I don't think I believe in forms.

[Oopgrub]

I've seen all these kata, and I may be impressed by the moves, but they need to be made more realistic, with less stress on standing still and strong, and more stress on being fluid and keeping your guard high, etc. I think some modernized kata should be created if anything. Thoughts?

[Smitty]

In my opinion, katas are great for training. Their applications (bunkai) are not limited to just what's apparent. There are very realistic techniques hidden within the kata, but you just have to find them. Though they have changed with time, they still hold combat relevance, you just have to be open to interpret them. You're not limited to stay standing with the katas. Some katas contain throws, sweeps, ect.

Also, they make for building concentration. Many military self-defense courses don't include katas, but they already have good concentration, having survived boot camp, ect.

As for a modern kata, I doubt that alot of people today have enough insight to create a kata. The katas of old have elbows, knees, throws,and to my understanding, pressure points as well. Not only that, most have multiple applications for every movement. I don't think many people these days are qualified to create a kata.

Just my 2 cents

[Jussi Häkkinen]

I've seen all these kata, and I may be impressed by the moves, but they need to be made more realistic, with less stress on standing still and strong, and more stress on being fluid and keeping your guard high, etc. I think some modernized kata should be created if anything. Thoughts?

Good for you.

[pmeckiff]

In my opinion, with or without many different ways of interpreting the moves, Kata is designed to test your technical ability. Unlike Kumite, which tests primarily your speed, agility (as well as technique to a certain extent).

[Grenadier]

This may sound like a cut 'n paste from a generic instructor's manual, but here goes:

The kata and kumite compliment each other. If you improve your kata performance, then it will show in your kumite, and vice versa.

Performance / repetition of kata will strengthen your muscles, improve your balance, and give you an insight on things, all of which can help make you better in kumite. Furthermore, the kata stress the technical aspects of the basic fundamentals, and it's from those basics, that the sparring applications are built.

Doing kumite helps you apply the practical applications of that which you learned in your kata, which then gives you an even better understanding of the kata.

[JusticeZero]

First, i've seen some Goju practitioners demonstrate some very fluid mobility with those "still strong" stances. Second, the human body hasn't changed all that much over the past few hundred years. Certainly not enough to think that movements are incompatible.

I mean, heck, when boxing was bareknuckle and done with much less restrictive rules, they kept their hands at rib level. They only brought the hands up in response to MASSIVE PADDING ON THE HANDS which both turned the hands into these vast shields, and allowed them to strike to the head much more powerfully and efficiently to do much more destructive permanent damage to the head, more regularly, unbound by the limitations of the structure of the hands or the need to protect anything else.

So what exactly is "modern" about bringing the hands up? Basically it's a ghost adaptation to a rule IN ANOTHER SPORT that made said sport far more dangerous and deadly and required adaptation using the unrealistic equipment they worked with.

[pers]

Thats your opinion ,but how much experience have you got in martial arts ? and apart from watching katas and dismissing it ,have you had a good instructer teach a kata and its applications to you ? you may come to change your mind if you meet one !

[Mr. Mike]

kata is necessary. It is a way to practice your moves again and again and again. Would you pracctice a simple foot shuffle over and over like a hundred times in a day unless you were told? No? Neither would I. So, they stick it in kata along with other movements, and you practice them over and over without too mucc complaint.

if you don't like kata, try boxing.

[G95champ]

Read my old article on this.

Kata is the base! Sparring and fighting are differant.... Kata builds set reflexes that will alway help when in troulble.

When you forget the past you are doomed to repeat it we need to keep the traditional ties.

[strangepair03]

I liken it to learning a musical instrument..(bear with me!) First you learn the basic scale..(kihon) than you learn short note combinations (ippon kumite) than you learn tunes (kata)...you can not call yourself a "musician" and be unable to play a tune....same with kata..first you learn stances and basic techniques...then you learn basic combinations...than you learn kata, putting it all together. If you learn to play the flute scale, but never go from one note to another out side of the up and down of the scale....do you really know how to play the flute, or any other instrument???? Same holds true with kata, if you never learn to put a block/punch/kick/move/block/kick etc:combinations together with timing and flow, than what are you doing????