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**11Pecepebra** · 10-27-2010, 08:26 AM

While kata builds good form, distancing and effectively penetrating defenses can be best understood by some form of "fighting" (AKA sparring) ...

Old discussion, I suppose, but - is this true? How would one know? How do you know? Do you assert that an understanding of maai ("distancing and effectively penetrating defenses") isn't taught in kata? Folks can certainly do as they like, of course, none of it is life and death nowadays, I'm just asking.

I certainly expect that practicing sparring would make one better at sparring, of course, but ... kendo/boxing/MMA, one can be pretty certain that the other guy hasn't brought a knife, yes? Before anyone feels obliged to pile on, sure - in Japanese koryu, too, I'm not going to spend my time worrying about getting shot in the middle of training, either. After having some modern budo and koryu experience, I thought doing kendo was great, and admire the skill sets of some of the serious exponents I've seen; but I don't think it's the only way to get "it", and there's other things that have some other aspects of "it" along for the ride. Heck, I'm never going to box, but sheeeeit - Foreman/Ali, Zaire(DRC)? IMHO, YMMV, so on and so forth.

I can't comment on Hunter's point about some of the people stuff, though it wouldn't surprise me if he has a point about at least some folks. I'm sure there's places to do serious work in more traditional curricula, sport-fighting settings, and modern budo alike, and places where people are wrapped up in other stuff. Feet, get to voting.

John "still - 'bushido'? really?"

10-27-2010, 08:26 AM	#16
11Pecepebra Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 412 Senior Member	While kata builds good form, distancing and effectively penetrating defenses can be best understood by some form of "fighting" (AKA sparring) ... Old discussion, I suppose, but - is this true? How would one know? How do you know? Do you assert that an understanding of maai ("distancing and effectively penetrating defenses") isn't taught in kata? Folks can certainly do as they like, of course, none of it is life and death nowadays, I'm just asking. I certainly expect that practicing sparring would make one better at sparring, of course, but ... kendo/boxing/MMA, one can be pretty certain that the other guy hasn't brought a knife, yes? Before anyone feels obliged to pile on, sure - in Japanese koryu, too, I'm not going to spend my time worrying about getting shot in the middle of training, either. After having some modern budo and koryu experience, I thought doing kendo was great, and admire the skill sets of some of the serious exponents I've seen; but I don't think it's the only way to get "it", and there's other things that have some other aspects of "it" along for the ride. Heck, I'm never going to box, but sheeeeit - Foreman/Ali, Zaire(DRC)? IMHO, YMMV, so on and so forth. I can't comment on Hunter's point about some of the people stuff, though it wouldn't surprise me if he has a point about at least some folks. I'm sure there's places to do serious work in more traditional curricula, sport-fighting settings, and modern budo alike, and places where people are wrapped up in other stuff. Feet, get to voting. John "still - 'bushido'? really?"
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