Peeling the Onion - Thoughts on Forms

In the Bujinkan, there are many very confusing things which are taught and spread throughout.  One of these things pertains to the Kata, or Form/Technique, and its importance in training.  We are taught to learn the form, break the form, and finally transcend the form.  This is known as the Shu-Ha-Ri model, which is about as old as martial arts.  But, when you start digging into the applications and interpretations of this in our regular martial arts training, you find there really are many different, even conflicting, ideas and applications of this.

Over the decades I have been training, I have found myself being led in various directions regarding the importance of “by the book” forms and techniques.  I have trained with teachers who are purist, sticking exactly to how things were originally written, and those who have almost virtually discarded the original forms and practice methods they believe are transcending the original design.  Most of the Bujinkan, I believe, is a mix of these two ideologies.  For a very long time I had bounced around somewhere in the middle, too, often leading to contradictory conclusions and even leading my own students down this rabbit hole.

Recently I have come back to more of a purist mentality, to dig into the original forms, be more “by the book” in how I study, train and teach.  I always believe this art is about timing and nowhere has that been more evident in the timing of my decision to do this.  I am now seeing things I never saw before, realizations about the ever deepening levels of understanding that are coming from simply slowing down and peeling back the layers, asking questions and filling in the blanks.  In meditation, I was awakened to realize that this progression is existent in our training, right there in front of our faces, and it is an amazing process if one takes the time, has the drive and the patient persistence to dig for it.

I will try to give an example of this:

Student is taught Technique A.  Against his opponent’s punch, he learns how to move out of the way, how to align his body correctly and put up his arms to provide protection.  Then, he strikes the opponent’s arm with his arm and steps forward with an open hand strike to the side of the opponent’s neck.  He practices this over and over again until he is able to do this off memory and less and less correction.  He is learning about the importance of structure, balance and movement.

Next, he learns that moving off at the right angle and right distance protects him from a fast second punch, so he drills this until it becomes precise every time.  He learns that his upward block hits the opponent’s arm at just the right angle and timing to cause their body to turn.  He practices this over and over again until he gets that result every time.  He begins to learn about anatomy and auto-response mechanisms, or how to create change and opportunity (cause and effect), as well as using the timing of reaction as cover for the next movement.

He realizes that if he does this block just right, the side of the opponent’s neck is more open and he steps forward and strikes it with greater accuracy at the right point on the neck to cause the opponent to stumble back.  Again, he learns more about anatomy, structure, balance, creating opportunity and controlling the opponent.

After many, many successfully performed versions of this, he begins to realize he is moving at the right angle, the right distance, hits the opponent’s arm correctly, causes the right reaction and strikes the neck at just the right point, every time with less and less variance.  Now he is learning to embody the efficiency of the elements of the form into natural motion.

When the teacher sees the student is ready, he teaches him that with more flow and timing, instead of striking the opponent’s arm, he can draw out the arm and, in so doing, cause the opponent’s body to turn in time with the strike, opening up the vital point on the neck for the student to step forward and strike.  Instead of separate actions of block and step/strike, this begins to move as one motion.  This is practices over and over until it is done with precision in timing, movement and targeting.

Once the teacher sees the student has this down adequately, he encourages the student to consider other options instead of striking the neck.  Maybe he steps in and throws.  Maybe he steps in and strikes other vital targets.  Maybe he steps in and steals a weapon off the opponent.  Maybe he doesn’t step in and launches a kick instead.

And, since we are a weapons based art, the student also sees the connection to doing the same technique with a sword, long staff, short stick, knife, rope and everything else.

Seeing this progression, it becomes crystal clear that the student will never truly learn how to perform the more advanced versions, never really “see” the next levels, without focusing on the very basic mechanics and drill them over and over again, without change or variance, until they become locked in enough that the teacher feels the student is ready.  That is what I have come to understand as a true way to learn martial arts.  Anything outside of that is so dangerous, because it sets up false confidence with weak skill sets.  Under pressure, they will break down and fail.

I know this might be controversial and I probably will take some heat from my opinions on this, but I have arrived at this through my own trials, errors and discoveries.  I have also been around long enough to see the results of how different people train and teach.  But, I’m also a realist and know that even in my own current thinking, training and teaching, I am forever still just a Work In Progress.