When learning a kata, the first thing we have to get past is the sequence. As discussed earlier, there are different depths of learning sequence. You really know the sequence of a kata when you can do it without conscious thought. Or, I suppose, you’d really be good at it if you could do it in the opposite direction or in backwards order. The great benefit of knowing the sequence is that you can practice the kata anywhere, at any time, by yourself.

The second aspect we being to work on are the proper postures for each movement. Facing the correct direction, head and back straight, strong stances, hips in the prescribed position, feet rooted to the ground, and on and on. However, when I refer to posture, it’s so much more than just trying to “look correct”, nor is it limited to just the static positions such as one sees in the instruction books. To me, proper posture is not really about looking good, but to have a total body alignment throughout the entire process…from initiating a movement, executing a speedy, efficient transition, and finishing with a powerful, full-body kime at the point of impact and completion of each move. This is a big reason we spend the majority of each training period doing basic/intermediate kihon…techniques based upon the breakdown of kata movements.

Having poor posture or alignment when you move, especially when you place power into your movements, can not only result in ineffective, slow, sloppy technique…it can actually hurt you. Misplacement of your body parts at the instant you exert force can cause knee, back, hip, neck, shoulder, etc problems, especially with countless repetitions over years of practice. This is why it’s important for beginners NOT to place too much power into their techniques and movements until they have a reasonable mastery of coordinated movement. Beyond this, proper alignment is critical when one actually strikes a target with a kick or punch…otherwise, when the opposing force comes back through one’s body during impact, it will naturally “seek out” the joint that’s misaligned and either immediately, or over time, cause damage.

Everyone’s body is unique, which means everyone moves in a slightly different way. The goal is to learn more about one’s body, more about one’s movement, and through concerted practice, learn how to do it better. It is a never-ending challenge. As we pass from basics to double combinations, we find out that we have to re-evaluate the way we move. What worked well for us in the single technique, is often insufficient to serve us for the double combination…we go back to the drawing board to find out how to get to the next level. It happens again at triple combinations, when we have zenkutsu-dachi/kiba-dachi movement combos, when we incorporate yori-ashi, when we learn to combine punching and kicking combos, and so on. Many of the drills and combinations serve, not for practical kumite or self-defense purposes, but to help us discover areas of movement and posture that can be improved.

It’s a long process, but when we invest the effort and time, our movements, transitions, and posture change and mature. These changes are effected in our brains and thought pathways, and with time, in our muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc…all of the elements that contribute to proper posture and coordination. The blessing to each of us, however, is that the result of all this time and effort, is a life-long, instinctive way of movement, in everything one does.

All that said, I have a confession which everyone in the ministry knows….I’m a” leaner”, haha. I have a tendency to lean into my punches and blocks. I also lean in the opposite direction as my legs and hip initiate movement backwards. I encourage you not to lean, however, there’s the saying that “Do what I say, not what I do”. They also say that 80% of communication is non-verbal, so when I see one of the students leaning…I have to say that I share the same challenge. So whatever technique/posture you’re trying to get better at, pick out someone in the line-up who does it better and emulate as you train. I’ve found that much of what one learns in the dojo comes from fellowship with good sempais.

Finally, it goes without saying that proper posture has an analogy in life. No one’s perfect, however the continuous striving to do things correctly, to say and do positive, good things, to walk a better walk…these are good goals for everyone. But remember…proper posture in life isn’t about just “looking good”…it’s so much more than that.