Shadowboxing or Kata?

I have heard the argument many times in my career. Classical stylists swear by forms, kata. They are the text books past masters left behind to carry on their fighting techniques and train the future. One cannot master martial arts without them. They are as vital a breath.

On the other end of the spectrum are those artists that claim forms are too rigid and do not mimic the chaotic nature of a real fight. The techniques are too exaggerated and one cannot fight like that. The artist should practice his/her techniques as they would if they were in a real fight. The technique should be smooth and in coherent combinations, natural to the fighter’s own timing and rhythm. This group advocates shadowboxing over forms.

I believe that they are two sides to the same coin, but that is my opinion. In order to gain a better understanding we must dig deeper into both and find what jewels they hold to building a competent martial artist. First to define terms, what is shadowboxing and what are forms? For the sake of ease I will refer to all forms as kata. This by no means limits the study to Japanese and Okinawan styles.

What is shadowboxing? Shadowboxing is a type of training in the combat arts where the practitioner imagines fighting with an opponent and utilizes all of his techniques to attack him and defend against him. The techniques are thrown into the air. There is no impact of any kind with any piece of training equipment. The fighter practices footwork, evasions, punches and blocks, kicks and parries, as well as clinching and grappling maneuvers.

What are forms? Forms are a type of training in classical combat arts where the practitioner imagines fighting an opponent, the main difference from shadowboxing being all of the techniques are predetermined. Every punch, kick, stance, block, and movement is choreographed into a sequence. Those sequences are chained end to end and that chain comprises a form.

The defining factor between the two is past and present. Forms are of the past. Classical stylists aim to recreate a fight or use techniques that won the day. They are confident in those techniques because they have survived the test of time. Remember that the losers don’t write history. Shadow boxers are in the here and now. Their fight is active in their minds and unfolding in front of them with every snap of a punch and every thrust of a kick.

What are the pros and cons of these two types of training? The pros of shadowboxing: The stylist is free of limitation. All techniques are permitted. They can find their own style and rhythm, gaining confidence and familiarity rather quickly. There is really no wrong way to shadowbox there are only better ways. In time the student becomes reactive and responsive having practiced defending against all manner of attack. The cons of shadowboxing: Because there is really no wrong way to shadowbox it is quite easy for new practitioners to ingrain bad habits into their training. The boxer is free in many regards but they are limited by their own imagination. This is a double edged sword. Where one stylist may be grounded in reality another’s ideas may fall into the fantastic. This is especially dangerous in a world where newer martial artists are heavily influenced by television and movies. It is very easy for a practitioner to get into a grove and only train the techniques they can do well. So the risk of stagnation is ever present. The pros of kata: It begins the student with form and structure. A solid foundation is built upon tried and tested techniques. The student is forced to see into the past and interpret the mind of the master. This gives the student the opportunity to grasp greater depth with the techniques he is practicing. There will be techniques the student likes and excels at and those that he does not, however, he will have to train them equally thereby pushing him to gain skill beyond what his imagination and natural talent would have taken him. It gives the student clearer responses to attacks. Each form comes with its own techniques, tactics, and overall strategy. The cons of kata: It is quite easy for the student to engage only with the form and have no understanding as to the meaning of its movements. In essence he is just dancing and not ever fighting. Often times the student can become bored with the material and frustrated, then he will disengage and be wasting his time. He always runs the risk of misinterpreting parts of the form and training to misuse its techniques. I can use an axe to drive nails but a hammer is much more effective. As with shadowboxing the applications of the techniques are limited by the practitioner’s imagination and can become unrealistic. The form is limiting. Techniques may not be added in or taken out at the student’s leisure.

As you can see there are pluses and minuses to both training techniques. What is the “X” factor? What element is it that draws them apart from one another and how can we bridge that gap? Well it is the modest opinion of this humble martial artist that has done extensive work in both shadowboxing and forms training, that in order to be complete the student needs them both. What sets them apart is structure versus chaos, the rigid form versus the random flow. Fights are random events. They are highly dynamic and very fluid. Anything can happen in a fight. In order to survive we need to learn to adapt very quickly. This is like shadowboxing, random and chaotic. But if an artist is to adapt, what is it he has to adapt. He must first have the box if he is ever going to think outside of it.

An artist needs both form and random function. Both are equally important but the focus on one over the other happens at different stages. The student must start with form and structure. Then move to the random self-built sequences of his own making. He must be allowed to get up to speed and gain some control before the breaks are removed.

Now get up and shadow box or get up and do some kata. Go now and train.