Welcome to the second part of Kata & Real Fighting. 

In part 1 we discussed the importance of realistically interpreting your Katas and we covered some very important aspects of real fights that must always be considered. 

In Part 2, we are going to move on to cover more truths about real fights, and look at how these facts also apply to your Katas. 
It is hoped that with the information in this article - and in the preceding part - you will be better equipped to understand your Katas and avoid many of the dangerously unrealistic interpretations that are sadly associated with the Katas today. 

The first fact we are going to look at is that fact that it is blows to the head that most often decide the victor.

Once a fight has begun, it is most often decided by who lands the first solid blow to the head. The head controls all and hence it is the prime target in order to end the fight as quickly as possible. As a result of this, one would expect the majority of strikes contained within the Katas to be directed at the opponent’s head - which they are! 

At first glance it may appear that many punches are aimed at the opponent’s chest. This is not the case however, as most of the “middle level” punches are preceded by techniques that will cause an opponent to buckle at the knees or bend at the waist. 

These techniques will bring the opponent’s head down, such that it is in line with the kata practitioner’s chest, and hence what appears to be a middle level blow is in fact aimed at the head.

There are two key things to take into account when striking the head. 

1. The head is very mobile and hence can be difficult to strike in a live fight. #
2. The bones of the skull are far denser than the bones of the hand, and hence punching the skull with a clenched fist may well result in a broken hand. 

The Katas consistently deal with both of these points such that effective blows to the head can be delivered. 
At close range, the head is often secured before a blow to the head is attempted. This is achieved either through a lock being applied that will suitably position the opponent, the direct control of the head itself, or the limbs or body being seized such that the opponent’s motion is severely limited. 

It is very rare in kata for a blow to the head to be attempted at close-range without control being gained first. With regards to the point that a blow to the head could result in damaged hands, it must be remembered that; 

1. Hand conditioning was regarded as a vital part of the original karate. 
2. Many of the strikes that are now punches were originally palm-heels etc. but were modified as the result of Master Itsou’s changes (making the kata more suitable for children). 
3. If, when defending yourself in a real situation, all you suffer are damaged hands, then you have done very well indeed!

In the unlikely event that you get the room to kick, attempting a high kick is almost certain to end in disaster. As soon as you take a foot off the floor you are unable to move and easy to unbalance. 

The higher you lift your foot the more vulnerable you are. In a real fight your aim is to win - not to look good! In real fights all kicking techniques should be kept low, ideally lower than the level of the finger tips when the arms are down by the side. 

Low kicks are harder to block, they do not have as far to travel and the chance of the kicking leg being caught is greatly reduced. The practice of kicking low is one that is encouraged by the Katas.

 Many of today’s Karateka kick high during the performance of their kata, presumably for visual effect, however it is vital to remember that originally all the kicks were low.

Although there are exceptions, the majority of fights are over almost as quickly as they begin. 

It is a rarity for live fights to last more than a minute at the outside. More often than not, the winner of the confrontation will be decided in the first few seconds. 
One of the combatants will be rendered semiconscious by a solid blow to the head and from that point on they will be at the mercy of their opponent. 

This is an important fact when attempting to understand kata. 
If most fights only last a few seconds, how many techniques do you need to know? 

Knowing thousands upon thousands of techniques is not only unnecessary but it can be downright harmful! For a technique to be useful in a live fight, the practitioner needs to be able to apply that technique with little or no conscious thought. 

If the practitioner has to choose from the thousands of differing techniques available to them, they will stall whilst the brain makes this decision (during which time the situation will no doubt have changed) and hence their opponent will be given the advantage. 

The Katas provide instruction on a key number of techniques and concepts. They do not try to provide a technique for every conceivable situation, as to do so will prevent those who practice them from responding quickly and appropriately in a live fight. 

Each and every kata is designed to be a stand-alone system that will instruct those who practice them in the key concepts and strategies of the systems (Katas) founder. 

Do not attempt to learn an infinite number of techniques but instead try to understand the principles upon which the techniques of Karate rest. 
It is far better to know very little, very well, than it is to know a great deal superficially. It is this approach that will lead to success, and hence this is the approach adopted by the Katas.

As mentioned previously, action is always faster then reaction. 

Blocking works fairly well at long range when the opponent is limited to a finite number of techniques (as in a karate tournament). Blocking also works well when you know exactly what technique the opponent is going to use. Neither of these situations is likely in live fight. It is almost impossible to block and counter an opponent’s punches at close range in reality. 

