Kata-with eyes closed

[ladyhawk]

I enjoy doing kata with my eyes closed. I also do quite a bit of boating in the warm weather months. OK, now that I have you wondering where I'm going with this I'll tell you a challenging way to do kata if you ever have the opportunity.

Being back on land after spending some time on the water there is a period of adjustment before you get your land legs back where have the sensation that you are still on the water. If you close your eyes this sensation is intensified.

Now, close your eyes and do kata. The sensation you feel will force you to focus more on each of your movements and make you that much more aware of your balance.

Anyone else do anything to make their practice of kata more challenging?

[pesilat]

Originally posted by ladyhawk
I enjoy doing kata with my eyes closed. I also do quite a bit of boating in the warm weather months. OK, now that I have you wondering where I'm going with this I'll tell you a challenging way to do kata if you ever have the opportunity.

Being back on land after spending some time on the water there is a period of adjustment before you get your land legs back where have the sensation that you are still on the water. If you close your eyes this sensation is intensified.

Now, close your eyes and do kata. The sensation you feel will force you to focus more on each of your movements and make you that much more aware of your balance.

Anyone else do anything to make their practice of kata more challenging?

Try running kata in different environments in general (with eyes open or closed). Running kata in water is interesting because it forces you to slow down and you can really analyze things. Running kata on ice will do wonders for your sense of balance (of course, there are some kata that just can't be done on ice). Any environment, though ... sand, mud, snow, leafy ground, hilly terrain, gravel, a confined space, etc ... these can each bring out different aspects of a kata.

Also, in a kata (actually, we use the term "kembangan" ... but it's an Indonesian word for the same thing) we have a couple of places where we go up on one foot. My instructor would occasionally stop us there and have us balance on one foot for a while ... until he said "continue" :-)

When you're doing the form you find a kind of flow, and when he suddenly says, "Stop" and your balanced on one leg, you learn to quickly adjust and maintain your balance.

This saved me from some pain one day when I stepped off a curb onto a patch of ice. As soon as I felt my foot slide, I reflexively found my balance and slid along the ice on one foot. When I reached the end of the ice (it was only about a foot wide), I set my other foot on the pavement and continued walking ... I didn't fumble at all or even windmill my arms ... I just found my balance and kept flowing ... it was a great feeling :-)

Mike

[waya]

I agree with Mike on the water. I just returned from the coast and spent the weekend training on the beach and in the breakers. I practice absorbing the blows from the waves and riding them out to help me with absorbing the blow from a strike, as well as do moer Waza than Kata (personal preference I guess) in the waves. I find it makes my technique alot stronger after being in the water for an hour or so working on it.

Rob

[ladyhawk]

Hmmm, On Ice! That's an element that I haven't tried yet.

I've done kata in thigh high snow and in a pool in neck high water which makes things
interesting when you drop into lower stances.

You can simulate uneven and often unstable ground in the dojo by scattering mats on the floor keeping spaces between some and overlapping others. Toss some padded body shields and
padded hand targets around for obstacles. Now you can either do kata or spar while moving around your newly created environment. You can also turn the lights out.

[pesilat]

Originally posted by ladyhawk
Hmmm, On Ice! That's an element that I haven't tried yet.

I've done kata in thigh high snow and in a pool in neck high water which makes things
interesting when you drop into lower stances.

You can simulate uneven and often unstable ground in the dojo by scattering mats on the floor keeping spaces between some and overlapping others. Toss some padded body shields and
padded hand targets around for obstacles. Now you can either do kata or spar while moving around your newly created environment. You can also turn the lights out.

Yup ... these are things (in the dojo with the pads and stuff) that I like and have done. Also, gravel can be simulated with rubber BBs (you can buy them for toy guns). They're incredibly painful to step on or roll around on ... but not likely to cause injury. This is a particularly good way to safely simulate what grappling in reality (where gravel, broken glass, pavement, etc. are all pretty common).

Mike

[Thomas Vince]

I GET THE SAME FEELING WHEN I DRINK TO MUCH! THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD TIME TO PRACTICE FOR ME TOO!

[LilBunnyRabbit]

Ah the joy of going drinking with friends who do martial arts. The number of pubs we've been thrown out of for sparring...two I think.

[Sam]

im gonna have to try this one i go baoting aswell ill let you know how i get on

skc

[ladyhawk]

Hope you enjoy it.

[morphus]

I make my students perform patterns with eyes closed.

Iv'e also done my patterns in water and on ice -very cool:D

[ladyhawk]

Done it in water but not on ice.

[ladyhawk]

Oh yeah, kata in the rain is nice also.

[TkdWarrior]

kata on the water?
how's that for an Idea?? :D
except for this one i hav kata everywhere...every damn bloooody situation. kata on bed, on sofa, in bathroom :D, in Acid rain(no more rain here :( )
-TkdWarrior-