How Do You Think Kata Promotes Fighting Skill

[Bo]

I think that it hammers techniques into your head, but in what other way

do you think it improves fighting skill?

[KK]

It allows you to use a number of techniques in which your opponent will attack against you, giving you a wider range of counter attacks or defence moves.

Kata allows you to be precise in certain movements and show off a bit however, when sparring some techniques aren't produced as presteen as they would when performing kata.

[Menjo]

This would take quite some space to answer, I think you should get the ultimate answer from experiance and proper guidance, things like this can be answered on KF, but are not effectivly answered for your own needs. I think its better to learn through experiance, rather than knowing a little of everything, but lack the fundamentals your instructor insists on.

Fighting skill has its own definitions in the minds of many practitioners.

[Fairfax_Uechi]

I think that it hammers techniques into your head, but in what other way

do you think it improves fighting skill?

Kata does many things, and like Menjo says it can be a very long discussion. But what you get out of Kata depends on what you put into it. If you just think of it as a bunch of moves then you won't get much out of it. But if you think of it as a fight against your old invisible friend from when you were little, it can be highly effective as a training tool. Through kata you learn to visualize, the use of proper technique, control, speed, and a bunch of other things. What you have to realize though is that kata is just not about going through the motions, you have to learn to think about what your doing. For instance when I want to perfect a technique, I'll spend hours in the gym in front of a mirror working a technique. I'll work it slow, medium and then fast, then really slow. I'll do it over and over and over until I'm so sick of it that I can't stand it. But I'll see what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. And as I practice, I'll improve. Finally, kata helps me to relax. I can spend time doing Sanchin and just work on my internals. I can practice breathing, slowing my thoughts, or just being on "auto pilot" and doing the moves fast. The point is that all of this comes together. It all makes me a better person. THAT is what makes me a skilled fighter. And the speed, control, power and techniques just validate it.

[jaymac]

Kata improves all aspects of your training. If you really indulge yourself in a kata, even the most simple, you can see your attacker. Kata helps your breathing, timing, control, technique etc.... No you aren't going to have those low stances in sparring like you might in Kata, but what you learn from practicing over and over will improve your fighting skills. It definitely can give you patience. I also believe practicing kata has helped my self defense skills. Kata is the basis of all martial arts.

[patusai]

It allows you to develop combinations and hammers them into your head and it offers options. These options are practiced and practiced. Heck, either do kata over and over again or practice technique individually over and over again. Either way would help but it is less boring to do kata

[HAPKIDO-KID]

one word, BUNKAI!

Eough Said!

[patusai]

one word, BUNKAI!

Eough Said!

Ooooo I wish that I said that

[cathal]

Perhaps already said, but I feel that is can also provide you with muscle memory.

[jnpnshr411]

It lets you know how to react to many attacks, as long as you understand what you are doing, and how you are being attacked.