What's up with the martial arts?

[mattr]

BINGO!!! EXACTLY!!! SOMEBODY GETS IT.

You're in England. Look up Iain Abernethy. Tell him DerAuslander sent you.

I've seen one of his DVDs in which he tries to make sense of Kata by demonstrating practical techniques from each kata in a sort of one-step sparring scenario. Some of the techniques are very tenuosly linked to the Kata!

The Bunkai officionados try desperately to give virtue to their Kata. But, after watching the Abernethy DVD, I just felt that in trying to make sense of his Kata he inadvertently put forth a better way of training the techniques! He managed to convince me that Kata was pointless!!

[mean_liar]

Then you're easily impressed.

[DerAuslander]

I've seen one of his DVDs in which he tries to make sense of Kata by demonstrating practical techniques from each kata in a sort of one-step sparring scenario. Some of the techniques are very tenuosly linked to the Kata!

The Bunkai officionados try desperately to give virtue to their Kata. But, after watching the Abernethy DVD, I just felt that in trying to make sense of his Kata he inadvertently put forth a better way of training the techniques! He managed to convince me that Kata was pointless!!

Kinda the point. Keep it around for historical reasons. Take what's there and train it alive.