“The meaning of the directions in kata is not well understood.”

“The meaning of the directions in kata is not well understood, and frequently mistakes are made in the interpretation of kata movements. In extreme cases, it is sometimes heard that “this kata moves in 8 directions so it is designed for fighting 8 opponents” or some such nonsense.”
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Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952) founder of Shito-Ryu
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Kenwa Mabuni was an absolute master of kata and many of the masters of the time would seek out his knowledge and instruction. He was known as “Mabuni the technician”, as he was held in such high regard by his peers. After all the years that have passed since Kenwa Mabuni stated the above quote, there are some who still see kata this way.
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Do not fall into the trap of thinking you are being attacked from multiple directions, with multiple attackers, with each attacker waiting for the next. In kata, the attacker is facing you from the front and the kata teach us to move to a more advantageous position. Creating an angle helps us to gain this advantage.
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Research and look deeper into the kata and truly try to understand the depth that is available to us. ??

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