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The Way of Kata: A Comprehensive Guide for Deciphering Martial Applications [Paperback]

Lawrence A. Kane (Author), Kris Wilder (Author), Jeff Cooper (Foreword), Iain Abernethy (Foreword)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

...absolute must for any serious practioner... -- Philip Starr, ISKF Hall of Fame Member

...bridges the gap between form and application... -- Loren W. Christensen, author

...brings meaningful information to today's martial artists. -- Martina Sprague, author

This book is a pioneering step... -- Sgt. Rory Miller

This superb book is essential reading... -- Ian Abernathy, author

Product Description

The ancient masters developed kata, or "formal exercises," as fault-tolerant methods to preserve their unique, combat-proven fighting systems. Unfortunately, they deployed a two-track system of instruction where an ‘outer circle’ of students unknowingly received modified forms with critical details or important principles omitted. Only the select ‘inner circle’ that had gained a master’s trust and respect would be taught okuden waza, the powerful hidden applications of kata.

The theory of deciphering kata applications (kaisai no genri) was once a great mystery revealed only to trusted disciples of the ancient masters in order to protect the secrets of their systems. Even today, while the basic movements of kata are widely known, advanced practical applications and sophisticated techniques frequently remain hidden from the casual observer. The principles and rules for understanding kata are largely unknown.

This groundbreaking book unveils these methods, not only teaching you how to analyze your kata to understand what it is trying to tell you, but also helping you to utilize your fighting techniques more effectively—both in self-defense and in tournament applications.

• Fifteen general principles to identify effective techniques • Twelve discrete rules for deciphering martial applications • Comprehensive insights into kata history, strategy and tactics • Vital physiological considerations • Well organized materials for easy reference and comprehensive understanding

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Product Details

  • Paperback: 300 pages
  • Publisher: YMAA Publication Center (October 25, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1594390584
  • ISBN-13: 978-1594390586
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.1 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #108,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Lawrence A. Kane
Lawrence A. Kane
Kris Wilder
Kris Wilder

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Based on humankind's instinct for self-preservation, combat arts have existed throughout the ages. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
saifa kata, kata demonstrate, gekisai kata, okuden waza, kata cannot, work with the adrenaline, kensetsu geri, analyzing kata, called kaisai, mawashe uke, bunkai oyo, kiso kumite, osai uke, ura waza, yama uke, seisan kata, kata application, core kata, deciphering applications, henka waza, applied karate, goju ryu, shiko dachi, pressure point fighting, single kata
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Goju Ryu, Higashionna Sensei, Miyagi Sensei, Chojun Miyagi, Loren Christensen, Miyamoto Musashi, United States, Ryu Ryu Ko Sensei, Sir Boss, Dave Lowry
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4.9 out of 5 stars (33 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Good guidlines for kata interpretation, December 31, 2005
By Joseph M Burtner (Kennesaw, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Way of Kata: A Comprehensive Guide for Deciphering Martial Applications (Paperback)
I liked this book very much. Shorin-ryu karate was my first martial art, and since moving on to more modern arts I've felt a sense of fustration that most karate, as taught today, cannot efficiently produce a person capable of defending themselves. The reliance on kata as a teaching tool adds to this fustration. Are the moves in kata effective? Why do some sequences seem illogical? Why aren't the movements explained? Is the explaination we're getting accurate?

"The Way of Kata" provides the karate-ka with a set of guidlines which makes understanding the movements of kata easier. The authors are both from the Goju-Ryu system, and so their explainations are most directly applicable to that system, and it's the system the book focuses on.

Chapter 1 covers background information, such as answering the fundamental question "What is kata", as well as going over the history of Goju kata. They also write about why the movements are hidden, and how to use kata as a curriculum of sorts.

Chapter 2 focuses on the difference between strategy & tactics, and how they relate to the Goju system. They also introduce the "Decision Stick", a takeoff of the concept of a "Decision Tree", designed to aid one in making split-second decisions instead of having to calculate dozens of variables when deciding on a strategy.

Chapter 3 covers the fifteen principles that aid in kata interpretation. Some may be familiar with long-time students of kata ("There is more than one interpretation") while others may be new to people ("Work with the Adrenaline Rush"). That last one got my attention, as well as "Nerve Strikes are 'Extra Credit'" and "Cross the T to escape".

