Closing The Distance

My guest today is Iain Abernethy, a well-known expert on practical karate training and kata application, and an advocate of traditional martial arts practice.In this episode, Iain presents his own view of kata as a process of 4 inextricable stages:1. Solo Practice2. Functional Application3. Principle-based Partner Practice4. Live Partner Practice or "Kata-based" SparringWhile most other traditional martial artists view kata as a solo exercise that must be translated into practical techniques, Iain sees solo practice, application, and sparring as all one and the same process entailed by the kata system.Iain also explains what "kata-based sparring" is, why he hates one step sparring, and the necessity of bringing modern training methods into traditional martial arts practice.No matter who you are, this episode is simmering over with interesting and helpful discussion. So if you're excited to dive in, hit the subscribe button on your podcatcher now!---Join the Combat Learning Newsletter now: combatlearning.com/n