Karate: Kata, As a Poem
Kata- the alphabet of karate- the abc's- can be set forth in many ways- here's one way- for all students: You get all prepared- by getting into your form relaxing and getting psyched- as is your norm- but, then you realize there is a battle lurking and you call it kata number four- or, whatever you are doing for a living that day- your karate living, that is.
For, you realize that whatever else you are doing it is karate that makes you tick and you have to plan to do battle with the elements- that is what kata is- a battle- a test of strength (kake-damesh); You might have forgotten to realize that morning- that day thay you arose- that you were supposed to be a warrior- for that is what a karateka is- a warrior- at least, in the making.
You got up that day and you started to be aware of what it was that you were striving to be - a student of the arts.
And then, you had a tool- something to practice that art- and it was kata- the form(s) that you were taught by your master- and here is how you did it: You emptied your mind- totally- and you knew that it was not easy to do that- not at all: You had to forget that you were late on your taxes; you were late with your master's thesis- you forgot to send your nephew a wedding gift; you forgot to send your wife flowers for your anniversary; you didn't even remember to call your mother for the past two or three weeks- and then, worst of all- you forgot that to do a kata - to do it well- you had to FORGET EVERYTHING! And then, once you remembered that- that you had to enter into the NOTHINGNESS of kata- the NOTHINGNESS of Zen- which is synonymous with karate- that once you became ONE with YOU- then, at that moment, you began to get into the kata zone; And, the moment after you entered that state- where you FORGOT everything - where all of your past became the present- and, the present became NOTHING; it was- at that exact moment that- You BLEW RIGHT THROUGHT THE KATA- and then, you became you- the pure, KARATEKA.
For, you realize that whatever else you are doing it is karate that makes you tick and you have to plan to do battle with the elements- that is what kata is- a battle- a test of strength (kake-damesh); You might have forgotten to realize that morning- that day thay you arose- that you were supposed to be a warrior- for that is what a karateka is- a warrior- at least, in the making.
You got up that day and you started to be aware of what it was that you were striving to be - a student of the arts.
And then, you had a tool- something to practice that art- and it was kata- the form(s) that you were taught by your master- and here is how you did it: You emptied your mind- totally- and you knew that it was not easy to do that- not at all: You had to forget that you were late on your taxes; you were late with your master's thesis- you forgot to send your nephew a wedding gift; you forgot to send your wife flowers for your anniversary; you didn't even remember to call your mother for the past two or three weeks- and then, worst of all- you forgot that to do a kata - to do it well- you had to FORGET EVERYTHING! And then, once you remembered that- that you had to enter into the NOTHINGNESS of kata- the NOTHINGNESS of Zen- which is synonymous with karate- that once you became ONE with YOU- then, at that moment, you began to get into the kata zone; And, the moment after you entered that state- where you FORGOT everything - where all of your past became the present- and, the present became NOTHING; it was- at that exact moment that- You BLEW RIGHT THROUGHT THE KATA- and then, you became you- the pure, KARATEKA.