u/GKRKarate99

Over the years I’ve come to truly appreciate kata, as it’s helped to improve my kihon and kumite. It’s part of what I call the holy trinity of karate (kihon, kata, kumite) and sometimes I find it calming just to practise kata in my garden after a long day of work or on my day off when I wake up in the morning

The bunkai from Heian Shodan even stopped me from getting my phone stolen last month, someone tried to snatch my phone out of my hands at a crowded train station and I brought my arm across my body to block/ redirect his arm like in move 4 and struck the guy in the chest (I’ve been taught that the move can be an uraken to the face or a tetsui to the body) and then shoved him and yelled (kiai) to attract attention and it was something I did subconsciously, like my body was just on autopilot, I wouldn’t have been able without my training