My wife and daughter are hooked again this season, on the tv show…”So You Think You Can Dance.” Out of all the thousands of dancer-wannabees who entered the tryouts in the various cities, it’s now whittled down to just a handful of extremely talented, hard-working young dancers. I marvel at their work ethic, at how they hold up under intense stress that seems to bring out their best. I can’t believe that, whatever their individual dance background, they successfully learn different styles and routines every week…sometimes two routines with partners…and still come through dancing like pros. Then I wonder…if I had these dancers as karate students, would I be able to teach them karate, especially kata so that they could perform like experts and how long would it take for them to pick it up? What is it that separates kata in karate-do from skillful dance? Well, here are my thoughts:

1) All of the movements in kihon, and therefore, the sequences and combinations in the kata of karate-do are meant to generate purposeful focused power. Not for the sake of generating power, but to generate and impart force into selected targets on an opponent’s body. In addition to the expected strikes and kicks, there are techniques for evasion, holds, breaks, throws, and so on. I realize that sometimes this is lost, since we usually practice kata with imaginary attackers. It’s often lost when we practice merely to prepare for an upcoming examination. It really tends to get lost in dojos that focus on winning kata competitions at tournaments. It can also be lost when you practice a kata just enough to get promoted and move on to the next kata.

2) Whereas dance is meant as a form of expression…often in free-form with much room for individual dancers to interpret, kata tends to be rigidly stylized with much of the actual meaning hidden within the moves. Whereas the dance routines are prepared for and performed before large audiences for entertainment, the katas we’ve inherited were originally devised and practiced in secrecy and often, the full meanings were taught only to trusted senior students.

3) On the tv show, each week, we are treated with up to a dozen new dance routines that were expressly created for the competition. In karate-do, we have the opportunity to learn and perform katas that are up to several hundred years old. There is sometimes debate over the value of continuing to preserve and practice these old katas, and many argue for the creation new katas, which often occurs within the tournament circuit and various eclectic martial arts systems. Others argue for strict adherence to the grouping of 26+ katas that are part of mainstream Shotokan in the name of tradition.

4) In general, when we talk about bunkai, we’re talking about applying the movements contained within the katas for actual self-defense or combat situations. Here’s a simple truth about combat bunkai…unless you’re a bouncer, or in law enforcement, or participate in certain combat sports matches, chances are, you’ll rarely or never have the need for these applications in your life. However, all is not lost. I don’t believe that the concept of bunkai or application is merely limited to combat situations. Part of the metamorphisis of karate from a Jutsu (combat) emphasis to a Do (Way) emphasis, included shifting the focus to improving our spiritual and ethical character. Like bunkai in Jutsu training, the universal principals of karate-do are meant to apply to us in real life, otherwise the value of training would only be limited only to time spent in the dojo.

This is true of all martial arts. A friend of mine is a long-time Aikido sensei. Sensei Glen is very accomplished and a far smarter man than I ever will be; a former IBM Systems Manager, a former Army officer, a great family man, a black belt in Okinawan karate, a black belt in Judo, a Masters degree from Stanford University, etc. Yet, he has always been a very humble man and in his free time, quietly shares his knowledge of Aikido in a small dojo in Wahiawa, often with just a few students. Some years ago, we were talking about a problem with a particular client, you know, IBM work talk. I always admired his managerial and leadership skills and marveled at how he was able to defuse confrontational situations and turn these into environments of agreement and working together towards a common goal. He shared that he often used Aikido techniques and approaches learned in the dojo and applied these in his dealings with customers and issues. I admitted to him that I often did the same with karate-do. No, of course, we didn’t use punching/kicking/throwing/take-down techniques or battle strategies in the business environment. However, we always tried to treat our clients, co-workers, competitors, etc with the attributes of honesty, courtesy, and service gleaned from our many years of practice in the dojo. In other words, we were sometimes able to successfully apply the bunkai from training to our everyday lives. This wasn’t premeditated, but an unconscious reflex, the product of years of practice. To do this, one has to: Learn the techniques, Practice until execution is automatic, Understand the true goal or underlying purpose in the technique, and most importantly…Apply these universal principles outside of the training hall when the situation arises.

Isn’t it the same with our Christian walk? Our walk shouldn’t be limited to the 1-2 hours spent in church each Sunday. Merely having the knowledge to be able to “talk the talk” is insufficient and at best, comes across as self-righteousness…at worst, it can come across as hypocracy. We need to apply the concepts He teaches us and incorporate these into our everyday lives in order for these (and for us) to be useful during our limited time here. It’s not only about being Saved and going to Heaven. We need to ensure that the years we spend here on Earth are worthwhile and that we be good examples of Christians (and martial artists) in whatever setting we are in. One wouldn’t wear a gi everywhere one goes so that those around him know that he’s a student of the Do….in the same way, a Christian should be recognized, not so much by what he says, but by what his actions and attitude demonstrate (humility, grace, compassion, love, patience) to those that know him.