Remembering Katas

[Fish]

I find it helps to try to see patterns. It's a bit like learning a piece of music or lines of a play - you deal with phrases rather than individual notes/ words. I think of kata in the same way.

[Coco]

I think practicing is the best way, as soon as you start learning a new kata, you will probably practice it alot, and then when you do an older one, youll get confused and mix some things from the new ones That happens to me alot with heian yondan/godan, juroku and matsukatze, they are so confusing sometimes XD

[jakmak52]

Try breaking your kata down into easy-to-remember parts, such as groups of 3 or 4 movements. Practice one group, then practice the second group. then try joining them together.

 

Also, write it down! Even if you don't know the names of each move, then write what you think it is, eg "turn to the left and block with a downwards block in front stance".

 

The best advice is practice, practice, practice. Oh, and when you're tired of practicing then practice some more. It really is the best way to remember kata. A few minutes a day will really help your karate training.

 

Finally, don't get too worked up about not remembering kata. it took me ages to really learn my first kata properly. Then one day it suddenly 'clicked' and I could do it no probs. If you've only been training since April then you're pretty much an absolute beginner still. Your instructor won't be looking for perfection from you - just that you're trying your hardest and wanting to improve.

 

 

Also i get kata's confused... most embarassing is be doing Bassai dai and finishing it as heian godan... god i felt like such a dork!

 

Ah, glad it's not just me that has done that... My instructor is used to me having "brain f arts" (as he calls them) in the middle of kata.

 

Best advice!!!! Thanks Aefibird!!

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/jakmak521

[gcav]

There is a difference in "knowing" and "memorizing" a kata. Practice, practice, practice.

[Shorin Ryuu]

Remember too that kata is the study of biomechanics. Furthermore, timing is just as important as position.

 

(2 cents only, this time)

[username9]

BUT make sure you do them right, cus it may be hard to fix them later if you memorize the wrong way. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

 

So what Kaos was trying to say is PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT - NOT PERFECT.

 

Practising a kata perfectly will make it perfect.

 

Basically matey you need to memorise the basic pattern - all of the Pinan Katas are basically the same with different movements. When u get the basic directional sense the rest will come. And like we say PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!

 

And don't try doing too many at a time - you will have enough on when u get to higher grades. Having to do Basai Dai, To Mari No Basai and Basai Sho is confusing as hell!

 

So good luck and practice and don't take too much on at one time!

[longarm25]

in case you missed what every one else said practice. practice. practice (its important)

[Ripper]

and in case you missed the last post; practice, practice and practice some more!

[aes]

I find that as I learn more Katas it harder to recall all the fine details in all of them. If I take a week or so off of practicing a kata I can wind up stumbling through them in class and wind up feeling silly.

 

Really the key for me is regular review of the old ones while you are learning new ones. Otherwise lots of brain farts will happen. IMO

 

I am finding this especially confusing now that we are learning some new Katas that have simular sequences in them.

[Ripper]

Therefore it is important you learn one kata very well before you go on to learn the next kata. Don't try to learn all the katas in one week.

 

I also think it is not that important to learn many katas. To me it is more important to learn a few katas well instead of learning many katas a bit.