What is your view of kata?

Question

what does your style/sensei say it is?

Answer 1

I don't like it.

I think there are better ways to teach

I think there are better ways to learn

I think there are better ways to keep a record of the moves within an art

I think people persist with it because that is the way it has always been done. It was the way it was taught to them by their instructor and taught to them by their instructor etc. and they knew more than me so who am I to change it. Times change but martial arts tries to stay insulated from it, or at least lags a bit behind/has a mistrust of modern techniques.

Answer 2

Kata and forms have several different purposes and they are slightly different from one to the next and from style to style. Some are to develop specific attributes, such as leg strength or agility. Some are purely and simply designed to work technique and movement together. Some are very multi purposed and teach many different things at one time. It cracks me up all the people who bash kata and forms all to pieces and then will do complex drills over and over with out ever realizing that they are really just doing a short kata or form. Really the same thing in my book and I know that kata are harder to remember because many are fairly long, but that is also where martial arts discipline comes into play.

I think kata/ forms are layed out by masters to be used as a tool to pass down information to the generations to follow and should be viewed as everything else, as a learning opportunity. I also don't think that there is such a thing as only 1 right interpretation to a move or sequence of moves in and kata/ form. Look at them from all angles and you could find a new little nugget of knowledge you never expected.

Answer 3

Kata are a useful exercise.  They do teach techniques too dangerous for sparring.  They can be very meditative and destressing.  They are great exercise and are the artistic expression of the art.

All that being said, and I do love and find much value in kata, the only way to truly learn to fight or defend yourself is through alot of hard free style (not point) sparring.  Hopefully the kumite will also include multi-attacker scenarious as well as ground defense.

Answer 4

my "teacher's" opinion of forms and kata is similar to my own, thats one of the reasons I study with him.

what little value kata may hold, can be done another, more efficient way-

now I'm not talking about EVERY kata, there are "two man, compliant" drills in various arts that can be considered and might be nammed "kata" which a beginning student learns in order to get a grasp on the moves.

I'm talking the "solo drills" done in pre-arranged formats that are basically memorization.

proponents will tell you that it teaches you to flow into different moves, you know what? is that really the most efficient way? or is drilling with a partner or performing strict combinations one might actually, realistically use more efficient?

the main problem every legitimate practitioner will point out with kata is that it doesn't teach you application.  when practicing combos against a partner (who could be practicing defence at the same time in the same drill), you are practicing proper form, AND application.

will doing one roundhouse kick as part of a 20 move set really help you perfect your roundhouse kick? or will delivering 100 of them against a heavy bag a partner or open air be more efficient?

Answer 5

Kata is my Sensei.

I obey kata and kata secures my safety and well being.

Kata teaches me how to move and how to deflect, how to absorb and how to release, how to sink and how to rise...

It teaches me how to redirect energy and how to control it.

Kata makes my blood run through me as it teaches me how to breath. It brings oxygen to my organs and strength to my hands and feet, elbows and knees...

It is the life of my art.

Without it I have no art.

It is the source of my ability to protect my life and the lives of those I love.

My kata has all the answers.

What do I do when someone attacks me? NOTHING!!! My kata will handle it.

I don't have to call it to come and help me... It does so without my asking and without even my knowledge of it.

If I need to know where the pressure points are... I just do my kata.

How do I throw someone? My kata knows.

Joint locking? I go to my Sensei - my kata!

I cannot be separated from the benefits of my kata as it is my nature now.

My kata lives in me and I live in my kata.

Kata is the bible of Okinawan martial arts.

It is the laws that govern my safety and well being.

The names of the kata help me understand them on an even deeper level.

The events that lead to the development of my kata makes them even more appealing to me.

The people who created these kata were upright, outstanding individuals.

I hope to one day be like them.

(when I see the amount of years that some folks dedicate to MA and look at the content of their answers, I thank God for my Teachers)

Answer 6

Hated it!  thought I would never use it in a real fight! Thought it was a waste of time learning something that I would never use!

Now love it, I see it as a way of exercising when I am on my own, like it, love it, looking forward to teaching it, yes I really am a convert, suppose there will be more technical answers but mines comes from my own experience (short though that maybe)

Answer 7

You all know my views on kata and quite honestly I just wanted to tell everyone excellent answers, even Bluo whom I disagree with.

At least he presents an intelligent argument, unlike so many people on here that say kata has no value.

Answer 8

If we're speaking solely about kata, then they're a set of movements which are used to train exaggerated movements and principles. Kata force you, when done properly, to over-execute your movements. No one on earth fights using kata -- if they think they do, then the men in white coats will be here soon. They teach you how to use your body so that, when the time comes, you are able to do it more naturally. They also can teach distance, timing, and angle far better than waza. However, kata are not sufficient.

In doing waza, you feel the pull and push of another person's body weight, the form is less severe, and the technique takes on more life. However, not everything can be taught in waza, either. Form tends to take a back seat to necessity -- what do I have to do to make my ADT (angle/distance/timing) work against this particular opponent?

In both cases, you're training wrong to fight correctly. You train your muscles to withstand certain abuses, train your body to move properly without thinking... Kata and waza have their place. Otherwise, how do teachers correct form without pressure?

