kata poll

[lgm]

My teacher keeps reffering back to many moves we learn in kata while showing us all different techniques. He'll demonstrated and show application. it seems like different parts of kata really do work, maybe the whole thing. Who agrees that kata really does work on the street? Yes you can't do the same exact moves in order but it seems you can break off what you need.

As training exercises, the kata are useful in learning how one can defend himself in an actual streetfight. They teach you alternative attack through the use of the hands, elbows and feet and defense moves such as blocking, parrying and evasion from the genius and fight experiences of the ancient masters who wove them together into classical formal exercises. Kata may be generally classified as solo and bunkai/oyo. In solo kata, one does the exercises against imagined opponent(s), while in bunkai kata, one does it with an actual partner.

From kihon to solo kata, from solo kata to kata bunkai, and from kata bunkai to jiyu kumite, one can progressively train to fight a real streetfight. Karate training is not the same as actual street fighting. But, the closer one's karate training in the dojo simulates actual streetfighting, the better the preparation one will have for the real thing. Unfortunately, the only way to become an expert streetfighter is to have actual fight experience in the streets.

Gene

[angus88]

Something else - with kata, it's pretty much the only way you're going to be able to simulate a lot of the moves you have in the system that you can't use in sparring (eye gouging, throat rip, etc.)

I also think it's a good mental exercise to pick out different self-defense moves in kata that aren't so obvious.

There's just too many benefits to kata to name. The masters obviously knew what they were doing when they came up with them!

[xXSaiWarriorXx]

My Sensei Calls alot of attention to the bunkai of our katas and the practical use of them in real world situations. Though he points out many of the techniques that work, he also points out the ones that are "Good in Theory" but not the best idea for defense. Lets Face it, Katas are great but not all the moves seem applicable.

[JAKEHE3078]

Kata is an imaginary fight. If you performe it with the right mind set it can mentally prepare you for a confrontation. But you have to be able to put yourself in that hostile situation when performing Kata.

[Chado]

Does kata improve my skills? Maybe.

Does kata improve my focus? Sure.

Does kata make me relax and discipline myself to not get lazy as people are watching? Yes.

I think everyone has different reasons for the things they do, to me kata is not worthless. This said, I only pay to spar in tournaments...if kata is included (at the local level it always is but they seem to make you pay for it at the provincial / national tournaments) I will do it...but my kata is for me...and since kata is for me...I wouldn't be me without it, therefore my rationale is that my skills on the street would be different than they are...with me doing kata.

Meh

Chado

[Why_Worry]

We hardly ever do bunkai, but we do lots of kata as well as the basics and we hardly ever do sparring (we do do releases though, but that doesnt do much for blocking a strike, but is still useful in many situations). So maybe the kata hasnt done anything and its all the basics, but with only hte kata, my ability to defend myself has increased greatly even though it has only been a couple months over a year that i have been practicing karate. Still, i'm no where near most other people who practice and i sitll have many many years to go and the time will never end but its still gotten a whole lot better in just a little over a year. So i dont know what it is about kata, but there is somethign about it that is really good.

(You dont need a partner for kata which is one of the reasons i dont htink you need bunkai that badly becuase then you can't practice kata by yourself anymore, jus tmy opinion.)

[Why_Worry]

This said, I only pay to spar in tournaments...if kata is included (at the local level it always is but they seem to make you pay for it at the provincial / national tournaments) I will do it...but my kata is for me...and since kata is for me...I wouldn't be me without it, therefore my rationale is that my skills on the street would be different than they are...with me doing kata.

Great point. I htink when kata is modified just to look good for tournaments then you dont relaly get anything out of the kata (although you still can, but the odds of it are very low). The kata is training. Dont compete by saying your training is better than another persons. Just my opinion again.

[Sauzin]

In our system, the kata we practice is directly applicable to the street. Move by move if necessary with minimal or no changes. Bunkai is important as it shows you how to perform the techniques relative to an opponent. However if you are practicing movements in kata that don't work on the street unless they are heavily modified, you are practicing kata incorrectly, in my opinion.

Good kata don't just enhance speed and focus. Line dancing could do that if that is all you were looking for. Even sanchin works very well with very little modification. Especially Ueichi sanchin, where every move counters and redirects attacks and every turn throws or disables an opponent. Of course bunkai and kata offer different things, but the moves don't have to be.

[Fairfax_Uechi]

In our system, the kata we practice is directly applicable to the street. Move by move if necessary with minimal or no changes. Bunkai is important as it shows you how to perform the techniques relative to an opponent. However if you are practicing movements in kata that don't work on the street unless they are heavily modified, you are practicing kata incorrectly, in my opinion.

Good kata don't just enhance speed and focus. Line dancing could do that if that is all you were looking for. Even sanchin works very well with very little modification. Especially Ueichi sanchin, where every move counters and redirects attacks and every turn throws or disables an opponent. Of course bunkai and kata offer different things, but the moves don't have to be.

Well said. I think someone here or another forum said it best. There are no defensive moves, only counter attacks. That is true if it's done right!!!

As for Bunki, the moves are actualy the same. You just have to adjust for the other person's move.

As for Sanchin. Well what more can I say. "All is Sanchin".

Sanchin, has strikes, foot position, and blocks. Everything else in Karate is "extra". By that I mean that if you are an expert in Sanchin, you don't need other techniques. You might want them, but you don't need them.

Oh yea, done right, Sanchin, will condition your body, and will teach you keep everything "hard" except for the limb your moving which is "soft" during the move, then hard again.

[klock]

I see that there are some bruce lee lovers on here...lol I can understand why some people would think kata aren't useful in fighting. But if you know and understand the bunkai, then kata are so obviously useful. If you just go through the motions, then, yes, they are totally useless. But if you are doing your kata this way, then are you truly learning the kata?