This video, the first of a four-volume set, includes the kata Tekki- Shodan, Bassai-Dai, Jion, Kanku-Dai, and Empi. Just like the Essential Basics video, this video is shot indoors, presumably at the dojo where Ertl and Bendickson train.
The organization of this video is very well done. I enjoyed the fact that each kata is presented slowly, broken down into segments, performed quickly, and reviewed for key points. Watching the same presentation over and over again is important to make sure that nothing is missed. Another very pleasant addition is the super- imposing of the embusen (the mapped out movements from a bird's eye view) on the screen. As the instructor move through the kata the embusen has the arrows pointing in the right directions. Pretty snazzy.
This video is designed with the student in mind, for that reason alone, I am very glad that Joel Ertl sent me this video to review. I love to see things that are designed for teaching students, rather than glorification of the sensei.
As a basic instructional tool for kata, this video is excellent. My only concern is that although this video does a remarkable job in presenting each technique in each kata, and pays a tremendous amount of time and energy in proper positioning and execution, the "heart" of the kata is missing. This may be a problem with the nature of this kind of video, one where the instructors simply just want to present each technique as they follow each other in sequence. As students and teachers develop their ability to do kata another, more interpretive quality, also comes into kata. This quality is the aesthetic interpretation.
For students learning kata, they need not worry about that until they have actually mastered each technique. But for advanced students and instructors, once a kata is really learned, the karate-ka should start to "interpret" techniques and combinations within the kata. Combinations might move more smoothly, pauses might be interpreted differently, explosive techniques may erupt differently from those pauses. And the interpretations flow from there.
I get the impression from the tone of this video that the most basic elements are being taught here, and the focus in on getting the student to move sequentially through the kata without any confusion. In that case, this video is very successful and is highly recommended for students new to the kata and who would like to see something other than what they gather from the textbooks. But for the student who has learned the techniques in proper sequence and who have mastered the "basics" of the kata, they ought to start looking within for how they wish to present "their" kata.
Another thing I would like to mention about this video that I particularly liked, was that Joel Ertl was the model for Empi and Anita Bendickson was the model for Jion. Typically, when it comes to kata, Empi is sometimes considered the "woman's kata", as it has quick short snappy techniques, and Jion is "for men" because of the big sweeping powerful movements. The inversion of these typical roles is noted, and appreciated. Both do a very professional job in presenting these kata.
One thing that did surprise me about this video, however, is the final kiai in Jion. Bendickson lets a very slow kiai come out at the end of the kata. I have never seen that before and was a little shocked. Watching it several times now, I think that it is kind of cool. Whether you explode into the finale of your kata or pull it all together through an extended kiai at the end, neither make the kata any less beautiful.
Very nice work. Recommended for students.
Mark Groenewold
Ishikawa-ken, Japan
Sept 2001
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