Answer 9

Kata maybe the most valuable part of karate but without proper explanation and practice with a partner it loses half of its intended value. Okinawan kata are comprised of limited body mechanics, timing, focus, and fighting application. You can learn how to move, you can learn to focus but without proper explanation of kata's fighting techniques and if you never practice with a partner you can't learn kata's "whole" and intended value. I have seen schools that never practice applying kata moves in a real situation. What good is that? 50% of what was meant to be done? No application of moves gives kata a bad name.

There is a lot of pressure point fighting in kata but if you only limit yourself to that aspect again you miss some of the intended training. Kata takes one thing that we all don't have in abundance, an large imagination that can consider fighting possibilities but within a fixed frame work. We have to think inside the box and inherently we all don't like to be told what to do but kata does tell you what to do if you are willing to work at it with your imagination and most importantly, with a partner.

How else could you pass on knowledge of a system? Without kata you would have a never ending list of techniques for this or that.

Kata is conceptual and as long as humans fight humans kata's concepts will always apply.  

Answer 10

Kata is the history of my art.

The union of mind, body, and spirit through its practice.

Kata are the physical definitions of concepts.

Kata are the tools for learning about body mechanics.

I know that there's more within each statement I've made, but there's enough information there to write a book and I shall not write it all as you understand and it would be redundant.

- I like that "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face".

Answer 11

kata is the essence of karate. and many other arts. it has its purposes...most people who are kata naysayers simply dont understand it.

kata are prearranged forms consisting of self defense techniques designed as "initial responses" to sudden, unexpected attacks. it is not a long prearranged fight sequence!

they also teach principles of basic movement, angle, distance, and direction. its a toolbox...when i have a job to do and i need a tool...i go to my toolbox. its the research center of karate.

i think kata ...at its core...is indeed for hand technique range...or even closer, hand, and into trapping/clinch range. but the principles can appy to any range. but this (clinch/hand) range is where karate is designed to shine.

i dont consider karate a striking art, nor a throwing art, or a locking art...but a "do whatever i have to do" art.

having said that...is kata a necessity? absolutely not. but it DOES work, and it DOES serve its purpose. which is NOT to teach you how to fight...or spar.

i think kata, is 1/3 of the overall picture of what karate should be.

1 kihon (basics)

2 kata (forms)

3 kumite (sparring/fighting)

people say "id never use that in a real fight" just confirms my point ...they simpley have NO IDEA what kata is, or what it's supposed to TEACH.

but if i had to give a one sentence answer honestly it would be..

kata is the single most misunderstood aspect of martial arts.

Answer 12

Kata, within many of the Oriental Martial Arts is also considered a path to true enlightenment, and can also be a form of "moving meditation" called Dozen (pronounced Doh Zen).

There are those who adamantly deny the value of Kata, claiming that it is neither meaningful nor effective for developing fighting skills, either point or self-defense. For the utilitarian-minded, Kata does not seem pragmatic enough. Seeking a direct and simplistic application of Kata to fighting, they cannot see what is `hidden` in Kata, and thus they consider it useful only for competition.

Kata are sequences of predetermined fighting actions that help the student understand the body movements required to be able to correctly perform a technique or series of techniques. Kata is not designed to be a fighting system in it's own right, but practise for the real thing.

There are many types of Kata, and Kata is very common throughout the Martial Arts. Kata are sometimes referred to as "Patterns" or "Forms".

Kata is rather like the training that a boxer does, for instance, to perfect the power and delivery of a punch. By practising a particular punch, at first slowly, and then faster to full speed and repeating the action over and over, the boxer gets the benefit of "muscle memory" i.e. the ability to carry out a sequence of movements without conscious thought.

Traditionally, Kata is also a way for the knowledge of the school of martial arts to ensure that the body of knowledge is passed down the generations. By ensuring that Kata are performed in the same manner, and with the same moves, the knowledge is preserved and not dissipated. It is very important that the Kata are not changed, or each Kata will become distant from the original, and lessons within the original Kata are lost. Most Kata are quite old and are handed down from the original schools of martial arts.

Kata help the student to develop the many basic skills into more complex techniques by reinforcing the movements to perfect strikes, blocks, kicks, throws and locks.  

Answer 13

Kata is a vital aspect of your martial arts training.

1.) For example, the Koei-Kan system of Karate stresses Kata:

http://Koei-Kan.com/koeikankarate.aspx

2.) Another example is how Kodokan Judo stresses Kata:

http://www.judoinfo.com/kata.htm

http://judoforum.com/index.php?showforum...

3.) Further, in Jiu-Jitsu, some techniques are just too dangerous to use in free practice (real swords; eye jabs, etc.) and must be practiced in Kata:

http://www.judoinfo.com/tomiki2.htm

Answer 14

Kata is the text book of your art. Kata is a way of fighting with no opponent as in shadow boxing. It is a way to build  muscle memory. It is a way to exercise. It is a way to meditate. Kata contains the distillate of the centuries of learning of your predecessors.

My personal belief is Kata once learned traditionally can be and should be flexible. Kata is not a replacement for training with an actual opponent and realistic practice.

Answer 15

I teach it first and foremost as a method of self-discipline training.  Nothing develops discipline more than doing something you don't think is necessary.

Secondly, forms (poomse for me) are the art within the art, a language of motion, and each one tells a story.  The students that have the most problems with learning my art most often have problems translating motion into language in forms.