakenly thinking you're of a better standard than you actually are. The same it true the other way around too, if you lose against 7 amazing experts, then you'll go home mistakenly thinking you're worse than you actually are.
To compare to other practitioners is always arbitrary, there's no baseline or standard by which you can measure to give any idea of the standard level. It will give you false-positives 95% of the time.
You might say: "I just compete in tournaments for the fun of it." Well, you should always do what you enjoy and if you enjoy the tournaments and fighting competition then you should do it. Having said this, don't fool yourself into thinking that it's Budo or even martial arts. It's sport, just like any other, it's no more budo than swimming or football.
Don't fool yourself into thinking that because you do good or bad in tournaments that it means you're a good or bad Budoka.
Bushi Matsumura(the greatest Karateka who ever lived, the man who influenced pretty much every style of modern Karate, your master's master's master's master's master[give or take a master or two]) once wrote:
If we investigate the martial arts, we also see that there are three distinct divisions or elements in them: The first method, or division, is more like a game of psychology and tactics. It actually has no practical application in fighting, but it is more like pretty dancing. It is quite superficial. The second method is nothing more than physical exercises. Its only goal is to win. In this there is no virtue. The practitioners of this method are contentious. Many times they bring injury to others and to themselves. Very often they cause dishonour to come upon members of their family. The third method, in contrast, is always performed with conviction. The practitioners of this third method gain a solemn enlightenment, free of strife and depravity. It promotes loyalty among family, friends and country. It also promotes a natural demeanour, which develops a gallant character.
In my mind, both the UFC and tournaments are a mix of both the first and second methods that Matsumura mentions. As he says, there is no virtue in these methods. Hence why virtue and fighting competition are on the opposite side of the venn diagram.
This is also why fighting competition isn't Budo, as there is no virtue. in them.
The part of the diagram that is the combination of virtue and sport (opposite the fighting system) is 'Not Martial Arts'.
I'm not entirely sure that this section can exist, as I don't think there is any way to reconcile competitiveness and truly being a person of virtue.
If there is, it's not really relevant, as being that it's lacking the fighting system, it has nothing to do with budo anyway.
I'm fully aware that many people will disagree with some of the things in this post. I don't claim that any of this is absolute certainty, this is simply my opinion and my point of view (as is everything in this blog).
I don't imply that a person who disagrees with my views are wrong, they simply have different views to me and we are all free to believe what we like.
I believe that the popularisation of Budo in modern times has resulted in a change that is not for the better. That change being the introduction of the mainstream acceptance of a competitive mindset. In the process of making budo more 'sport like', we have sacrificed other important aspects of Budo, so much that I wouldn't describe what the majority do today as 'Budo'.
To my mind, real Budo is practiced by people who learn to train and perfect techniques that work (rather than look good) and they have no inclination to compare or compete in an attempt to disprove some subconscious feeling of insecurity.
Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have. J
