Critique MORE of my katas

[TenHands]

A few things to keep in mind:
-My left knee has had multiple dislocations, making it dangerous for me to move it in certain ways.
-At some points, I need to shuffle backward due to space limitations.
-I acknowledge that the crossblock+backfist combination in my Jion looks kind of strange.

Password is "kata".

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Well, I don't think you look stiff.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

You can throw 3 punches in the following ways:

- fast, fast, fast.
- fast, slow, fast.
- slow, fast, fast,
- ...

Which one is better?

IMO, form is like music. You need to add in the art part into it.

Can you integrate the end of your current move with the beginning of your next move?

In other words, instead of

- throw a punch,
- freeze your punch in the thin air,
- do your next move,

why don't you throw a punch, pull back your punch (in fast speed) and do your next move right way? If you pull your punch back fast, you will go through your form as one single unit smoothly (instead of 1,2,3,4 , 1,2,3,4, and still 1,2,3,4 ...), and you will never freeze your punch into the thin air.

Many years ago, I met my teacher's young brother in Beijing. He threw a punch on my chest and pull back. His punch pulling created a vacuum in front of my chest. It caused my shirt to fly toward him. After that day, I always want to be able to punch, pull punch back fast enough to cause a vacuum. I no longer wanted to free my punch into the thin air.

Example of the end of your current move is the beginning of your next move (punch pulling):

https://i.postimg.cc/7ZnSRYtB/my-shao-hu-yen-1.gif

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

So keep in mind that I practice a different style from you. I watched the first 4 minutes of this.

I think you look too perfect. Meaning I think that each of your moves is exactly what's intended that move to be. This might not seem like an issue (and if you do competition forms, probably isn't), but it means that your back and lats are holding all the tension that's required to make the forms as perfect as they are. But it also slows down your reaction to your next move/form slightly, and your response if there was an actual opponent that you're responding to.
Relaxing your shoulders, and letting them just kind of hang loose, probably won't earn you competition forms, but will help your general flow. And help you with actual sparring/fighting further down the line.

I hope that makes sense, because I'm not sure how much better to explain it. Perhaps someone on here will do a better job than I

 

[Flying Crane]

Ok, I’m a kung fu guy and don’t know your kata, and don’t know the competition parameters that will help your win with your kata. So take my comments with a bit of salt.

It does look tense to me. I’m not sure how to explain it. It must looks like you are doing everything with great effort, rather than using proper structure and technique. Those elements may be there, but you aren’t trusting them and are trying to muscle on top of it, which destroys the structure and technique.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I think you look too perfect.

This remind me one day A made a comment on B's form, "Your form is so perfect, there are 6 bow-arrow stances in your form, each and every bow-arrow stance look exactly the same".

B was very happy from A's comment. What A really tried to say was, "You did not modify your stance to meet the rest of your body's need."

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

This remind me one day A made a comment on B's form, "Your form is so perfect, there are 6 bow-arrow stances in your form, each and every bow-arrow stance look exactly the same".

B was very happy from A's comment. What A really tried to say was, "You did not modify your stance to meet the rest of your body's need."

That's a great way of putting it.

 

[isshinryuronin]

like music. You need to add in the art part into it

True. This was one of my points in the other related thread.

go through your form as one single unit smoothly (instead of 1,2,3,4 , 1,2,3,4, and still 1,2,3,4 ...

Agree. Too mechanical. No personality. No artistic interpretation. The katas seem just a collection of techniques. Your form is too monochrome. Needs more color and more flow.

I know you're training for kata competition, but any decent brown belt can execute good technique. You need to put yourself into the kata to set yourself apart from the others.

Consider the following two sentences: I walked outside at night. I quickly strode outside into the dark foreboding night. See the difference? Add some adverbs and adjectives to your kata!

think you look too perfect. Meaning I think that each of your moves is exactly what's intended that move to be.

Your back is too stiff. Looks like you've got an iron rod up your a** and fused to your spine. (best way I can describe it) The body should be more supple. Your videos would be good for a step by step instructional video to learn the individual techniques, but as a kata, see my above comments.

OP - It looks like you're a brown belt. In my view, brown belt requires good technical skill, so I think you've earned that. But to get a black belt, I would require sanding down all the rough edges and acquire the qualities I've highlighted above and in my earlier related posts.

Good luck with your further development!

 

[TenHands]

True. This was one of my points in the other related thread.

Agree. Too mechanical. No personality. No artistic interpretation. The katas seem just a collection of techniques. Your form is too monochrome. Needs more color and more flow.

I know you're training for kata competition, but any decent brown belt can execute good technique. You need to put yourself into the kata to set yourself apart from the others.

Consider the following two sentences: I walked outside at night. I quickly strode outside into the dark foreboding night. See the difference? Add some adverbs and adjectives to your kata!