Chapter 4 gets into the rules of kata interpretation; my favorite has to be "There is no block". There are others I'm still struggling with, such as "Kata demonstrate proper angles", but the rule about advancing & retreating techniques really explains a lot, and the head control rule is valuable to anyone.

Chapter 5 covers a lot of ground, including vital points (based on accupuncture theory & physiology), how the brain works in combat, and how to determine an appropriate level of response to your threat. There's a lot of things to take into consideration that are presented here, but the authors try to keep things in context of kata performance & utilization.

Chapter 6 covers the actual learning process; how to take kata movements and drill them as fighting techniques.

Chapter 7 gives examples of movements found in certain Goju kata and provides both the orthodox interpretation and the authors "optimal" interpretation. I think seeing these two views back-to-back is valuable, as is seeing the authors' checklist of principles and rules beside the interpretation.

There was some nice 'bonus' material in the appendices, including an ancient poem on the "precepts of kempo", a brief summary of Goju kata, and a blank checklist for the rules & principles of kata. Also nice was an illustrated glossary of karate terms (for those of us who don't speak Japanese).

I have two major complaints about this book. The first is that if the reader is unfamiliar with Goju-Ryu kata (like me) there are ample opportunities to get lost. Entire kata are not presented at any time, which I think would have added to the book. Since most of my kata come from a different lineage, I was left scratching my head whenever they tried to give examples; chapter 7 wasn't really useful in helping me understand the kata of my system. My second big complaint is that the authors fall into the trap of assuming maximum (and at times, unrealistic) damage or results from a particular technique. Every backfist to the temple is assumed to end in death; every stomp to the ankle or instep is assumed to be a fight-ender. It seems that a little dose of reality has been left out of some of these interpretations.

Overall, this book was written as a guide to help karateka interpret the movements found in their kata; I think it accomplished that. The chapters laid out their agenda very well, and a summary at the end of every chapter reitterated the lessons. I had only a few important complaints, but I'd recomend this to any karateka interested in exploring their kata more deeply, or even to non-traditionalists for some of the principles and ideas included inside.
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A testimonial from Patrick McCarthy, Hanshi 8th Dan, International Ryukyu Karate-jutsu Research Society, November 16, 2006
By QiGongFu (SF, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Way of Kata: A Comprehensive Guide for Deciphering Martial Applications (Paperback)
Written by Patrick McCarthy
"With the recent upsurge and popularity of Brazilian Ju-jitsu [sic] and Mixed Martial Arts one often hears, or reads, that kata is a complete waste of time, an archaic practice which has absolutely no combative value, whatsoever. As a progressive traditionalist and having taught hundreds of hands-on seminars all over the world it is no surprise to me that those who make such claims know little or nothing about the true essence of this valuable, but highly misunderstood practice. Originally, kata were never developed as competitive practices or even to teach the art of self-defense for that matter. Conceived by early fighters/teachers searching to develop mnemonic practices with which to culminate functional self-defense templates already imparted, in two-person drills, kata were designed and popularized as collective solo routines with holistic implications. As such, early learners enjoyed a free licensee to reinterpret and recreate abstract versions of these routines depending entirely upon individual creativity, physical prowess, and personal experience.

There is little doubt about the increasingly dissatisfaction with modern karate's interpretation of kata, the dirty politics of big organizations, and of the conceited "our style is best" mentality, all of which permeate our tradition. Compounding this growing dissatisfaction is an inability for "qualified" teacher's to adequately respond to a student's question about the theory and technical application of kata. Even more disheartening is learning that such inquisitiveness is not openly encouraged and that enthusiastic students are more often than enough ostracized for looking outside their peer groups to find the answers their teachers are incapable of providing. Judging by the amount of ink spilt on this issue, and what a Google search brings up on the internet, it is obvious that we are at the dawn of a Renaissance eagerly seeking to penetrate its abyss, eliminate the ambiguity which has shrouded the inner-most intentions of this art, and restore its original teachings. This unprecedented desire for information has not only given rise to a generation of searchers it has also witnessed a plethora of whimsical writers with little or no understanding of the historical and tactical underpinnings of our tradition resulting in the exploitation of the all too often, gullible reader. Myth and ignorance, misunderstanding and rule-bound training methods, developed for the sport, and a narrow mindset, all too often disguised as a way to preserve the "purity" of this or that style, has lead to hypocrisy, fragmentation and isolation in karatedo.

