Do you still remember and practice the early kata?

[karatekid1975]

Don't just practice them every day, LEARN from them every day. Break them down, work through the concepts and find mor bunkai in them.

I totally agree with this (weird coming from a TKD person huh? LOL j/k).

I practice all my forms, at the least, three times a week. In order and out of order or I will pick one form that I want/need to work on. If I'm trying to figure out a move or work on technique, or bunkai, I will do that part of the form over and over till I'm fairly happy with it. Even lower rank forms. Then I will do the whole form over and over.

I still practice my forms from TSD once in a while, also. They have cool bunkai in them

Anyways, like it was already said, it is important that you practice ALL of your forms.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I've been practicing this art for over 30 years now and enjoy doing the first kata as much as the last. I know I work on them more than my newer ones actually, because I'm constantly teaching them to lower rank students.

We practice most kata we know in every class, but currently we're spending more time on the lower kata because I have several new students.

All kata have benefits regardless as to how well you know them. To neglect the first kata you learn is not beneficial to your training IMHO.

[baronbvp]

This is great, exactly what I thought everyone would say. All the comments are right on. This question obviously hit a good nerve since I only posted it last night. My Renshi (Mark Vellucci, 6th degree DAN) told me at my most recent private lesson that hidden in the kata are virtually all the later moves. For example, the 225 degree heel pivot turn to a down block forward stance, in Fyu-Ku Shodan, is really a way to trap the leg and throw the opponent later on.

I have to go look up in my Shorin-Ryu book what Shoshin Nagamine said about his kata practice - something like you have to practice them for 7 years before you really even see what they are and begin to master them. Then, of course, you must continue to practice each of them for the rest of your life.

I like it!

[Jussi Häkkinen]

Early kata? Remember and train?

Most definitely. I cannot place the kata in any specific order - I just have learned some earlier than others, but they're equally important (actually, I should be more proficient in doing them because I've known them for a longer time).

Old proverb "hito kata, san nen" means "one kata, three years". My personal experience tells that the inventor of that proverb was a world class optimist.

[cathal]

Whenever I practice at home I always do it from the first to the most recent I've learned. It is a great workout.

[papaschtroumpf]

My dojo is small so classes have mixed belts from white belts to nidan, the upper belts always practice lower katas with the lower belts, so they get to do Heian Shodan jsut about every single class.

Often Sensei will ask them to concentrate a particular aspect of a technique, and once in a while he'll have them do them differently, for example mirror image (start to the right instead of the left), or with eyes, closed, do them in super slow motion when the lower belts do it at normal speed, etc...

He always seem to find something for them to improve on...

as the class progresses the lower belts progressively move to the back of the dojo until the black belts are the only ones left doing bb katas...

[baronbvp]

I like the idea your dojo uses. My dojo focuses on kata on Monday nights, specific techniques and combinations on Wednesday nights, and sparring on Friday nights. I take my kids all the time also, and watch them and their classes. I learn by watching others even while waiting for my class to start. My daughter and one son are blue-green belts and my other son is a white belt who just started. I am a yellow belt hoping to test soon for orange.

One technique I found that works for me, since I am a Navy pilot used to writing down procedures and studying them, is to keep a journal. I have all the dojo info in there: belt progression, class schedule, basic and advanced techniques and stances, etc. I make a journal entry after each private lesson and group class about what I learned, with notes to myself that help me remember certain things. I also study the videos my Renshi made and make notes about the kata: the order of the moves, techniques like keeping my back straight when I drop down into forward stance down block, chambering the loose hand when shutoing, etc.

I find it very helpful to write because it clarifies my thinking and forces me to pay attention to detail. For instance, I noticed on the videos that Renshi always "opens the gate" with his foot before stepping forward and swiveling his hips to punch. I go back and re-read my journal while my kids are in class and even make notes about others. Other students and instructors have seen my journal and like it.

When Renshi and the other senior black belts practice kata, it is power and art in motion. Renshi duplicates the kata in perfect form each time, like Jack Nicklaus does with a golf swing. Same thing every time unless you change it on purpose.

I am learning very much, and I am learning from this thread so keep up the responses!

[gojoinstructor]

This is a bit off topic, but Master Jules, what part of NY are you from? PM me, maybe we can get together and train.

[cathal]

as the class progresses the lower belts progressively move to the back of the dojo until the black belts are the only ones left doing bb katas...

When we do our katas, each karateka is invited to stay and perform the same kata if they can follow along. If not, they perform any previous kata. This way, no one is left out of the kata training.

[papaschtroumpf]

as the class progresses the lower belts progressively move to the back of the dojo until the black belts are the only ones left doing bb katas...

When we do our katas, each karateka is invited to stay and perform the same kata if they can follow along. If not, they perform any previous kata. This way, no one is left out of the kata training.

I think that beginners just get tired after performing the few katas they know anyway. We sometimes do the "mixed bag" thing, where Sensei will tell you to choose your favorite kata, or your last favorite, or...

As a lower rank belt I enjoy watching the higher rank katas, shows me what I can look forward to, but it also allows me to compare the way they do "basic" techniques to the way I perform them. Like an earlier poster said, you can learn a lot by just watching.