There is not room on the board to list all the values of the Taikyoku kata. I still start every kata practice session with one or more of them.
Firstly, they are, as you ahve observsed, a good reinforcement of ido-kihon.This question can be answered in part by the general discussion of what kata training offers a karateka...from previosu posts, I can guess that at least two (?dozen) of my colleagues on teh Board will want to chip in about that...
So - I am not the romantic who thinks that you can prepare for the world tournament by practising your kata alone in the mountains...Sorry.
However, any kata teaches you the following things:'
Mental focus
Visualisation
speed
focus
Accuracy
turns
Breath control
timing
"presence" - the "don't mess with me"thing that black-belts have...and that's just off the top of my head, first thing in the morning...
Now specifically to Taikyoku-s yes, they are basic, and they feel clumsy and artificial, especially if you have come from a freestyle background. But they are the scaffolding upon which we hang so much other work.
Firstly - the deep zenkutsu dachis give you really strong legs and flexible calves. If you can explode out of zenkutsu dachi, when you shorten into fighting stance, you will be lightning quick.
Secondly - the punching and blocking movements associated with turns are a chance to learn to explore the concept of "tame" - pooled energy. If you store the momentum of the turn in your hips by keeping them pointing away from the turn, then at the last minute throw power and speed into flicking your hips through, you will have the same phenomenon that makes a whip crack...stored energy, accelerating at the last minute. Of all the things taikyoku taught me, this was the most valuable, and I only really "got it" at about brown-belt level.
Hmmm- then there is the beginnign steps of identifying Bunkai - looks to me based on early postings that Supergroup7 is going to be a Bunkai magnet, so keep an eye out for those posts.
So, perservere. they seem simple. They are not.
