Sho-ju Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 I notice many on this forum know a ton of kata. Is it better to know a lot of kata in a general way or a few very well with all the bunkai?
G95champ Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 Shotokan only has 12, 25, 26, or 29 depending on the group you are with and in my mind thats plenty. Its nice to play arround with others but in the end you need a base your good at and no more than 30 kata could be prefected in a life time. IMO. I know the moves to 22 Shotokan Kata. However I would only claim that I am good at about 10 of them. I have been doing Shotokan for a bit over 10 years so don't rush it. (General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."
Shorinryu Sensei Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 Quality over quanity I'd say. I know 15 and need to learn maybe 5 more one of these days My nightly prayer..."Please, just let me win that PowerBall Jackpot just once. I'll prove to you that it won't change me!"
stl_karateka Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 I notice many on this forum know a ton of kata. Is it better to know a lot of kata in a general way or a few very well with all the bunkai? Good question and observation. I'd say quaility is better than quanity. IsshinRyu has 8 katas and Matsubayashi ShorinRyu has 18. Does that mean I-Ryu is more in depth? Certainly not....the first katas in ShorinRyu for example (Fuyagata Ichi and Fuyagata Ni) were added in 1940 cause the Pinan series were too hard for children. A few years before that in 1907 the Pinan series were included for high school type students. Before that it started with Nahanchi....so those katas are smaller patterns. As far as bunkai goes --- as far as I know all traditional katas have bunkai -- some moves are more obvious than others...but after you learn a few katas it becomes easier to ID the bunkai in other katas. My two cents! KarateForums.com Sempai
Sho-ju Posted November 6, 2003 Author Posted November 6, 2003 At the same time, is the bunkai found in these kata the way in which you would fight? If it isn't then why not 50 kata. Kata, even if you do not understand bunkai can still teach breathing, focus and footwork...
karatekid1975 Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 I've always learned different variations of one bunkai. Anyways, I wish there where less forms. Don't get me wrong. I like forms, but I just learn one, and it's time to learn another. Specially when I did the pyung ahn series (Pinan). There are on the hard side LOL. Plus I like to perfect my technique in forms, not "just know the moves." Laurie F
tommarker Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 I don't think it neccessarily has to be such a binary choice: either do a million kata, or learn just one. Wouldn't it be fair to say that most people who study and learn several kata eventually settle on one that suits them best and study it intently? I'm no longer posting here. Adios.
SaiFightsMS Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 Coming up as a kyu grade I always loved it everytime I learned a new kata. I just couldn't learn enough katas. Now I find at times when sensei thinks it is time for me to start work on a new kata I don't fell I am ready too. And I find that I keep going back to some of the earlier katas to do more work on them. I have a totally different perspective of most of the earlier katas than I did when I first learned them.
tommarker Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 Great point. Although There are still one or two more forms that I can't wait to learn.. Like Jindo/Chinto just because I've always thought it was a pretty cool looking form. And then when I learn it, I'll probably just look forward to Rohai, Kong Sang Koon, etc. I'm no longer posting here. Adios.
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