Your back is too stiff. Looks like you've got an iron rod up your a** and fused to your spine. (best way I can describe it) The body should be more supple. Your videos would be good for a step by step instructional video to learn the individual techniques, but as a kata, see my above comments.

OP - It looks like you're a brown belt. In my view, brown belt requires good technical skill, so I think you've earned that. But to get a black belt, I would require sanding down all the rough edges and acquire the qualities I've highlighted above and in my earlier related posts.

Good luck with your further development!

So I basically didn't earn my black belt is what you're saying? Should I ask my sensei to demote me?

 

[_Simon_]

Great stuff man, thanks for posting!

Love your crispness and explosiveness, really good.

I only personally knew maybe 75% of them but just some thoughts:

- I'm not sure if this is taught in your style so please ignore if so, but when stepping forward in zenkutsu dachi, just watch that front foot turning out prior to stepping. Zenkutsu dachi you really want to keep that foot still to consolidate your intention and structure as you drive forward. When you pivot the front out it can leave you in a weird space and stance of not really having much coherence in what you're doing.
BUT in some styles they actually do purposefully pivot the foot out for other reasons so all good if that's the case. And also it may be related to your knee issue you mentioned too.

- Definitely I see that you're leaning back as you punch and with other techniques too (eg manji uke). This really messes up putting your whole body mass and power into the punch. To counteract this think more of pivoting on your FRONT hip axis (think of the imagery of closing the door at that hip) instead of your back hip axis (which makes you lean away from the direction of your strike).

- Wonderful Wankan kata man! It's a kata I'm obsessed with at the moment haha. Just be wary of the mae geri oi tsuki section that you don't bob up and down, keep your head level. Think "stay low and hug the mat". Loved the tate shuto, creating the compreeeeeession and release into the punches.

- Really enjoyed your Hangetsu, beautiful, and can feel your energy and intention. I would allow more torque and twisting at the waist in the opening punch movements. So keeping the hips still, but like coiling a spring with the punches. Really great expansion and contraction. Hangetsu dachi maybe too wide? And back foot out at too much of angle? But maybe not, hard to see haha.

-Enjoyed your Kanku Dai! Yeah just watch that leaning back... you can really see when it gets quite extreme it really effects your body structure, alignment and balance definitely.

-Very nice Nijushiho, great contrasts there and nice flow. That kata to me is all about smooth flow.

All just my thoughts so take them with a grain of salt. Well done man coming along nicely!

 

[_Simon_]

So I basically didn't earn my black belt is what you're saying? Should I ask my sensei to demote me?

I feel he's speaking more in relation to progressing. To sand off and polish things.

 

[isshinryuronin]

So I basically didn't earn my black belt is what you're saying? Should I ask my sensei to demote me?

No. I thought your belt was brown. You have speed and power and seem to be technically correct for the most part. That's my general standard for brown. My standard for black is having some of the qualities I detailed such as a looseness or suppleness to the body and some of your own feeling into it - Less robotic (including facial expression which is an indicator) and more flow. Your sensei has his own standards which is fine. There are many black belts less skilled than you.

I'm just saying (sometimes bluntly, but hey, we can take a hit) that if you stay locked in that mechanical mindset, your further progress will be impeded. I've given you a goodly number of suggestions on where and how you can improve in this area, others have posted similar views and videos that illustrate some of these concepts. Be flexible in both body and mind.

 

[TenHands]

No. I thought your belt was brown. You have speed and power and seem to be technically correct for the most part. That's my general standard for brown. My standard for black is having some of the qualities I detailed such as a looseness or suppleness to the body and some of your own feeling into it - Less robotic (including facial expression which is an indicator) and more flow. Your sensei has his own standards which is fine. There are many black belts less skilled than you.

I'm just saying (sometimes bluntly, but hey, we can take a hit) that if you stay locked in that mechanical mindset, your further progress will be impeded. I've given you a goodly number of suggestions on where and how you can improve in this area, others have posted similar views and videos that illustrate some of these concepts. Be flexible in both body and mind.

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I'll put forth your advice and try to give more flavor to my technique.

 

[jks9199]

This remind me one day A made a comment on B's form, "Your form is so perfect, there are 6 bow-arrow stances in your form, each and every bow-arrow stance look exactly the same".

B was very happy from A's comment. What A really tried to say was, "You did not modify your stance to meet the rest of your body's need."

Ok, I’m a kung fu guy and don’t know your kata, and don’t know the competition parameters that will help your win with your kata. So take my comments with a bit of salt.

It does look tense to me. I’m not sure how to explain it. It must looks like you are doing everything with great effort, rather than using proper structure and technique. Those elements may be there, but you aren’t trusting them and are trying to muscle on top of it, which destroys the structure and technique.

