Why is kumite more important in western karate than kata?

[Monkeymagic]

I am trying to understand how the transition of karate to the west has involved and pushed kumite to the forefront, rather than kata.

I know there are been previous polls but this poll will help me with my research.

[JimmyNewton]

I enjoy the application and control you get from kata, but I personally get more out of a charge in kumite as i like the physical contact.

[AngelaG]

Kata/bunkai/oyo is much more important than kumite in my dojo .

[Jussi Häkkinen]

Kumite (not sport kumite) is a part of kata training.

[Pogo]

westerners like sports.

[Conqueror]

Westerners do not understand that the point of martial arts is NONviolence. They just want to learn how to fight well, and unfortunately many dojo augment this emphasis and attitude.

Kata should always come first - without kata, how can one ever hope to execute a proper technique?

[darkness]

The way my sensai teaches kata, it is like there is a person there, making you do the moves, which makes sense. Although I like kumite because then there actually is someone there to look at.

[AngelaG]

It seems to me from the poll results that at the moment kata is winning out. So maybe assumptions are just being made?

[Eiichi]

I understand the importance of kata, and practice it more than kumite, but I enjoy doing kumite far more than anything else. I enjoy the spirit training in kumite. The test of endurance, stamina, and especially the technical aspects of it. Nothing is better in my book than hard hitting iri kumi training.

[italian_guy]

Even if I like very much Katas and their bunkai and I understand their importance. But at the end, MA is a fighting discipline and free-sparring (even with control) is closer to an actual fighting situation.