The Genius of Quan

One of the things that has been a hang-up for me in training has been the practice of the kata (form in Japanese). In the Matsubayashi-ryu system of karate-do that I originally started in and continue to practice, there are 18 kata of which I have memorized 15. It should be noted here of course that the number of kata memorized does not correspond to skill level nor does it indicate any actual knowledge of the offensive-defensive themes contained within the forms. My time in Detroit helped me to realize what was so frustrating about Okinawan karate for me as a student and opened me up to understanding what the kata (referred to as quan in Chinese) were actually intended for. But I was also becoming disgruntled at the fact that continuing to simply practice the form was not going to help me develop any functional skill. This changed recently as I was reading this text about the significance of quan in Patrick McCarthy's translation of the Bubishi:

"A second but equally important aspect of the quan is its therapeutic use. The various animal-imitating paradigms and breathing patterns used were added to improve blood circulation and respiratory efficiency, stimulate qi energy, stretch muscles while strengthening them, strengthen bones and tendons, and massage the internal organs. Performing the quan also develops coordination as one vibrates, utilizes torque, and rotates the hips. This in turn will improve one's biomechanics and allow one to have optimum performance while utilizing limited energy." (pg. 187)

So, as you can see the kata/quan were intended to be holistic, not simply as a means of transmitting the offensive-defensive principles of self-defense. The way that the kata were taught to me in my original dojo resulted more in what the above quoted passage speaks to, although those things were not specifically addressed while training. It's not like my Sensei was saying "Okay, now we're going to practice these forms so as to help us improve our blood-circulation, etc, etc". No. It was more like, the kata were just the accepted staple of practice in a karate dojo (when you're starting out you don't necessarily question everything that you're doing; you kind of just accept the word of the master). But anyway, as I was reading that passage I suddenly felt a tremendous sense of elation that I no longer had to feel so frustrated about practicing my forms. I mean, yes I still need to get into the bunkai (analysis) of the kata as that is what is needed in order to have functionality as a karate-ka/martial artist. However, in the meantime, while I don't have a physical teacher to guide me in that analysis (nor any karate peers), I can still do the kata as a way to engage in preventive long-term healthcare (which is how karate is practiced today for the most part, even if you think you're at a "traditional" dojo like I was). And that's important because, as my Sensei liked to tell us all the time, "All you have is your health". And that's what's really cool about these kata. Anyone who's ever done one of these forms knows that even though they can take less than a minute to perform, you can really work up a sweat after just a few repetitions. I have a greater appreciation of the ancestors of these arts as I think about what kind of skill, time and thinking went into creating these holistic mnemonic vehicles. And I have a greater appreciation of my Sensei who is someone that really had us train the kata in ways that the above passage speaks to. Whereas some dojo might simply do these forms as a way to "preserve the ashes" of their style, my Sensei really taught us how to be physical with it (i.e. the twisting, torquing, etc). Which is partly why I'm sure he's so healthy at 68 years of age. Point being, the quan/kata really are an ingenious method of training and even though I don't yet understand their applications, I don't need to give up on them.

Elbow SMASH!
- Hiji Até