Lawrence A. Kane - The Way of Kata: A Comprehensive Guide to Deciphering Martial Applications

The forms of a given system are the books which contain all relevant information about that system. Unfortunately, many of todays martial arts enthusiasts are unable to read them. The Way of Kata will show you how to read your forms and extract the information which is concealed within them!
This book is an absolute must for any serious practitioner of traditional karate, tae kwon do, or kung-fu. In my many years of practicing and teaching martial arts, I have never seen a text like this; a work which clearly outlines the theories and principles of interpreting forms. This book has been sorely needed by the martial arts community for generations.
For those who think the practice of traditional form (kata) is worthless and has no value insofar as real combat is concerned, read this book! Youll see your forms and your chosen martial art in a completely different light. This book will act as a torch to light the path which will lead you to the secrets of the traditional martial arts; information which has been hidden for many decades!
Now if youll excuse me, Ive got to get back to studying my forms...

Philip Starr, Founder of Yiliquan; Inside Kung Fu Hall of Fame Member

For years, karateka have needed a manual to bridge the gap between their training and real violence. This book is a pioneering step in fulfilling that need. In so many real encounters, I would do something that I later recognized in my wifes karate kata. Not once did any karate instructor, when explaining that move, come even close to what I had actually done. It left me feeling that karate, at its root, was devastatingly effective, but that as it is commonly taught it was little more than a joke. This book will help an intelligent karateka find the combat system inside the dojo dance.

Sgt. Rory Miller, tactical team leader; Use of Force Policy and close quarters combat instructor for law enforcement officers.

I found this to be a comprehensive book that bridges the gap between form and application in a realistic, easy-to-read and easy-to-apply manner. Its packed with profound insight into the true meaning of kata, while at the same time identifying street-worthy technique as well as valuable tips for sparring competition. This book is loaded with fascinating history, street fighting wisdom, sparring tips, insight into well-known kata, and invaluable quotes and tips from a host of martial arts masters. It will increase your knowledge of the depth and wisdom of forms, and in the process make you a better fighter.

Loren Christensen (www.lwcbooks.com), 7th degree black belt, retired military and civilian police officer, author of 29 books on martial arts.

The Way of Kata demonstrates the practical uses of kata, relates the traditional and modern aspects of fighting, and brings meaningful information to todays martial arts practitioners.

Martina Sprague (www.modernfighter.com), author of five books on martial arts.

The Way of Kata is a thoughtful, thorough and informative analysis of the hidden fighting applications of kata. This superb book is essential reading for all those who wish to understand the highly effective techniques, concepts and strategies that the kata were created to record!

Iain Abernethy, (www.iainabernethy.com), author of 4 books on applied karate, a former UK national level kata judge, member of the Combat Hall of Fame, and the holder of a 5thDan in applied karate from the British Combat Association (one of the worlds leading groups for close-quarter combat and practical martial arts).

I really like the authors insights into the nature of kata. Its not just jumping around waving your arms and legs. Their understanding of karate is something that has sadly been lost from a majority of the hardstyle martial arts. Many styles have become like a car without the engine and transmission. They have the form, but not what it takes to make it go. This book helps put the engine and transmission back in. It becomes a drivable vehicle instead of a shell that someone sits in and goes Vroom! Vroom!

Marc Animal MacYoung

With the recent upsurge and popularity of Brazilian Ju-jitsu [sic] and Mixed Martial Arts one often hears, or reads, that kata is a complete waste of time, an archaic practice which has absolutely no combative value, whatsoever. As a progressive traditionalist and having taught hundreds of hands-on seminars all over the world it is no surprise to me that those who make such claims know little or nothing about the true essence of this valuable, but highly misunderstood practice. Originally, kata were never developed as competitive practices or even to teach the art of self-defense for that matter. Conceived by early fighters/teachers searching to develop mnemonic practices with which to culminate functional self-defense templates already imparted, in two-person drills, kata were designed and popularized as collective solo routines with holistic implications. As such, early learners enjoyed a free licensee to reinterpret and recreate abstract versions of these routines depending entirely upon individual creativity, physical prowess, and personal experience.
There is little doubt about the increasingly dissatisfaction with modern karates interpretation of kata, the dirty politics of big organizations, and of the conceited our style is best mentality, all of which permeate our tradition. Compounding this growing dissatisfaction is an inability for qualified teachers to adequately respond to a students question about the theory and technical application of kata. Even more disheartening is learning that such inquisitiveness is not openly encouraged and that enthusiastic students are more often than enough ostracized for looking outside their peer groups to find the answers their teachers are incapable of providing. Judging by the amount of ink spilt on this issue, and what a Google search brings up on the internet, it is obvious that we are at the dawn of a Renaissance eagerly seeking to penetrate its abyss, eliminate the ambiguity which has shrouded the inner-most intentions of this art, and restore its original teachings. This unprecedented desire for information has not only given rise to a generation of searchers it has also witnessed a plethora of whimsical writers with little or no understanding of the historical and tactical underpinnings of our tradition resulting in the exploitation of the all too often, gullible reader. Myth and ignorance, misunderstanding and rule-bound training methods, developed for the sport, and a narrow mindset, all too often disguised as a way to preserve the purity of this or that style, has lead to hypocrisy, fragmentation and isolation in karatedo.
In this time of politics and protectionism it is truly a rare occurrence to find teachers who think outside this box. Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder are two such instructors. I believe their grasp of the kaleidoscopic variations permeating todays martial arts culture will have a penetrating impact upon the readers of their work. In the same way that early pioneers sent their students forth to other instructors for the purpose of learning and improving their overall skills, so too do I believe that by encouraging our students to study the innovative works of other instructors capable of unlocking the source of new information do we continue to strengthen our art, rather than obscure or distort it.
This publication not only advocates open-mindedness, and thinking-outside-the-box, it literarily demands its readers seek out supporting information from the very best sources available. Although I have never met these two authors in person it is obvious that we share many identical thoughts and ideas. They clearly possess a far-reaching and eclectic range of knowledge. May I encourage readers to look beyond the techniques and labels displayed in this book and use it as an opportunity to examine all kata using the same advice, concepts, and principles which bring us all together.