I remember coming across some interesting research a while back about the brain and motor learning. In short, the researchers found that by simply watching someone perform an action with the intention of mimicking them, we can activate neural pathways in the brain actually responsible for performing the behavior. Who would have thought you could actually improve your kata – or any technique for that matter – just by sitting at your desk?
I know there's no substitute for actual practice but it's good to know that on nights where you really can't make it, you may be able to trick that brain of yours into training without training. I think my kata at least, has changed slightly since I’ve been doing this – a small shift in timing and focus if nothing else.
To save myself the hassle of searching for the video clips each night I decided to put them all together. So, for those interested in joining me in my martial movie nights, here they are:
Gekisai Dai Ichi (撃砕第一)
Gekisai Dai Ni (撃砕第二)
Saifa (砕破)
Seiyunchin (制引戦)
Shisochin (四向戦)
Sanseru (三十六手)
Sepai (十八手)
Kururunfa (久留頓破)
Sesan (十三手)
Suparimpei (壱百零八)
Sanchin (三戦)
Tensho (転掌)
Posts
Thanks for the memories of when I first started martial arts! Gekisai Dai Ichi brought it all flooding back. :)
Yes. I think the visual imprinting of one's sensei is very important. Of course, a teacher changes over time, and I'm of the mind that one should committ to one teacher, or at least one school, and stick with it for decades.
One of the my favorite memories was being invited to train with my teacher at HIS teacher's dojo. Being a newbie, I had to drop back and watch. It was a real treat, to watch my own teacher doing kata with his teacher. To see how that 'visual imprinting' had manifested in another.
RE motor activity and neuron mirroring, check out a book called "The Body has a Mind of it's Own." It's pretty good survey of this type of research for the layman. Studies have shown that visualizing yourself doing an action from your own point of view, and imagining the feedback and other sensations of the activity, fires the associated neuron maps much more strongly than visualizing someone else, or watching yourself do it. Watching someone in perform an action not only fires your own motor maps, but it creates a map of the other person's body and actions as well. Anyhow, thanks for grouping these video clips all in one place!
This is so true. I find that visualization also helps improve my performance. I do visualization to prepare for belt tests--got one coming up in a few weeks.
Great videos, btw. I watched a couple and plan to watch them all later. Always a pleasure to watch a great martial artist at work--plus I like to see how different Goju Ryu katas are from Shito Ryu.
thanks for the great links
its definately true about the visualisation of technique, for example, when i was younger I used to skateboard. Many of the tricks require fine motor skills and pressure etc to perform, and can be months of trying before you even understand a trick, let alone actually manage to do it! And then suddenly, one day, you wake up after dreaming of the trick and it all fits into place-you understand exactly what to do and what you had been doing wrong, and you somehow can do it instinctively.
Isn't the brain amazing!
@Kerry: No worries. Maybe a little kata brain training for when you return to martial arts ;)
@Narda: I think you made a good point about dedicating yourself to one teacher and style when you've found the one that's right for you. A little cross training is ok, but I think many students get bored too quickly and jump from one style/club to another before they've really mastered the basics.
@Randy: I've also read a few studies on the power of visualisation. Pretty amazing stuff.
Thanks also for the book recommendation. Looks like an interesting read. For those interested there more info on the book here. I'm going to be continuing cognitive psych when I return to Aus so it might just come in handy.
@Jenn: Glad that the videos will be of some use. I especially love the old school flavor of the clips. The audio sounds like something from the DHARMA initiative. Good luck in your grading too by the way.
@Dan: Isn't funny the way you can end up dreaming about training/techniques or in your case tricks? I've woken myself up a few times twitching and sparring in my sleep.
Strangely enough I actually had a dream that I got punched in the face the night before it actually happened in my grading. Little spooky. Suppose we really do have to be careful about what we visualise.
Hi Krista,
It's interesting that you need video stimulation to prepare yourself for your classes, why not just practice at home before you go?...
Be careful not to become a clone of your instructor as I did, watching videos of his every move and twitch, trying and fit his movement into my own... Not sure about getting into the “zone” try to just relax before class instead, I use to get pumped up before class and looking back all it did was introduce unnecessary tension into my body, worrying that my performance wouldn’t be good enough.. The best thing I ever did was remove kata practice from my training and from that point on have become more natural in my movement and more adaptable.. But that’s for me you understand...
If you can't make class, do the kata in your head, or perform on the spot where ever you are.. it’s got to be better than Youtube :)
Anyway enjoy your Kata...
Steve
I think kata practice, and viewing footage of other people can be a great help, for example, professional athletes use it as a way to see how their performance can benefit from alterations etc.
Of course, you don’t try to imitate the person’s exact movement, as without doubt they are a different build to you, and as such may be doing things no matter how good they are, that may be incorrect (huge muscles causing awkward movements perhaps).
However, we can try to emulate the performance to improve upon our own, perhaps by seeing things we may not have noticed before, or becoming aware of certain principles to techniques. How many times have you walked down the same road, only to notice something for the first time, which may have been there for years?
Also, it is hard to justify kata, as everyone practice's karate for different reasons and with different views.
"It should be known that secret principles of Goju-Ryu exist in the kata"
Now this statement could mean a lot of things to different people. I for one, and am happy to admit it, view kata through my rose tinted glasses and believe that the kata was not just a simple training method for a set number of moves, but an intricate method of containing numerous techniques and applications that are not obvious without dedicated observation (sweeps and locks incorporated into steps, throws into turns, blocks into strikes etc).
However to some people,
"It should be known that secret principles of Goju-Ryu exist in the kata"
Could be perceived as merely a hook, to string people along to continue to train so that the art would survive?
anyway, rant over, I’m definitely a believer in analysisation and visualisation of techniques to help you learn- and I’m also quite partial to a spot of daydream kata practice ( although I have to admit I do get some strange looks in the local supermarket doing Sanchin "crescent steps" backwards and forwards in the queue absentmindedly!)
Dan
P.S Sorry if this doesn't make too much sense, its quite late and i'm taking a break from revision :D
@Steve: Thanks for the advice. I agree that there’s no substitute for actual training and visualizations are probably preferable to watching videos. But that said, for the couple of minutes it takes me to watch the videos before class I’ve found them to be really helpful.
I also agree that once you’ve mastered the basics it’s important to find your own unique style in training. Though personally, I get a lot out of kata and don’t see myself giving it away any time soon ;) I suppose ultimately a lot of it comes down to our individual motives for training – why we do it and what we hope to get out of it.
@Dan: I think kata really is one of those things that people either love or hate. And at times, maybe even something they love and hate. Though I have to say my understanding of and appreciation of kata has really grown over the years. When I first started training it seemed to me a strange choreographed kind of dance. I’ve since come to see there’s a fair bit more to it.
And, as for crescent stepping in the supermarket, I think most of us that have caught the martial arts bug are guilty of strange public behaviour at one time or another. Though I suppose we should also question whether this is a good thing from a self defense perspective if we are in essence advertising the fact that we practice a martial art.