SHOTOKAN KARATE MAGAZINE

SLATER WILLIAMS Ten No Kata.

Interview By Graham Knight.

TEN NO KATA OMOTE 1. Chudan oi-zuki from yoi; slowly make chudan kamae with controlled breathing (inhale) step forward into right fudo dachi stance with right front punch (exhale). Return to yoi by withdrawing right foot. Repeat on other side.

Q: Sensei, I have been training at the Academy for two years now, having trained in Shotokan Karate for a good many years. Indeed, after a nonkarate injury I never thought I would train again, another testimony to the individualised teaching of the Academy. I know we both started in 1970, under strong traditional JKAstyle instruction in the early years of the KUGB. I know also you followed your good friend (and mentor) Sensei Steve Cattle, when he formed the English Shotokan Academy, under the auspices of Sensei Kases World Shotokan Academy. You are now 6th Dan and Chairman of the E.S.A. technical committee. Can I start by asking about the Ten no Kata, I had to look it up in Sensei Funakoshis Karate do Kyohan, the only place I could find it. Can you explain the importance of this kata, apparently so rarely practiced elsewhere? SW: Karate Do Nyumon which is ascribed to Master Gichin Funakoshi was actually written by his son Yoshitaka in 1943. Yoshitaka developed the inner strength of his body; he believed that if you developed big techniques the muscles in one area would assist the muscles in another. So we have the Shotokan basics very big. Very deep stances, apparently Fudo Dachi was his favourite stance. Although relatively simple compared to other kata, a high psychological and physical concentration is required when performing this kata. It helps focus the mind on correct breathing and the performance of individual techniques, in a structured form. 22

2. Jodan oi-zuki from yoi; slowly make jodan kamae step forward into right fudo dachi stance with right upper level front punch. Return to yoi. Repeat on other side.

3. Chudan gyaku-zuki from yoi; slowly step forward make chudan kamae in fudo dachi, make a right reverse punch. Return to yoi. Repeat on other side.

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It also enables us to introduce fudodachi into the kyu grade syllabus; this will enable students to have an understanding of the stance, for future reference, although fudo-dachi is not recommended outside of kata until at least second Dan, and as for Children, they are encouraged to make zenkutsudachi. The formal Ten no Kata is perhaps not that common among Shotokan groups, but the principles can be seen in any Shotokan class during basic training, Q: The fundamental stance in the kata is fudo-dachi. This is a stance which is solid and stable to defend from, yet students find it difficult to generate speed and to do the conventional hip twist when attacking. Can you help to explain the emphasis on fudo-dachi? SW: This is one of the reasons I discourage the exclusive use of fudodachi in the early stages of training. By second Dan you should be capable of utilising the principles of karate and no longer relying on just hip twisting to generate power, the tanden in fudo-dachi must move towards the ground as hip rotation is limited in this stance. Q: Two technical points in the kata: there is no mention of soto-ude-uke, instead uchikomi for a jodan block is used. Did soto uke as a term only appear later? Also, the Academy teaching is very practical yet the nukite in Ten no Kata is done chudan. You are not a great advocate of heavy makiwara practice, yet chudan nukite without some conditioning seems impractical? SW: The nukite position is correct, in the formal kata the opposing hand is drawn back to the hip, this is for form. However, I agree without some serious hand conditioning, chudan nukite is a problem, therefore in kumite (Ten No kata Ura) the hikite action is used to pull the attacker down, making nukite to the throat possible. As to the term soto-udeuke, the simple answer is I dont know, Karate-do Kyohan refers to the block as iron hammer block, and as you know Shotokan use this term, other styles reverse the soto and uchi names. Q: When we are taught to defend by blocking, you often teach us to move at an angle, particularly to give room for an effective counter. Yet the moves in defence in Ten no Kata are straight back. Is this element of the kata difficult to reconcile with the very practical way you teach? SW: Not at all; moving off line is very important and a major element in our programme. However the Ten no Kata, is

4. Jodan gyaku-zuki from yoi; step forward with left leg into fudo-dachi with left jodan kamae, then right upper level reverse punch. Return to yoi. Repeat on other side.

5. Gedan-barai, chudan gyaku-zuki from yoi; step back with right leg into the immovable stance (fudo dachi) with left downward block. Strike with right middle level reverse punch. Return to yoi. Repeat on the other side.

6. Chudan uchi-uke, chudan gyaku-zuki from yoi; step back with right leg into the immovable stance, with left inside to outside block. Strike with right middle level reverse punch. Return to yoi. Repeat on other side.

a basic practice template for developing strong and focused blocks and attacks, if you move off line too early in your training you lose the opportunity to develop the blocks, I often add combinations and kicks into the routine, also the timing is

not set in stone, e.g. the first movement or kamae, can be preformed slowly or fast. The Ten No Kata is the first stage, after this the HACHI HO KUMITE (eight blocks) is introduced, moving off the line, and disengaging etc. 23

