Creating own kata for competitions?

Question

Has anyone here ever created their own kata (weapons preferably) for competition before?

If so, how did you go about dong things such as choosing music (if you did a musical kata), sequencing of techniques and acrobatic skills?

Then obviously, putting it all together for an effective performance.

Answer 1

Yes and many competitors on the national circuit have katas that are just that especially in the black-belt open, musical or under-belt musical and open divisions.  They are created or choreographed to showcase that person's best skills and abilities and at the same time follow and make some kind of logical sense as to what you are doing with the techniques and moves of that type or style of martial art.  At the same time you want to sequence your moves so that you can go from one move to the next without being rushed and missing the beat or having to not complete a technique completely.

For musical katas you want to pick the music first.  Your kata or the moves in it should be with the beat of the music and the highs in the music should be in synch with the highs in your kata.  Most traditional katas when done properly don't lend themselves to this.  If you are a fast martial artist you can pick something with a little faster beat.  Jump spinning kicks are an excellent way to accentuate a high point in the music but if you can't do them then you might have a problem using those kind of techniques.  One of my students who was a NASKA national champion used a song from "Victory At Sea" as he had excellent stances, good power, fair speed, but no jump kicking or gymnastics ability.

Answer 2

personal kata is compulsory in some styles when you get to a certain rank,its important as it shows how you interpret kata yourself.if one of my students attempted to add music to kata they would be straight out off my class,its martial arts not dancing.

Answer 3

Kata is the wrong word here.

It's just moves.

In a form competition, there usually sets of forms competitor has to perform and there will be creativity one too.

If you want to perform a musical moves it's up to you depends on the competition rules of course.

But kata has enough bad conotation from people with no understanding of what it is without adding to the perception that kata is 'just' a set of moves for the sake of flashy performance.

Answer 4

In contemporary wushu there are compulsory forms  and there is the creativity of the martial artist.

Taolu forms are similar to gymnastics and involve martial art patterns and maneuvers for which competitors are judged and given points according to specific rules. The forms comprise basic movements (stances, kicks, punches, balances, jumps, sweeps and throws) based on aggregate categories traditional Chinese martial art style and can be changed for competitions to highlight one's strengths. Competitive forms have time limits that can range from 1 minute, 20 seconds for the some external styles to over five minutes for internal styles. Modern wushu competitors are increasingly training in aerial techniques such as 540 and 720 degree jumps and kicks to add more difficulty and style to their forms.[3]

Sanda is Sanda...fighting is fighting.

Karate may not be so creative but I have seen people put some neat individual expression into compulsory forms.