Thoughts on kata.....

[SenseiMike]

How important to you is it to have a "pretty" kata? I used to strive for perfection in Kata performance, but, now I'm starting to differ. I think that kata were designed as a way to focus the mind and body together in the practice of technique. I'm a very heavy application guy, I stress them in almost every class, but lately I've began to to think that running the kata should be more a complete meditation style acting of the techniques on a visualized partner. However, if you run them that way, they look a bit ugly....

any thoughts?

[wyx]

Depends what you mean by 'ugly' and 'pretty'.

The way you have changed your emphasis on your kata wiht visualising an opponent is correct imo. If all the techniques are correct then it shouldnt ever look 'ugly'. If you mean you change the techniques to show the bunkai more clearly then I believe that is wrong.

What I dont like is competition kata where kata is often performed at double speed with no focus on various techniques with ludicrously large athletic jumps that take away from the original feeling of the kata. If this is what you are refering to as 'pretty' then I dont see it that way.

If I was to guess at your meanings then I would stick to the 'ugly' way.

[welshdragon]

i do kata in competitions a lot, and i have always tried to deal with the technique in each to show that the kata flows. power should always be part of a kata, but this should not be emphasised in place of technique.....same for speed. if you spend allyour time making the kata look "pretty" then you are not showing how the kata can be affective against multiple opponents, which is what they are for.

nothing should be put above technique in a kata, and into each technique should go the harmony of body and mind, as they should move as one in each kata that you perform.

[Fairfax_Uechi]

How important to you is it to have a "pretty" kata? I used to strive for perfection in Kata performance, but, now I'm starting to differ. I think that kata were designed as a way to focus the mind and body together in the practice of technique. I'm a very heavy application guy, I stress them in almost every class, but lately I've began to to think that running the kata should be more a complete meditation style acting of the techniques on a visualized partner. However, if you run them that way, they look a bit ugly....

any thoughts?

What's to say they can't be pretty, powerful, fast, have rythem, and be graceful? Afterall, the more you train the more you should have all of these elements. I personally used to train very fast. My kata was fast by choppy and of so so technique. Now I train with a mixture of very slow katas to get perfect form (or try to get perfect form), medium speed - to get a nice looking kata, and all out to work on speed and power. To me all of the elements are important. And no one is more important than the others. And over time, all of them improve.

[gheinisch]

In our dojo we practiced kata with six things in mind. The three S's and the three B's. The S's - Strength, Stamina and Speed. The B's - Beauty, Balance and Breathing. All six of the things have an equal importance and are crucial to kata. It takes a long time for them all to come together. Sometimes we'll concentrate on one of the six components until we have it down and go on to the next one and then bring it all together. Don't let one component become less important then the others. They all have their place in kata.

[BLueDevil]

I think a Kata done correctly is "pretty" no matter what.

[isshinryu5toforever]

Each person does their kata differently, each one is beautiful in its own way. There are some people who have extremely statuesque form. The techniques look almost flawless, and they have great strength and speed. Then there are those who are a bit more flexible in the way they do their kata. They aren't as statueque, they bend at the waist in a part here or there, they show the power in the technique rather than the grace. They show the way they would really perform the technique. Think of it this way. You have a yellow belt, his kata are tight and he uses his strength too much, but there is a beauty in this. Each technique he throws looks like it hurts. Then, you have another student who is extremely fast and flexible, his kicks and punches are fast and look beautiful, but they don't look like they'd hurt a fly. The grace and softness in the kata make it beautiful. Each karateka would want to work on their problems, one getting looser, one getting stronger. Yet, each one brings a certain beauty to their martial arts practice. It is the imperfection that makes the kata beautiful. If there were truly no room for improvement, what would be the point in practicing any more?

[returning_wave]

Each person does their kata differently, each one is beautiful in its own way. There are some people who have extremely statuesque form. The techniques look almost flawless, and they have great strength and speed. Then there are those who are a bit more flexible in the way they do their kata. They aren't as statueque, they bend at the waist in a part here or there, they show the power in the technique rather than the grace. They show the way they would really perform the technique. Think of it this way. You have a yellow belt, his kata are tight and he uses his strength too much, but there is a beauty in this. Each technique he throws looks like it hurts. Then, you have another student who is extremely fast and flexible, his kicks and punches are fast and look beautiful, but they don't look like they'd hurt a fly. The grace and softness in the kata make it beautiful. Each karateka would want to work on their problems, one getting looser, one getting stronger. Yet, each one brings a certain beauty to their martial arts practice. It is the imperfection that makes the kata beautiful. If there were truly no room for improvement, what would be the point in practicing any more?

this is a great post, if i may say so

Many people see many points to kata and use them for differnt things. Two conflicitng examples: I have a friend with whom I used to do shotokan-esque karate and left because it was increasingly poor in terms of a martial art. I found the answers I was looknig for in kata, performing each move as in the kata but with realitic strength and power and applied in realistic situations at realsitc ranges. My friend found answers elsewhere in the art and his kata is more an exercise in precision of movement. Both views are equally effective and produce startalingly different kata from the same moves.

[y2_sub]

What I dont like is competition kata where kata is often performed at double speed with no focus on various techniques with ludicrously large athletic jumps that take away from the original feeling of the kata.

Yes , I have noticed that in competition kata , the katas looked "spiritless"(????)

[Armbar]

It’s simple, really. Are you a form over function kinda guy, or a function over form kinda guy?

I know a guy who loves those tiny fiberglass sports cars. They look great on the outside, Almost like there speeding down the freeway even though they're parked. But if you look under the engine of most of them, you'll find a good deal of power issues. If you crash in one of those things, you'll quickly find out that fiberglass cracks, bends, and fragments when hit hard. These things limit the practical uses of the car. They're still pretty though and made lots of people turn their heads as you drive by.

I have another friend who'd never trade in his gray, slightly rusty suburban even if you threatened his life. The body is made from thick steal, the engine can produce enough power to tow 8 tons, and the clearance it has allows him to take it off road when he needs to. The thing looks like and old green bean can, but it can sure pull its weight for any practical purpose.

So, here’s the choice (assuming gas prices aren’t a factor ): Fiberglass sports car, or suburban?