Understanding Uechi Kata

brothermanontario · Post by **brothermanontario** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 11:10 pm

I have a question i'd like to put to everyone on the forum.
I have studied Uechi from the early 80's, also Goju Ryu and Chinese Kenpo. I was taught that if you do the kata long enough their meaning will become clear to you.

The other day i was doing my normal kata training and right in the middle of seisan, it hit me like a bolt, and some applications jumped out and bit me right in the middle of the kata.

Has this happened to anyone else? If so please share your experience.

JimHawkins · Post by **JimHawkins** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 11:30 pm

This happens most often to WCK folks during Chi Sao practice, though sparring can occasionally cause this to happen. In Chi Sao (Sticking Hands) one may find oneself in a bad position and then suddenly a move comes out from form practice that actually allows you to take control back or away from the partner. In this case not only does the "new move it hit you" but it often allows you to hit them...

And in this way there is no doubt what the movement "is for" since it just did what it was supposed to do.

brothermanontario · Post by **brothermanontario** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 2:10 am

I'm just viewing some tapes on wing chun and it looks like a decent art Their are moves I can add to my own arsenal and i would like to learn some someday

thanks for the reply

JimHawkins · Post by **JimHawkins** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 2:42 am

Cool.

Checking out other Chinese systems should put some interesting spins on the Uechi kata. Many of the movements are almost exactly the same as those scattered across a handful of Chinese 'Super Styles' such as Southern Crane or Baak Ho, White Eyebrow or Baak Mei, Wing Chun, Wu Mei, Southern Mantis, etc., that began to emerge in or around the late 1600s, around the time many of the old Okinowan founders began hanging in China.

Lots to learn...

Rick Wilson · Post by **Rick Wilson** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 4:52 am

All the time.

2Green · Post by **2Green** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 1:48 am

Yes, this has happened to me also, on several occasions.

NM
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(in case you are confused, this is NOT a joke.)

MikeK · Post by **MikeK** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:58 am

The other day i was doing my normal kata training and right in the middle of seisan, it hit me like a bolt, and some applications jumped out and bit me right in the middle of the kata.

I had the opposite happen. While sparring I got hit by a technique and thought "So that's what the mountain posture in Jitte is for."

Uechi Dude · Post by **Uechi Dude** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:50 pm

Yes it does happen to me often. When it does I find myself looking even deeper , maybe in the dark as I practice a Kata over and over,or perhaps blindfolded to enhance the FEEL of what I am really doing. The only thing I dont like is when I try to convey this in my Kids class and get in trouble for it by my Sensei *because he didnt teach that philosophy*. Makes it hard to stay in Uechi I have never cared for Egos thats the problem with most of society as a whole today is EGO......YUCK.(sorry for the Tangent) But when you discover this dig deeper,if noone likes what you convey because they didnt teach that ..I say too bad... pass it on anyway as long as it is Uechi we should cultivate it and pass it along

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 3:15 pm

brothermanontario wrote: some applications jumped out and bit me right in the middle of the kata.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Kata study needs to happen on many, many levels. I just had a discussion about this with one of my students the other day.

Generally if you're trying to stay in the zone and do your 1000 repetitions, it ain't gonna happen. Mushin is about mindless application.

There are however times where you can - and should - engage in mindFUL application. This often happens when you get out of your comfort zone, when you are exposed to what others are doing, or when you are presented in a partner exercise with a brick wall (metaphorically speaking) and an easy way to get around it.

Patrick McCarthy calls these moments "BFOs" (Blinding Flashes of the Obvious). There was a U.Va. psychology professor who discussed the mental processes involved, and called the general phenomenon "The Aha! principle."

Do your martial arts 7 different ways to Sunday. Variety is the spice that makes the dish come out just right.

- Bill

KerryM · Post by **KerryM** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 8:27 pm

For me too- it happens a lot- it's one of the things I love- even if I've already experienced the "bolt" it comes with a new application and perspective!

Kerry

Understanding Uechi Kata

Understanding Uechi Kata

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