Martial Arts Professional Magazine

Part 3 of a Six-Part Series on Using Kata (or Form) For Martial Arts Development

The goal for the ancient and modern martial artist is to learn how to develop a stable, mobile and fluid platform that can move in any direction and EXPLODE arms, legs, hands and feet with tremendous force. It is easier to reach these goals if kata or form is used to understand the critical importance of controlling and utilizing the center of the body.

The athletic ability to connect the top and the bottom of the body, while in motion is controlled by what classical martial artists have always called the “center” of the body. They are referring to the area just below the belly button and enveloping the whole pelvic area. If you look at a skeleton, you will know what I mean. The top of the body is connected via a chain of connections, to the spine, which ends at the tailbone. The bottom half of the body starts at the pelvis bone and includes the legs to the feet.

There are “sockets” or “joints” that connect the top of the leg to the pelvis and the knee. We call them a hip socket or a knee joint. The same is true with the arm to the shoulder.

There are no sockets between the top and bottom half of the body.

This area is controlled by masses of sinews, ligaments, muscles, etc.; and this area has the unique property of connecting the top of the body to the bottom half of the body in a rather miraculous design, which allows bending, twisting and exploding in almost any direction. If you do not properly control this area, then you are only punching with the top half of your body…maybe even only your arm…instead of the entire mass of your entire body. The same would be true of a kick.

An outstanding athlete is born with the ability to control this area. Classical martial arts schools must teach normal people how to do the same.

Besides power, this “centering” concept also holds great impact in the movement arena.

I’m sure that you’ve noticed, as have I, that many NFL football players can run at full-speed and be hit from almost any angle by another human being, also running at a high rate of speed, without falling, even though at the moment of contact, they are only standing on one foot. How do they do this? At our school, we would say they are “centering”. Athletes who are capable of doing this are quite remarkable, but they could never teach you to perform this feat because they don’t really know why they can do it.

Mike Tyson had a tremendous hitting strength by the age of 18, but Mike could never teach you how to hit like he does. He doesn’t really know how he does it…he just always seemed to be able to hit hard.

The problem of every classical school, as described above, is to take normal people, with less than normal athletic ability, and teach them to do unusual and dynamic things. Classical schools have faced this problem since the days of the Shaolin Temple, when young men, of various backgrounds and abilities, entered a program to develop into warrior monks and change their natural abilities.

In your form or kata training, you must carefully study the use of the center of the body and use that training to accelerate your power and movement abilities. To properly “connect” to this area of your body requires an instructor to guide you, but does not require a partner. This is one of those times when you need to look into yourself… physically, mentally and spiritually…to cause a change throughout your entire being.

We’ll look at kata more next month. Until then, keep training.