What is the purpose of that black mask which blindfolds falcons?

Answer 1

It is called a Hood. It is used in the same way as blinkers on a horse. It stops them seeing anything that will upset or exite them. The hood completly covers the head of the bird apart from the beak and only touches around the neak and the skin around the beak.
Hoods are handy because when you are hunting you can choose what the bird flys at. eg you may see a group of pigeons and not want to hunt them because they flush too early and your falcon will not be able to catch them and end up wasting time flying round casing them about. so you can keep the bird hooded untill you find better game.
Hoods are also used to keep birds calm, for example, we have a hawk that is afraid of bikes, prams and wheel chairs. so if we are out hunting and he someones rides past on a bike he gets scared, flaps around or flys away and gets all worked up and stressed and in the end ruins the hunting day, where as if we see the cyclist coming we can pop the hood on the hawk, he doesn't see the bike and there is no problems.
Falcons are traditionally transported of a cadge, this is a type of box with just the four sides, no top and bottom, and a falcon is teatherd to each of the four sides and someone will carry the cadge around the hunting land without the need for four falconers carrying a bird each. The reason we use the hood in this situation is so the birds don't see each other. Birds of prey will attack and kill each other given half a chance, and because they are sat so close it saves any fatalitiys. It also stops the other birds getting excited when one of the other falcons are flying.
It has been scientifically tested that a scared birds heart rate slows when a hood is put on, this includes wild birds.

Answer 2

On a basic level, kata contains the catalog of techniques in a given system. The main disconnect is that the vast majority can't adequately explain what those techniques really are. As a result, many students are taught that such-and-such a move is a block, when that was not the original intention, for example. On another level, kata can be great forms of exercise. The tempo is similar to that of a real fight, with lots of movement throughout. If you keep up the intensity, it's one step closer to preparing for a self-defense situation. I think that kata can be a great training tool if used correctly. That being said, I have never trained kata in a way that I felt was ideal, though I've seen other teachers do a much better job of making kata training realistic.

Answer 3

Blindfolding a hawk or falcon with a hood calms it by making it think it is night. This reduces the risk of impetuous behaviour.

Hope that answers your question.
=]

Answer 4

To prevent them flying away before the appointed time and to prevent them seeing a prey you had not intended they pursue.

Answer 5

It keeps them calm and less likely to freak out.

Answer 6

If they can't see what's going on around them, they're more calm. You try holding a freaked out raptor. ;)