Form follows function – or should it?

Karate kata and questionable models of thinking.

In the analysis of kata, I have often come across this trope of ‘form should follow function’; but does it stand up to scrutiny when applied to martial arts kata?

The idea is that if the function of a kata move is not immediately apparent, then it should be dismissed as useless. Either that, or suffer a ‘meaning’ imposed upon it through the mechanism of ‘reverse engineering’¹ This is, to invent a function through guesswork.

The real origin of the phrase.

The root of this phrase comes from architecture; specifically originating from the American architect Louis Henry Sullivan (1856 – 1924).  Sullivan believed that the design of buildings should first and foremost be about the actual functionality of the structure and only secondarily should there be any consideration about the appearance (form) of the whole edifice.

Interestingly it was Sullivan’s much more famous superstar student Frank Lloyd Wright (1867 – 1959) who revised the mantra and said, “Form follows function—that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union”. To my mind, Frank Lloyd Wright is an underappreciated genius, almost existing on another plane in comparison to other architects. (The header image at the top of this post is FLW’s interior of super impressive, wonderfully functional, Guggenheim Museum, New York).

But how does this apply to kata?

Kata and ‘form and function’.

Is it possible to apply rules that work in architecture to martial arts kata?

What is really being talked about here is rules of good design, but what works for the design of material ‘stuff’ may not work for teaching methodologies – because kata is a teaching methodology.

If that methodology is used for mass-produced simple outcome products, an example from teaching might be; rote learning, or parroting as you might have found in a Victorian schoolroom, then maybe the same logic could apply.

Here I come back to my distinction between ‘complicated’ and ‘complex’ again (an ocean-going yacht is ‘complicated’, but the ocean is ‘complex’). But even with a complicated martial art system the ‘form follows function’ idea would struggle to produce something meaningful. And then there is ‘COMPLEX’, phew, where to even start on that one?

Here is a link my previous piece on this theme: https://wadoryu.org.uk/2020/01/29/is-your-martial-art-complicated-or-complex/

Thought experiment.

I’ve often thought about this one; what if you were to design a martial arts system from scratch? How would you do it? What would it look like?

But, if you wanted to take it back to the purest level, you’d have to ignore all the previous systems, very much in a ‘boiling everything down to first principles’ way.

First of all you’d have to be really clear about what you want; your constraints and considerations might be:

·       Time constraints – how long do you have to produce the ideal product you are aiming for?

·       Are you prepared to weather attrition rates? If so, how many people would it be acceptable to allow to fall by the wayside?

·       Quality control of your raw materials. Would you be prepared to screen out those who would be unlikely to make it?

·       Would you be prepared to include weapons? (For the sake of simplicity, let’s say bladed weapons).

With those four alone, it starts to look like a product more suitable to a military rather than a civilian martial system. And would anything that looks and works like kata be included in the system?

Let me return to the idea that some people like to propose; that in kata form should follow function. Are there examples where form and function don’t seem to match up?

Function disguised within form.

A couple of examples spring to mind, both relating to what from the outside look like dance forms.

Capoeira.

A Brazilian dance-like martial art, performed to drums and other instruments, said to have originated as a way for unarmed slaves to defend themselves. As it was banned by the authorities its secrets and methods were hidden within dance moves.

Okinawan ‘Ti’ within folk dance.

The forerunner to Okinawan karate was known primarily as ‘Ti’ or ‘Te’. In its various forms it was practiced at all levels of society. Some experts claim that Okinawan folk dances contain secret ‘Ti’ moves within their forms.

Both of the above have elements of secrecy threaded into their backstory. With a refined eye it is possible to see the actual combat application within the practice of these moves – the most obvious example being Capoeira. Clearly, the reason they are done in this way is to package the product to pass on the skills. It is a design that works in the environment it exists in.

Mr Miyagi and the ‘karate kid’.

Everybody knew what Mr Miyagi was doing when he taught Daniel-San to ‘wax on, wax off’, except Daniel of course, who took far too long for the penny to drop. The cunning old man was teaching Daniel mawashi uke while getting his vintage car waxed, also painting his fence and other chores, sneakily and surreptitiously giving the young guy skills in karate built up by repetition.

Daniel had to have a mind shift to figure it out. He would need to reframe his way of thinking and trust the infinitely more experienced Mr Miyagi. And so he had to ditch the model of what karate was supposed to look like. For all it’s ‘teen movie’ essence, there was a lot of wisdom in that first film.

Other models of kata.

Staying with Japanese martial arts kata; there are examples from older traditions either performed solo or paired, that, to an outsider would look completely bonkers.

If your mindset is fixed on the idea that a martial arts kata should look like a fight, some of these would just blow your mind. Yet, the wonderful contradiction is that they were created in an environment centuries earlier where practical fighting skills were a matter of life or death. If they were useless or ineffective surely Darwinian evolution would have wiped them out? But no - these were said to contain the tools that real fighters needed if they wanted to elevate their skills.

The one example I will give, is not a solo kata, but a paired kata. I use this one because, at first glance, without a narrative to explain it the two practitioners look less like fighters and more like dancers, it’s just nuts.

Source of image courtesy of, Kodokan Judo Institute.

But, look deeper, figure out the messages contained within the contact (or lack of contact) between the performers.

This is the Itsustsu no Kata, five two-person forms found in Kodokan Judo. The mythology originally suggested that these were made up by the founder of modern judo Kano Jigoro, but actually they were from the much older Tenjin Shinyo Ryu Jujutsu (founded as a distinct entity in the 1830’s but having roots that go way back). In Tenjin Shinyo Ryu there are ten of these kata, Kano adopted and adapted what he needed for modern judo.

These and other examples from the Koryu (lit’ ‘Old Schools’) are taken very seriously and it amuses me endlessly to think how the appearance of these forms are about as far as you can get from the ‘Form should follow Function’ idea that is endlessly trotted out to justify all kinds of ‘modern’ karate interpretations of kata.

Conclusion.

To round it all off; if you said to me, ‘form should follow function’, I would reply, ‘it depends what you mean’. Should it be immediately apparent to anyone’s eye, trained or untrained, that the designer had stuck assiduously and perfectly to the letter of the law? I don’t think so.

Supposing that the function is fulfilled in a way that is less of a banner headline, but instead operates at a different level, as a seamless, almost effortless living entity, it’s pitched at a higher operational plane. The architectural equivalent of this might be the difference between a warehouse and the Guggenheim Museum. Anyone who knows anything about the Guggenheim knows that its success doesn’t come from the fact that it looks pretty (although it does). Follow this link and you will see what I mean: https://www.guggenheim.org/teaching-materials/the-architecture-of-the-solomon-r-guggenheim-museum/form-follows-function

Function has to be at the heart of kata but I find it impossible to buy into the idea that crude mechanics will deliver a highly efficient end result that can operate in a world of complexity, such as that found in the flow of combat.

There is another option, a rather minimalistic Zen-type answer to the problem.

One technique, a single, well-delivered punch in the face – job done.

Photo of Guggenheim Museum New York by David Emrich on Unsplash

1. ‘Reverse engineering’, or, ‘Backwards engineering’, definition; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_engineering