Kata Tournaments are they fair!?

[Mink]

Many times i have and other members of my style go into kata tournaments of Kyokushin and do well.

 

If we were to go into tournaments from other styles we do not so well.

 

 

 

Should the judges of the kata be worried about if it is true to there style or should it be based on the ability strength speed and concentration of the kata.

 

I beleive it show be ability strength speed and concentration of the kata.

 

and to try and make it fair after all we are all martial artists compeating for the same thing

[AndrewGreen]

Kata competition is always biased. Not sometimes, always. No way around it.

 

Accept it as part of the game

[equaninimus]

In WKF sanctioned events, the bias is definately toward Shito and Goju, and less so to Shotokan. Here in Denver, Wado people usually win, because Kurobane Sadaharu Sensei, who is the senior JKF person runs a Wado school. Shindo Jinen Ryu people are also up there, since the local USA-NKF rep runs a Ryobukai Dojo. In Baltimore it was the Shotkan people who usually won. In Seattle the Shito people usually filled the winner's ranks. Same reason. In open tourneys the bias is often toward the judges own students.

 

Before I took up Shorin Ryu, I regularly down-graded Okinawan styles for what I perceivd to be poor stances (too high). I have graded Oyama lineage people lower because their performance of kata is different from most other styles I was familiar with, i.e,. not as crisp. I disqualified a Seido person once doing Seipai, because I was unfamiliar with the changes Oyama made to the kata. Oh well, I know better now, but I also have no desire to be a tournament judge anytime soon.

[equaninimus]

Sorry to continue to rant, but one of my pet peeves is how tournament kata has deviated so far from its original origins.

 

Look at the clips below, if you have time. These are fairly typical of WKF competition kata. They are certainly athletic, and aesthetically pleasing, but are they really about fighting techniques, or are they gymnastic routines?

 

http://www.jutsko.com/Site%20Junior/Nouveau%20video%202/empi%20junior.wmv

 

http://www.jutsko.com/Site%20Junior/Nouveau%20video%202/empi.wmv

 

http://www.jutsko.com/Site%20Junior/Nouveau%20video%202/unsu.wmv

 

http://www.jutsko.com/Site%20Junior/Nouveau%20video%202/empi%20bunkai.wmv

 

http://www.jutsko.com/Site%20Junior/1993/a%20kanku%20dai%20france.avi

[Mink]

Thank you for posting the messages hope all do continue

[Guest]

I think that some styles' kata just look more entertaining, so they win more frequently. My style's kata are fairly 'boring' compared to other deep-stance type styles and often don't do so well in competition.

[karatekid1975]

You can take three dojos and the same kata. But all three would have variations. Just like my boyfriend and I. We both do TKD and the same forms, BUT they are not the same in some places (can get confusing when we work on forms together).

 

Anyways, as a judge, they should realize this. If they don't know the kata all together (different style), he/she should judge on technique, power, stances, and sharpness. Most judges don't do this. Which is really sad.

[equaninimus]

If they don't know the kata all together (different style), he/she should judge on technique, power, stances, and sharpness. Most judges don't do this. Which is really sad.

This is precisely the reason why I think Kata cannot be judged fairly. If you come from a certain tradition, you consider "good" Kata to have the presentation that your system uses. Styles that don't do things the same way will seem to you to be flawed in their execution.

 

Consider the differences between JKF Goju-Kai, and Okinawan Goju Ryu; the JKF Goju people maintain a straight back, have little variation in head height, and use very low stancing. Hip motion is limited to a rotation/vibration model. In Okinawan Goju, the back is not always straight, height of stances varies greatly during Kata, and hip rolling is used as well as rotation and vibration. To someone who has been mostly exposed to the Japanese model of Karate, the Okinawan Goju stylist will appear to have poor technique.

[angelica d]

The black belts in our organisation had a kata judging course a few weeks back, and they kindly let me tag along too.

 

It was really difficult, we got shown different kata (they were all wonderful) and had to judge them. I found it impossible, and that was all within one organisation. Can't imagine how hard it must be for mixed style competitions!

[Natural]

katas, rythem, speed, concertration, momentum, area, position, kime, proper techniques, attitude.

 

 

 

Things not to do in a kata;

 

Think katas as a disco dance.

 

Go through it like nothing

 

do technique without kime

 

etc.