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Today while viewing a wall I read the Okinawan karate meme or maxim of, "Karate begins with kata and ends in kata.” As with many things it made me stop and think, “What does it really mean?” and “How can karate begin and end in kata?” and “What is is about kata that makes practitioners, teachers and students think karate begins and ends in kata?”
I know it is a type of meme that is similar to a Zen Koan, at least from my seat at the keyboard. Kata is one of those deeply ingrained aspects of karate (karate yes, but kata are also a huge part of other martial systems and disciplines. Everyone who has read my diatribe on the subject knows my view is wide but what about this meme or maxim?
Is it some easily rendered quotation, meme or spoken/written maxim that due to its connectivity to the teachings of modern karate it is just an accepted maxim where those who use it, speak it, or write it blindly accept it without question and by osmosis simply continue repeating it as each student becomes the teacher?
Take a look right now by Googling it and see what comes up, does any of the results actually explain the meaning behind this meme/maxim? I put the actual quote provided herein and got exactly six results where three of those are paid “Ads.” Normally when a quote or question is provided in Google you end up with thousands and even millions of results or returns, hmmmm.
I even removed the quotations and tried, “Okinawan maxim karate begins with kata and ends in kata,” to see what I get. Now, I get about 221,000 results and just reviewing the top five returns found the meme/maxim used but not explained.
Lets try this, lets break it down. Does karate actually and literally begin with kata? Not really, in the modern dojo I see them begin with some explanations of certain traits that sometimes are style oriented such as the styles connection to somewhat unique methods such as the formation of the fist or other attributes that are supposed to give a perception of specialness, etc. Then I see the next introduction being that of what we all have come to call, “Basics.” Basics being technique oriented exercises of upper body punching and lower body kicking. There may be other things taught in between but literally most karate I have encountered actually begin with those so-called basics.
Karate ends in kata is also misleading because although kata are a mainstay of karate practice and study often what karate ends in is more about fighting in competitions, etc. and given lip service as to actual fighting for defense or even combatives.
Maybe they are referring to some traditional historical model of training and practice but why, if true, is this not explained to modern students. Even in some writings and publications the maxim or meme is used but finding the meaning usually gets you, “Just shut up and do basics (in other words train).”
In truth and literally kata are more of the middle main training, study and practice tools of karate. It is a tool of modern commercialized test oriented belt system type dojo. Saying this does not lesson the kata importance but does open to the concept and perceptions to which kata are used in modern dojo.
One search result does change this meme a bit to “Karate begins and ends with kata,” while following it up with a statement that kata is the essence and foundation of karate and that seems appropriate to me. Literally still, it does not actually begin or end with kata, it does rely heavily on kata as a teaching tool and is the best way to catalog and transmit certain aspect of karate to generations that follow.
This meme/maxim also does not direct a practitioner toward the very foundation this last paragraph alludes to and that it is not technique that must be taught through kata but rather the principles that underly all technique. The actual maxim/meme, without adequate definition and explanation, allows one to lose site of principles resulting in a technique based teaching model that is not practical toward the reality of kata toward fighting, combatives and most important that of self-defense ergo why karate is not considered by many professionals as adequate for self-defense as it stands today.
Back to topic, remember that modern karate it taught, “Kihon, Kata and Kumite.” If this is true then actually karate begins with kihon and ends with kumite.” Hmmm, just wonder how one resolves this to students? In my mind karate does NOT begin or end in kata and to allow one to focus the mind with greater emphasis of kata practice without the clarity of the whole over the atomistic view tends to lessen the lessons, so to speak.
Bringing an entire system under meaning from such an inadequate view, perspective and limited intent seems to be a dangerous teaching while a more comprehensive teaching of meaning provides a full depth and breadth to a very complex system and model. Don’t assume just because someone in authority within a discipline says something like this meme or maxim makes it so, cause often it doesn’t make it so.
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