In this time of politics and protectionism it is truly a rare occurrence to find teachers who think outside this box. Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder are two such instructors. I believe their grasp of the kaleidoscopic variations permeating today's martial arts culture will have a penetrating impact upon the readers of their work. In the same way that early pioneers sent their students forth to other instructors for the purpose of learning and improving their overall skills, so too do I believe that by encouraging our students to study the innovative works of other instructors capable of unlocking the source of new information do we continue to strengthen our art, rather than obscure or distort it.

This publication not only advocates open-mindedness, and thinking-outside-the-box, it literarily demands its readers seek out supporting information from the very best sources available. Although I have never met these two authors in person it is obvious that we share many identical thoughts and ideas. They clearly possess a far-reaching and eclectic range of knowledge. May I encourage readers to look beyond the techniques and labels displayed in this book and use it as an opportunity to examine all kata using the same advice, concepts, and principles which bring us all together.

So few practitioners truly understand the essence of kata and even fewer understand how to decipher its original fighting applications. Kane and Wilder are two young innovators who provide a functional framework with which to help unlock the secrets of these coveted time capsules. Echoing the words of Sir Isaac Newton, "If we are ever able to see any further, it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants." Here are two such giants and I hope this publication reflects favorably on their important contribution.

Patrick McCarthy
Hanshi 8th Dan
International Ryukyu Karate-jutsu Research Society
koryu-uchinadi dot com"
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Theory of Kata & Practical Application, March 10, 2006
This review is from: The Way of Kata: A Comprehensive Guide for Deciphering Martial Applications (Paperback)
"Theory of Japanese Kata & Practical Application" is what I would have titled this terrific book on Japanese karate & kata. The authors draw from traditional Japanese roots in Goju-Ryu Karate but also incorporate ideas and modern points of view from a variety of martial artists. It is densely filled with information that is hard-to-find elsewhere. If one were to find any flaw at all in this work, it would be that it builds from a foundation of Goju-Ryu karate, which may not be very well known to students of other schools or non-Japanese styles. That does not mean you will not benefit from reading it -- you will, and if you read it seriously you may think about "what kata is" more deeply. And with greater understanding & appreciation. While many books will teach you the specific technical moves in a kata (i.e. Nakayama's excellent BEST KARATE series) this book discusses WHY you learn kata, the benefits, the intentions of creators of kata, the art, tradition, and psychology of kata. Ideas applicable to all schools where kata are learned. I have studied a variety of martial arts for 30 years and read hundreds of books on the subject in that time. I would say without any hesitation this book can fairly be placed in the "top 10 books" that belong in any martial artist's library, regardless of school or background.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable!
The Way of Kata by Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder is a book that should be read and studied by all practitioners of the martial arts! Read more
Published 5 months ago by shotokita

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Explanation of the Reasons for Kata
I have enjoyed very few martial arts books, but this one that I did enjoy. The authors develop their ideas in a very well thought-out manner (even if the book's physical layout... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Catfish

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book! Every martial artist must have it!!
In a nutshell, this book is about self defence. It focuses on Kata, but it does because Kata provides all the techniques required to survive in a life or death situation. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Khaled Altaher

5.0 out of 5 stars What is Kata all about?
Am I one of the few people that still believe in katas? Today most people have no idea what a kata is, let alone the intricacies of a well studied and practiced kata. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Victor Jackson

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Good Information, Somewhat Repetitive
Here are the things I didn't like:

1. Repetitive

The instructors continually almost cut and paste content throughout the book, repeating information... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Michael Moch

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb
This book is an excellent source of information for the Goju Ryu practitioner. I would venture to say that all karateka would benefit from reading Kane and Wilder's book,... Read more
Published 12 months ago by J.A.O.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Resource!
Although LA Kane is a Goju-Ryu stylist, this book contains a set of guidelines that can be used to understand most kata. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Ronald Belton

5.0 out of 5 stars Food for thought, style-independent
* In short, lots of food for thought. And I mean LOTS.

* Longer version: this is a great manual, whatever your style, since the author's succeed where Bill Burgar's... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Ferran

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Comprehensive Book on Kata Applications Available
Another TOTALLY COMPLETE book by Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder, and I might add, no less than I have come to expect from the two fine writers. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Bohdi Sanders, Ph.D.

5.0 out of 5 stars Declassified Top Secret Karate Knowledge that Most Martial Artists Never Learn!
Wow! The first thing that struck me when I just picked up Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder's "The Way of Kata" was the completely scholarly look and feel of the entire text. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Kevin Brett

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