Shodan Essay: Mi Kata

Of all the essays I have written, this one felt the most like an "essay". The main reason for this is that it is the only essay my teacher has even asked me to write. At the Seikokan dojo, part of any black belt test is an essay on a principle of budo that has been studied in our Kneshu classes. So this one has a different flavour, but still goes in the same direction.

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Mi Kata is a part of budo philosophy that focuses on the relative nature of one’s own point of view. If our understanding is to grow, our perspective can not remain fixed.

In Aikido, Mi Kata manifests itself in a number of ways. Primarily, Mi Kata reminds me that my own understanding is limited and different from the viewpoint of others. Recognizing the relative nature of my own point of view helps me to avoid becoming arrogant or conceited about what I do understand about Aikido. Remembering that there are other points of view helps to remind me that there is always more to learn and more angles to study.

Focus on Mi Kata also helps when one has trouble with a particular technique or basic movement. A solution, or at least a better understanding of what is happening in the movement, may come from looking at Uke or Shite from a different physical angle, or perhaps from isolating the hand or foot movements in order to better perceive their role.

Mi Kata also becomes evident as we train with a variety of people. The same technique may manifest in different ways when applied to an Uke who is short or tall, light or heavy, pliable or stiff. In studying the relation of these factors to each technique, we can better see what core principles run through them all.

My profession also provides ample opportunity to study Mi Kata. When a new teacher enters the school, they often have a very limited perspective on what they are doing. Many teachers come to the job having been outstanding students themselves. They tend to have enjoyed school and genuinely love the subject material that they studied and now intend to teach. If the first classes on their schedule are advanced, they encounter students who share their enthusiasm for school and the subject matter. I have watched many of these teachers become stressed out and dumbfounded when presented with a basic level class full of students who are often either less interested in school as a whole, or less gifted academically.

A very painful lesson is taught in these situations, and not to the students. The teacher, enthused and eager to teach their subject, eventually comes to the grinding, fundamental realization that they are a teacher of students, not topics. The goal is not to simply explain how World War I started or why Tybalt wanted to kill Romeo. The task is to find out how the students learn best. The goal is not to discover the missing angle of a triangle, but to discover how to engage and interest the student in what they are doing. Mi Kata provides the pathway. By recognizing that there are different ways to both teach and to understand, the teacher can better guide the student.

Mi Kata seems very closely related to Shoshin. In the mind of the beginner, everything is fresh, active and alive. When Mi Kata is present, the mind of the practitioner remains keen and open.