Monday, July 10, 2006

Kata Bookset

Bookset might be my favorite kata. It's dramatic, doesn't require great kicks or dexterity and has alot of interesting moves and details. There are four videos here: one of an elegant third degree black belt...check out how amazing she is....then, there's an instructional performance by Mr Vince where he talks you through the steps slowly and explaining the details, then  one of me as a green belt (please note, that was a long time ago, I'm better now but people keep asking why there aren't any videos of me so I put that one up), ....And a final one in which Kathy performs. There's also a photo of a good horse stance.
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Jennifer M making it look elegant and easy!


Taisho -Kata
When you bow, you also bend the knees slightly.

Others - Kata, showing right fist by rotating it up in front of the chest (like its a weapon)
Taisho - Bookset
Others - Bookset, covering right fist with left open hand (as if we were covering the weapon), turning it forward and down, bowing, aheasa

Mr. Vince explaining each and every move!




the end of the bow, the two hands are pulled back to the right side with the right handle in chamber and the left hand resting on it. The hands are in the catstance position (but the legs are together slightly bent at the knees.




Look left, karate chop to the left, tia
Pull left hand back to your side putting the hand in a claw-like posture (kewsal? quesqu? - I'm looking for info on the name and significance of this hand position) and then with slow tension push it forward saying "ehhhhh" as you go.

Then, punch forward with right pulling left back into chamber, tia, look right, karate chop right, tia, then putting the hand into claw, pull it back to your side and push it forward saying "ehhhhh" as you go.



punch forward left, pulling right into chamber
punch forward right, pulling left into chamber
right backfist forward, aheasa

Pull your hands into chamber.
Work your feet from together to at least shoulder length apart by doing a toe,heal, toe

double hands down and cross (X block down - crossing hands in front of groin with hands like karate chops) - tia
Xblock up - tia
bring hands down to chest level keeping them close to the body, then double chop spreading arms wide - tia
with slow tension pull then in, then forward, pull right hand down into chamber.

Heres three punches forward as follows:
look forward up, punch forward and up with right
look forward, punch forward with left,
look forward down, punch down with right, aheasa

Here's two odd slow tension hand movements forward with steps and punches as follows:
look forward, step forward with left leg into horsestance pull right hand back to chamber, put left hand into kewsal claw position placing it on the right side of your neck, swing your left hand forward to where its way in front of you, pull it back to chamber punching with your right, shifting into hard bow forward (back leg straight, front leg bent)

then, put your left hand in knife hand position reaching under your right arm pit. Step forward with the right foot with the right foot pointed out to the right while bringing your left knife hand forward and pulling your right into chamber. Step forward with left into horse stance, then shift to hardbow while punching again with the right and pulling left back into chamber.

step back with the right left foot into a sideways-facing horsestanc e while striking forward with the right elbow (hitting it onto your open left hand)

step up to feet together while still facing left with the body but looking forward and chopping forward with with the right.

side kick forward, left punch forward falling into left knee down, right knee up.

Step back into horsestance with the right foot back with a left downward block - tia
Then punch right.

Repeat other way: Step back into horsestance with the left foot back with a right downward block - tia
then punch left



catstance but with legs together and right hand ontop of left in chamber
rolling back fist to the right with the right
punch with left hand to right pulling left into chamber

small adjustment step back with the left foot as you chop forward with the left shifting to a hardbow right

punch forward right (hardbow to the left)
punch forward left (hardbow to the right)
kick with the left leg finishing in a dramatic hard bow to the left with the right punch forward. pause.

push off your bent left leg for a big circle set to the right

hand in fist, bow, double punch forward into position stepping leg into shoulder width apart.

11 comments:

Kath said...

Any chance you could finish this? Or is this as far as it goes in Florida? You've stopped just at the spot where I have trouble.

By the way, do you use the term (unsure of spelling) Kew-sal for what this blog entry calls claw hand?

It's kind of fun to see the differences between how you do things in Florida and how we do them in New York. Little details, really, fun to see in action.

Thanks for keeping this blog! Good luck in cycle!

BBat50 said...

Kathy - I had forgotten that this was unfinished. This is a particularly hard one to write, although it's my favorite, since I have no words for the two moves in the middle. Thanks for the kew-sal term, I'll work it in. I still don't have a great video of it either. Do you?

Anonymous said...

Do you know what belt level you learn this on? Right now I'm purple belt (juniors) and I've never seen this kata.

BBat50 said...

Bookset is one of the katas in the blue to brown belt area. I think it varies. The system seems to be:
-------------------
Beginner
White - white belt appreciation form
Yellow - Short One
Orange - Long One
--------------------
Intermediate Class
Purple, Blue, Green -
Short Two, XMA Form One, Bookset, Three Set Kumatai
-----------------------
Advanced
Brown, Red, High Red
Short Three, XMA Form Two, Kama Set, Chuck Form One, Chuck Form Two,
----------------------
BlackBelt
American Bo Form
More cool stuff

BBat50 said...

Can anyone help by providing me with the name for the hand position that we use in the kata?
It's when you push forward with your hand in a sort of claw.

Description: The index finger is straight, the thumb is extended but bent at the knuckle, and the other three fingers are straight but bent at the knuckle. The hand is tense.

What is the name for this term and what does it represent?

Is it kewsahl, kewsa, kewsal, queue sah, or cue sahl?

I probably should ask sensei but somehow, its just too geeky a question even for me to like asking.

Anonymous said...

great site for helping us with the kata's. my son is 7, a brown belt, he learned the bookset as a green belt.

Anonymous said...

Keep up the great work. Boy has Master LaVallee changed the Katas since the 90's. I learned his system before he moved to Flordia and so I still do the old katas. Etc... Still do Mass Attacks.

Anonymous said...

Great Job on your Black Belt. Master LaVallee sure has changed his system since the 90's. My teacher got his system from LaVallee when he was still in New York. We still do all the old stuff the old way. Short Three Bookset, Mass Attacks before he shortend them. We added 15 more Holds and Grabs in the Parker set and names. This is not ment to be judgement just observation. Keep up the great work.

Unknown said...

We have always simply called those pushing strikes "palm heel strikes." I am unaware of any such name as "kewsal" or anything like that, but, we only use American/English terminology.

Unknown said...

Do you have any videos of traditional bookset?

Anonymous said...

You don't happen to know traditional bookset do you?