matt71

Thank you both for answering my question. Sensei8, I went to Youtube to look up and see if there was any mention of kata and application and I see that there is in self defense situations. The practice is referred to as bunkai. Thinking about it, I remember just starting to learn that with the first kata in Shotokan called Heian Shodan. So as you mentioned, there are several applications of the moves in kata and some are not obvious. JohnnyB, I wasn't in Shotokan for very long but learned some basic background about Master Funakoshi but didn't know about his precepts. I'll look into a book to study more on his precepts and philosophy. Thank you both for answering my questions and helping me to understand. So, kata is not so different then the original movie Karate Kid. There was Daniel doing chores-wax on wax off, sanding the floor and painting the fence. In essence it was kata. He didn't know the application but he did it so much that it stuck and then when he was shown exactly how to use these moves, it was a moment of enlightenment due to the surprise that he was learning how to defend himself without even knowing it.

I have a question about Karate in general that I washoping someone with some experience could answer for me. When I was a teenager, I took Shotokan Karate for a short time. I didn't understand how the moves used in kata could be used in a real fight. Even when we sparred, all of the moves we learned were not fast enough if executed the same way as they are in kata. We never brought a hand back to our waist when punching or blocking when we sparred. Even the black belts wouldn't do that simply because it would leave them open to another punch or kick. And stances weren't used either. Both fighters would stand straight up and stay that way.Why train that way in kata when it's not used in sparring or fighting? I understand that more power is generated by pulling one hand back when hitting or blocking, but if it was meant to use in an actual fighting situation I've never seen it. It just does not seem to be practical. I understand that stances give better stability, but it just doesn't seem that in a sparring match or an actual fighting situation, any of it is used. It becomes kick boxing to the point where you can't tell one style of Karate from another. The only time I've seen an obvious difference between styles is when kata are performed. These questions have bothered me for awhile. I appreciate the time anyone takes to answer and explain because I know that I may be missing a point here since I'm not very well versed in all martial arts.