The idea of blocking and countering is one that many modern martial artists are reluctant to give up. If you have any doubts, I suggest that you get a partner, put on a pair of 16oz boxing gloves and go for it! Have a go at blocking and countering and I guarantee you will get trounced! 

From this we can conclude that the Katas are unlikely to contain much blocking. Now again this may be surprising, as many modern interpretations of the Katas would have every other move as a block. If you remember that at the start of the 1900’s, Itsou began teaching the Katas as mainly blocking and punching as a way to conceal the dangerous techniques they contained. 

Prior to this time the large karate classes - with which we are so familiar today - would not have existed. As the number of students grew, so did the need for a common terminology. 

The terminology that was adopted was the one used by Itsou at that time, and hence many of the techniques that are currently labeled as blocks were never actually intended to be used as such. That is not to say there are no defensive techniques within the Katas, as there are, but the Katas do not contain what is commonly thought of as a “blocks.” 

All the defensive techniques within the Katas are designed such that the initiative is regained and the opponent is placed in a position of disadvantage. 
Blocks merely attempt to stop an opponent’s attack (in the unlikely event that they work) and do nothing to secure a position of advantage.

In a real fight there is no limit of the techniques that can be used and there will be no referee to ensure fair play. 

Real fights are violent and thoroughly repugnant affairs. 

Your opponent can bite, gouge your eyes, seize the testicles, spit, use weapons etc. Losing a real fight can result in permanent physical or mental damage, or even the loss of your life. In combat you have to be prepared to use violent and repugnant methods when it becomes absolutely necessary. 

Many of the methods in the Katas are as brutal as they are effective. It must be remembered that the techniques and concepts recorded within the Katas are for use in the extreme danger of unprovoked attack. 

Real fighting is not pretty, and hence neither are the methods recorded in the Katas. It is also important to understand that the opponent in the street will not respond in the same way as an opponent in a sporting contest. In a civilian self-defence situation, the assailant is very unlikely to be a martial artist and hence will not use complementary techniques, respond to feints, counter is expected ways etc. 

The techniques of the kata are all about defending ourselves in real situations. When studying Bunkai, any mention of feints, skilled counters etc. is a good indication that the particular application in question is incorrect.

It is vitally important you understand the nature of live fights if you are to successfully understand your Katas. 

Most Karateka do not engage in realistic training and hence do not see the errors in their interpretation of the Katas. 

The founders of our art were all experienced fighting men who had used and relied upon their skills in real situations. They lived in violent times where the acquisition of fighting skills were a must if they wished to take care of themselves and their loved ones. 

The majority of people in today’s society do not have to face violence on a daily basis and hence have no idea of what it is like. When these same people fail to study the art of karate in the required depth, and hence fail to understand the advice and methodology of the past masters, they start to make assumptions about the nature of violence. 

They misinterpret the art so that it becomes - in its mutated form -woefully inadequate. There are some of today’s martial artists who fully understand violence due to the experience they have gained during the course of their employment in the fields of security and law enforcement.

 We need listen to their hard won advice and use it to keep our training upon the right track. 

One thing that always strikes me is that these modern day masters of self-protection are rarely at variance with the founders of karate. The masters of old understood real fighting and that is reflected in their writings and in the Katas they left behind. 

If we practice the art in the manner its founder’s intended, then karate is a very potent system, and if we don’t then it isn’t! However, it is vital to remember that it is not karate that is at fault. Rather it is the fault of those who fail to interpret and express the art realistically. 

Study the Katas deeply, keep a sense of realism, and engage in realistic training methods, and you’ll be on your way to practising Karate as the fantastically potent system it was designed to be.

“Iain brings Karate back into the real arena with his pioneering concepts of Kata Bunkai” - Geoff Thompson. Iain Abernethy can be contacted on 01900-829406 or e-mailed at “i.abernethy@btinternet.com”

To order a copy of Iain’s book, “Karate’s Grappling Methods” (£18.49 inc. P&P) or the accompanying videos, “Karate’s Grappling Methods - Vol.1” & “Karate’s Grappling Methods - Vol.2” (£16.50 each inc. P&P) Phone the 24 Hour Credit / Debit card hotline on 01900829406 or send a cheque or postal order made payable to “NETH Publishing” to NETH Publishing, PO Box 38, Cockermouth, CA13 OGS.