Uchidachi is in charge of the timing and distance in a kata right? That’s the rule, so uchidachi doesn’t need to pay attention to shidachi’s timing.
Well, no. A rule is a tricky thing, it doesn’t mean you can walk onto the tip of a sword just because you’re supposed to be leading a kata. The whole point (forgive) of a kata is for two people to work together and if one of them believes in rules it sometimes makes a difference. Not always, many kata, especially when both partners are starting out, will go just fine if both partners follow the rules. These are simple call and response exercises, I swing, you step to the side. What can go wrong? Aside from you not stepping to the side and all I have to do to prevent consequences is stop swinging before I hit your head.
But there’s a kata in Niten that has been irritating me for two weeks now and I finally saw the problem. It’s not simple, it’s not “at the same time” (sen no sen) and it’s not quite “defend then counterattack” (go no sen) it’s more subtle. The kata is Ryusui Uchidome. Uchidachi approaches, does kissaki gaeshi (raises his sword overhead) and on the third step cuts down vertically at shidachi’s head. Same old same old for the attack in this set of kata. Shidachi approaches and raises his swords into chudan on the second step. On the third he opens his swords to invite an attack, steps back to avoid that attack and then brushes the attacking sword to the side and counters with a strike to the head. The lesson is somewhat the same as in the first kendo no kata, it’s not strange in any way, step back and let your opponent miss then hit him. But what makes this kata slightly different is the chudan position which stalls uchidachi’s attack. Uchidachi can’t swing for shidachi’s head without being stabbed in the throat, and he is too deep to strike down the swords cleanly, and… there is confusion. There is supposed to be confusion, the whole point is to create confusion.
But you can’t create confusion in someone who isn’t paying attention. Startle yes, but not confuse. If Uchidachi follows the rules he raises the sword on the second step and cuts on the third and he’s in charge of timing so away we go. Shidachi has to rush things to make it work and you know, it might even look good, but neither partner learns a damned thing.
Rules are those things you are supposed to learn right? We memorize the rules and we pass the test. We memorize the rules and we win the tournment. Well, yes. But rules can prevent another kind of learning, the sort of learning that involves creativity, the kind that allows you to develop “perceived self-efficacy”, that allows you to deal with new situations. In short, rules can prevent thinking. Rules are the things that you use when you don’t want to think.
Take any set of standardized kata which are used for grading and tournaments. (ANY seitei folks, not just kendo federation seitei). You learn it from sensei. You learn the rules on etiquette, you learn the rules on how to wear the uniform, you learn the rules for the kata, how to stand in line for the test. You learn lots and lots of stuff right?
You do. Lots of stuff, and it’s all good. But if all you do with it is grade and compete in tournaments it will be as if you’re in a school system that teaches the three Rs, readin’ writin’ and ‘rithmatic. You memorize the times table for math. You memorize poetry for english. You memorize formulae for physics. It’s the right way to teach, it’s the Eastern way, you copy characters until you learn how to read.
Here’s the thing. At some point you’re supposed to derive the principles from all that copying and memorizing, and that’s not an easy thing to do. Not when you’re constantly being slapped back into the rules. I don’t care how many times you copy the word democracy, the meaning is going to escape you. If you repeat the phrase “(insert current heavily repeated meaningless phrase here)” it might come to be believed by large numbers of people but it still won’t mean anything. The simple answers of propaganda are rules. If you do this the problem will be solved. Actually it usually means “if you put me into power I’ll fix this”. He won’t you know, if it was easily fixed it would have been fixed. If it is really a problem people would probably be working on it because there is more than one smart person in the world. “Here is the problem and I am the only one who can fix it”. Repeat, repeat, repeat until it becomes a rule.
So, let’s take iaido, a very easy target for rules-worship. No partner, just you waving the sword around. My favourite? Swing the sword at this exact angle and stop it at this precise spot. Good rule. If you do it you will pass your test and you will win the tournament. But what does it mean? “Well it means that your opponent is at this exact place and you have cut him in this exact manner”. Yes, good. Anything else?
There is an anything else. It’s the place where most teachers say “practice and you will understand”. I think that’s right but… how do you practice? If you only practice in front of sensei who only tells you what angle and where to stop… and interrupts your kata to tell you that…
The rules of kata are those things that tell us “this is the kata”. You memorize the rules so that you can do the kata but after that you really need to practice the kata and pay attention to the deeper lessons that can be taught.
There’s a reason the difference between 7dan and 8dan is “understand the riai”. Extracting those deeper lessons is hard if all you’ve ever done is memorize the rules.
Maybe it’s that you have to be 7dan before you’re “allowed” to think beyond the rules. Maybe that’s why it takes 30 years to “learn budo”. We let guys poke around in our brains with half that time spent learning. I really don’t want a 75 year old poking my grey matter, they get tired fast and their hands shake!
Shut up, stop thinking and memorize the rules as fast as you can, then turn your brain back on and think about what the kata is trying to teach you.
Seito Bugei Juku 