Learning kata out of order?

[Kieran-Lilith]

Well....in all technicallity, I'm not supposed to....not really....I'm only an orange belt. I currently know the kata for my next test, the two I need to get this far anyway, the one for my purple belt test (which is a long way off) and one for my BB test. I love being in advanced class. So, I learned the first two in order, then I learned the purple belt kata, then I learned the BB kata, then I learned the blue belt kata. I know them all, and I can perform them.

[psychomom]

I have become familiar with kata beyond my belt when we go over all the kata in class to prepare everyone for testing. Our school is small and as lower belts we get to see that kata to come. I try to focus my learning on the kata that I need. I ask questions, practice fine points and learn only the one to come. Being familiar with the next kata to me is just gravy. When it comes time to really learn it, I will know some of the basic steps, and then I can learn it well from there. I think you need to be careful trying to learn from a video on the internet, because even if it is the same kata, they could do it a different way that your sensei wants.

Psychomom

[patusai]

I would think that you learn what you need to for the rank that you are in line for and learn that well before moving on to kata beyond your next rank. If you know the kata for your next rank instead of learning more kata concentrate on making the kata you learned better. If you have "mastered" all of your kata for your next rank then by all means move on. Having said that... I have learned kata beyond my next rank a number of times in my past. It's sometimes easy to want to go beyond.

[Shotokan-kez]

Hmmm kata being my fave thing i like learning kata's. Being on second brown my instructor said that as brown belts we should know katas such as hangestu, jion, empi ect but i do find them difficult to follow and not get confused.

Kez x

[SaiFightsMS]

I find that often those who are the most anxious to learn new katas are still in kyu grades. As one matures in their martial arts progress you begin to see the value of really mastering what you are doing.

In fact you should at some point reach a stage where you feel a need to go back to your earlier work and almost relearn them. You will see things in the earlier katas you had no idea were there and doing the katas will feel different.

[jaymac]

I believe it takes awhile for a kyu grade to truly understand the concept of learning kata and any new material. It is exciting to get that new belt and look to the next one, but really practicing studying what you have already learned is extremely important in MA training. Learning new kata will come in time. Master Funakoshi spent years and years only learning and practicing the Tekki katas. Imagine only doing 3 kata over and over and over for years. I think I was probably 5th or 4th kyu when I realized that I had only been concerned about learning more to advance. Then I slowed down and tried to get better at what I had already learned. I didn't want to become a black belt that could not show the example.

[KarateK]

I agree with most here, the whole purpose of learning them in sequence is to better your techniques and progress in all areas. Its useful to watch them and see how higher grades perform them but if you focus on the harder techniques you lose sight of the basics that get you through everything.

[Shotokan-kez]

I think it's ok for kyu grades to learn advanced kata's, at least then they know the moves and have the basis of the kata. Then later they can really concentrate on getting it right and performing it to perfection. I do agree with Jaymac you should be able to show the example being a black belt and doing kata. There are too many students these days getting their black belts and not even getting their basics right.

[lordtariel]

like everyone else here, not a problem if you're learning it from an instructor. Our sensei sometimes will teach portions of a kata as a drill, then later put the pieces together. Next thing you know you're doing a new kata.

[RichardHangHong]

It depends really. Provided you're not taking your main focus from learning your grade kata I don't see any problem with learning the basic floor patterns to other grade katas. When I was 6th kyu I knew all the floor patterns for the grade katas up to shodan bar one kata that I just couldn't get to grips with. I wasn't any good at them by a long shot but it certainly helped when it came to working on each one as I went through the grades. I didn't have the tedious task of learning the general floor pattern, I just had to tidy up and (greatly) improve the techniques I was using.

It kinda helps when you've got a knack for picking up routines visually though. I can usually watch or go through a kata 3 or 4 times and I've got the floor pattern, then it's just a case of sharpening up, which as anyone knows takes a lifetime!