Best tournament kata

[aefibird]

Personally I've done well with Heian Godan, and Bassai Dai.

Funny you should mention it.. I came second in a tournament using those 2 kata a couple of days ago!

Congratualtions!

I usually tend to perform Jion, Jitte or Ji'in (there's a pattern in there somewhere... ). I always seem to do well with those three. I like to use Rohai too.

[Sandan]

I find for women it seems to be that Nijushi ho works and also Gankaku (though that's hard to control)

[Kumite988]

There isn't really a best tournament kata. Judges look for form and other things not really which kata your're doing. However, if someones techinque/form/etc just HAPPENS to be EXACTLY the same throughout different kata's, I would say that Anan is great when done correctly, as well as Suparinpai, Gojushiho and Unshu too. But really it all depends on your form not the kata.

[Wild_Cat]

Pinan 3

[lucifersdad]

i tend to use enpi with jion as a back up but ive won a couple with niseishi, and am just about to give gojushiho sho a try but coming from a wado background im not that impressed with it, but it was sugested by paul law, and he seems to have one just about everything worth winning! in the uk anyway.

[aefibird]

but it was sugested by paul law, and he seems to have one just about everything worth winning! in the uk anyway.

Paul Law should know. You're right - he seems to have won just about everything there is to win in UK karate.

Good luck with Gojushiho Sho. I like it, but it needs working at a lot in order for it to look even half-decent.

[malanovaus]

From my experience, being both a kata competitor and official I like to stick with the koryu forms, most judges and officials are more knowledgeable about these since they appear in other styles at one level or another.

[strangepair03]

I have placed with Wansu and Seiunchin katas.....I am going on a limb at the next tournament and am going to compete with Naihanchi...I think it is more difficult than most give credit...

[paulylaw]

i tend to use enpi with jion as a back up but ive won a couple with niseishi, and am just about to give gojushiho sho a try but coming from a wado background im not that impressed with it, but it was sugested by paul law, and he seems to have one just about everything worth winning! in the uk anyway.

Unsu and Gojushiho Sho have worked great for me. I won the 2003 WKA and WPKA World Champs with Unsu, and the 2004 WKA / IASKA World Champs with Gojushiho Sho. Both are great forms, but both require a whole heap of training to stand up in competition.

Having said that, the best kata is the one that suits you best. Its all about bringing you own personal style to the kata, and in that eveyone is different.

Good luck with the comps

Paul Law

[EternalRage]

Depends on the tournament. I went to a karate tournament and did Chil Sung Sam Ro (Soo Bahk Do Form - Korean) and they didn't place me very high. But then the next two times I went I did Bassai and I got first and then second. Opposite when I go to Soo Bahk Do tourneys. Korean forms do better than the Okinawan ones usually (assuming its a choice between two ppl with roughly same form)