From another different style -- first, there's no logical rhythm and flow; you're fast in places, slow in others, and you pause at times (like after a block) that I look for you to move quickly into the counter strike. But that might be how you're trained and what is expected... It's just not how I would teach them.

That said -- these two quotes are getting at the tension issue. Your whole body is tense, and it shows most easily in the upper body and shoulders. They're rigid, and impede the movement. There are different types of tension, two being flowing and locking to find a term for them. Flowing tension moves through the technique. You might think of the continuous effort of a bench press as an outside example. It's got a place and there are times to use it -- but it removes the element of rhythm from your kata, because it's hard to alter the course once started. Locking or explosive tension hits at key moments, then releases. An outside comparison might be pushing a car; once you break the initial friction and get it rolling, it takes much less energy to maintain the motion, right? If you can learn to lock at the end of the technique, then release as you move to the next, you'll develop a different explosiveness.

 

[TenHands]

From another different style -- first, there's no logical rhythm and flow; you're fast in places, slow in others, and you pause at times (like after a block) that I look for you to move quickly into the counter strike. But that might be how you're trained and what is expected... It's just not how I would teach them.

That said -- these two quotes are getting at the tension issue. Your whole body is tense, and it shows most easily in the upper body and shoulders. They're rigid, and impede the movement. There are different types of tension, two being flowing and locking to find a term for them. Flowing tension moves through the technique. You might think of the continuous effort of a bench press as an outside example. It's got a place and there are times to use it -- but it removes the element of rhythm from your kata, because it's hard to alter the course once started. Locking or explosive tension hits at key moments, then releases. An outside comparison might be pushing a car; once you break the initial friction and get it rolling, it takes much less energy to maintain the motion, right? If you can learn to lock at the end of the technique, then release as you move to the next, you'll develop a different explosiveness.

The main problem is that I am actively trying to do this whole release/contraction thing, and I am actively trying to stay relaxed and flowing. It's not that I am unaware of the issue, rather that it is seemingly impossible to fix it, even if I devote all of my focus to fixing it. Either I am completely misunderstanding the instructions or I am physically incapable of this type of movement.

To make a poetic analogy: I keep pressing the gas but the car won't move.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Either I am completely misunderstanding the instructions or I am physically incapable of this type of movement.

"You cannot teach one not ready to learn." Your brain may be ready, willing and able to learn, but your body may not. IMO, this is your obstacle. It may take another thousand, or three, katas before your body starts to teach itself.

Check out those videos of experts who have great body motion and try to absorb that feeling. It's not intellectual or technical - it's body feel. Approach it that way.

 

[TenHands]

I tried to apply multiple pieces of advice - doing the kata right after a hard workout, keeping the back loose, expansion/contraction - but it doesn't seem to have done much.

If even this kata ends up being stiff or tense, I'm just gonna either a.) just stay tense and cope with it or b.) quit doing kata altogether and thereby abandon competition. There is no conceivable way I can be more relaxed than this.

Password is "kata" again.

 

[isshinryuronin]

I tried to apply multiple pieces of advice - doing the kata right after a hard workout, keeping the back loose, expansion/contraction - but it doesn't seem to have done much.

If even this kata ends up being stiff or tense, I'm just gonna either a.) just stay tense and cope with it or b.) quit doing kata altogether and thereby abandon competition. There is no conceivable way I can be more relaxed than this.

Password is "kata" again.

You do look more relaxed. That's good. But. Rather. Than. Being. So. Robotic, put some varied rhythm into it. Get excited about fighting those imaginary guys like maybe you did pretending you were Bruce Lee or a Ninja Turtle as a kid. Just don't "recite" the kata - interpret and express it.

 

[TenHands]

You do look more relaxed. That's good. But. Rather. Than. Being. So. Robotic, put some varied rhythm into it. Get excited about fighting those imaginary guys like maybe you did pretending you were Bruce Lee or a Ninja Turtle as a kid. Just don't "recite" the kata - interpret and express it.

I don't know what you mean by this. You mean block, punch, pause, block punch vs. block, punch, block, punch?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If even this kata ends up being stiff or tense, I'm just gonna either a.) just stay tense and cope with it or b.) quit doing kata altogether and thereby abandon competition. There is no conceivable way I can be more relaxed than this.

Let's talk about this form. Have you considered that this is a stiff form to start with?

In your form, you have either

- step in, downward block, or
- step in, punch.

There exist no other techniques. Do you really need to train this form in order to "repeat the same technique over and over"?

I don't understand why did the form creator create this form. To repeat the same move 10 times doesn't make it a form.

Can you do your form as fast (step in block), fast (step in punch), slow (step in block) ... The fast, fast, slow, fast, fast, slow, ... pattern can make your form more relax.

Also instead of doing step in block, step in punch as 2 separate moves, you may do step in, block, punch as 1 move in "lighting speed". You then relax (slow down), and do your next combo in another "lighting speed".