Best tournament kata

[Pacificshore]

I've done well with the following katas:

Jitte:came in 2nd at one tourney

Gojushiho-sho:came in 1st at another tourney

Nijushiho:came in 3rd at yet another tourney

Mind you this is as far back as 10 years ago And of all 3, my favorite is still Nijushiho

[cleung]

I see those two kata a lot in the traditional divisions - heck, I've used both of them before too before I switched to soft style.

[Bushido58266]

i got a tournament coming in a month and i was thinkin of doing bassai dai

but at my last tournies i did Giecho Hyung Il Bu(1st place), Pyong An Cho Dan(2nd place), Pyong An Yi Dan(4th place) so hopefully bassai dai and this extra year of training will help me get back to first

[innocui]

My personal favourite tournament kata is Seiunchin, which means "The Long Journey" or "The Calm Before the Storm. I love the power in the kata, and the sense or superiority and overwhelming calm in the turmoil around it. Its my stress-release kata.

BUT...In my division in Go-Kan-Ryu tournaments, most others go for Sepai, or another showy kata, like empi. i don't like the 'showy' kata, or more precisely people who perform them like a routine, instead of a kata.

[jakmak52]

I don't know if there's a "best kata" to perform in competitions, my favorite has and is the Shotokan form "Bassai Dai", I think the judges and officials seem to like it as well, I' won several 1st places with it. It's how close you emulate the traditional style from way back

[Brandon Fisher]

Bassai Dai and Kanku Dai

[jaymac]

I have placed first a few times with Bassai Dai. It is a great kata. I have lately been competing using Kanku Dai. I have done well have taken 1st with that also. My biggest award however was being told by a judge that I represent shotokan very well with my kata.

[Brandon Fisher]

Thats always the best complement in my mind win or loose in competition.

[Holland]

I have always done Chinto or seiuchin. I have seen unsu and suparempi do well often though.

[jaymac]

Thanks Brandon. You are right. That compliment meant more to me than any award i have been given for competing. I couldn't wait to tell my Head Instructor what a great gift he provides to all of his students and what an honor it is to train under someone who passes on his awesome technique and knowledge.