Re: real swordfight
Good post, Arnold, but I would disagree on a couple of points:
Originally posted by arnold11 The kata also (especially with sword) are generally only "unrealistic" to someone who has never had a real sword put in their face, or who has never considered what it would be like to have some try to kill them with a sword.
You mean like 99% of all martial arts students, someone like that?
Originally posted by arnold11 ...all kata that I have seen (originating from classical schools that is) also convey a sense of combat... This to me is one of the greatest differences between classical and modern martial arts. Both have kata that are beautiful and potentially effective. However, classical kata also includes with it the feeling of combat when they are practiced properly.
This just seems a little off base to me. To me, what is put into the kata is dependent on the practitioner, not the ryu-ha, modern, classical or otherwise. What you're saying is the classical ryu has something built into it that somehow conveys danger more than the non-classical. Unless I'm misunderstanding you, I don't on the surface agree with that statement. Care to expand your argument?
Also, not sure what the difference is between classical and non-classical weapons kata. Iai are classical even if many iai schools are not conducted like classical ryu. Kendo no kata are old-skool kenjutsu kata committee'd into use for kendo-ka (unless, of course, your argument is that by doing so the bad-@$$ness has been somehow filtered out of these kata, so they should be disqualified). Aiki-ken and kobudo I know nothing about, so cannot comment.
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