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Q: On other areas, it seems to me that people training with you have to THINK. They dont just do a kata along the traditional embusen; they are encouraged to work through it to make it practical. If that means deviating from the embusen, so be it. Yet of course, they still perform it traditionally. You demonstrated this by demonstrating Tekki 1, 2 and 3 together, but not in a traditional straight line, rather by moving off line by rotating away from or towards your attacker. Could you expand on this for us? SW: The embusen is not so important; symmetry is important but not to the extent that changes are made to the kata. Moving away entirely from the embusen is only done so in performing kata bunkai. The problem is perhaps only a Shotokan one, without going to deeply into the history of Shotokan, you have to accept that the kata adapted for Shotokan is an ongoing process, you only have to look at JKA changes over recent years. Shotokan has always been concerned with the physical development of the practitioners. Many of the budo elements having been omitted, and a more aesthetic gymnastic form has developed. This is not a criticism, moreover this approach is perfectly compatible with Karatedo. Sensei Kase was teaching a return to Budo; we have to maintain the Art not simply replacing karate-do with a crude and heavy handed form of selfdefence. Shotokan Kata has all of the elements, you just have to be a little more flexible and imaginative in your thinking when creating bunkai, nevertheless the formal presentation of kata has not changed. Q: The syllabus also makes an emphasis on doing kata both ways. Years ago, I recall many Japanese senseis on courses making us do the Heian kata both left and right, to remind us not to favour one side, and by doing so, to really get to know our kata. But in the Academy, you teach us not only both sides, but very practical versions (omote, ura and go) stepping back on the blocks and forward on the attacks, constantly searching for a practical route through the kata. Could you expand on this for us? SW: Yes, the Go forms are simply a method of introducing the principles of tai-sabaki (body control) kawasaki (avoiding) nogare (escaping), although if filmed, and viewed frame by frame, the kata would appear unchanged. Q: I have seen you demonstrate the relaxed principle of punching, striking and blocking to great effect,

7. Chudan shuto-uke, chudan nukite from yoi; step back with right leg into the back stance, (kokutsu dachi) with left sword hand block. Shift from back stance to immovable stance and strike with right middle level spear hand attack. Return to yoi. Repeat on other side.

8. Jodan shuto-barai (sword hand block), jodan gyaku-zuki from yoi; step back with right leg into the immovable stance, block with a sword hand at jodan level. Strike with right jodan level reverse punch. Return to yoi. Repeat on other side.

9. Jodan age-uke, chudan gyaku-zuki from yoi; step back with right leg into the immovable stance, while raising left arm in an upper level rising block. Strike with right middle level reverse punch, kiai. Return to yoi by bringing right foot forward. Repeat on other side.

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the pas t helps make s ens e of the pres ent; it is therefore ines capable that you learn to appreciate other s ys tems . This knowledge I think als o helps when practicing Ko-Waza (s hort dis tance technique). Hente is directly related to the Ko-Waza practice. This is one reas on why I find the S hito-ryu s ys tem fas cinating. What I teach is S hotokan. However, after thirty-five years your own phys ique and pers onality is bound up tightly, its impos s ible to s eparate the two. When karate was taught in s ecret and to very few, this pres s ure to conform was not pres ent, my pers onal s tudy has to follow a different path, that is not to s ay I am no longer S hotokan.
10. Jodan soto-uke (uchikomi), chudan gyaku-zuki from yoi; step back with right leg into fudodachi stance, while performing soto-ude-uke, block with left hand. Strike with right chudan level reverse punch, kiai. Return to yoi. Repeat on other side.

demonstrating that a punch, strike or block without tension can be greatly effective, more effective in fact than a punch or strike with everything behind it. Does this negate the seemingly long standing principle that all the power in Karate should be at the point of focus of the punch or strike? SW: R elaxation is very important, I try to think of a wave-like function linking and coordinating, in order to gain more energy we have three pos s ibilities open to us : P otential energy (to us e difference in height). K inetic energy (to increas e the velocity). R otational energy (to us e the angle velocity). The body generates force by mus cles ; the trick is to us e as many mus cles as pos s ible, es pecially the hips , if you are tens ed, acceleration is not pos s ible, kime is the point when all thes e factors come together. This is an important factor in karate us ing this very explos ive energy, the kime in karate differs to the C hines e s ys tems which s eem more s ubtle but are equally effective. One of the bes t examples of flowing mature S hotokan karate is S ens ei S hirai. His movements are graceful and none of the effectivenes s has been los t. The dis agreement is frequently about outward appearance and not technique; good form and good technique are not neces s arily the s ame. Q: The Academy does not seem to have a great deal of emphasis on tournament or competition karate. Yet the essence of Academy karate is very much based on practical karate: Is this or that technique truly effective; will this or that technique actually work in a real situation? Is it hard to reconcile these two almost opposing standpoints? SW: Y ou us e the words practical and effective; this is only one as pect rather than the main objective, K arate-do and

K arate-budo, are compatible. Like it or not, S hotokan is by definition a s port and the early manifes tation of this gave ris e to s ome of the greates t karateka in the s econd half of the 20th century. However, what is often pres ented as s ports karate nowadays , falls s o s hort of what I cons ider K arate. It is becoming increas ingly more difficult to reconcile the two. Q: You have often quoted examples from Shito-ryu or Goju-ryu to illustrate how things work in the Academy. Does that mean you believe that Academy karate is more akin to those styles than to Shotokan? (I think I know from your explanations, but it may help others). SW: The s imple ans wer is no. If you accept that no s ys tem is infallible and no one martial arts s tyle has all the ans wers , and dis regarding doctrine, ideology and politics , it is almos t impos s ible not to appreciate good K arate when you s ee it. Mixing s tyles is not a good idea in the early s tages of training as it can be technically confus ing, but at a s enior level you s hould broaden your outlook. It is es s ential I feel that s enior ins tructors s tudy the his tory of karate; unders tanding

Finally, may I say that I expect my body to ache at the end of a karate lesson, but in your lessons, I feel that my brain has been exercised just as much! I am sure that Sensei Kase and your good friend, Sensei Steve Cattle, would both be very happy that what they began is being carried on and furthered by you in such an effective way. Sensei, thank you. SW: Thank you. (Slater Williams can be contacted for courses at: slater@jkiengland.com www.jkiengland.com)

Affiliation & Membership Enquiries: General Secretary 8 Patrick street Grimsby DN32 OJ Z Tel:01472 250075 www.jkiengland.com

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