Kata

[koryu]

I don't feel there is a need to create more kata. There are already more than enough out there, I don't need to be creating more. Goju-Ryu has only 12 kata:

Geiki Sai Di Ichi

Geiki Sai Di Ni

Saifa

Seiyunchin

Shisochin

Sanseryu

Sesan

Sepai

Suparempai

Kururunfa

Tensho

Sanchin

It would take a lifetime to master these katas alone, but then again, everyone likes change every once in a while. When I need a change, I see some friends of mine in the karate community and pick up a kata from a different style. I study the kata that I am taught and come up with my own bunkai application for the kata. After training the new kata for several years, I may decide to pick up another kata from a different style. I tend to lean toward more of the white crane and chinese forms when I'm looking for new kata, since this is where my style originated from.

[Jiffy]

That's a really good point. While I feel that the 26 Shotokan Kata hold all of the answers I need, if I ever feel otherwise, there are already plenty of forms from other styles that certainly will.

If you are doing it for entertainment, I guess that's fine, but I just think from a usefulness point of view, it's a bit of an insult to the masters who created the systems.

[Zorbasan]

i dont see it as an insult, we create new things every day in the MA.

im sure back in the day they had set Ippons, set combinations etc, yet they have been changed.

even the katas we do today are taught differently to the original way (proved by the fact that different schools teach them differently)

i think devising a kata would be a good way to demonstrate knowledge of the art.

[parkerlineage]

I've created some weapons kata, as have my instructor, because our system lacks in weapons, but no new empty hand stuff.

[Jiffy]

Please don't take this as an insult.. it's not, just a question to illustrate my point...

Why create new weapons Kata just because you don't have them? Why not study Kobudo and then use the Katas that have been around for hundreds of years, or at the very least, learn them and then choose to either use them or discard them? What is it that would make your Kata better or more productive than one that has been taught, practised and perfected for years?

[bushido_man96]

Here is a counter question. Why not learn to use weapons by fighting with them, against other weapons, or against empty handed multiple attackers?

Now, I like to watch weapons forms from time to time, and I appreciate those that do them. They take lots of time to learn and perform. The way that I prefer to learn to use weapons is to actually use them in a combat scenario, against other weapons, and through drills.

[Brandon Fisher]

Well finding a quality kobudo school here is tough. I found a kobujutsu instructor thats willing to teach us and help us get ranked though. I didn't know she taught it but she is still almost a 45 minute drive one way.

I do teach a couple of kobudo kata that I picked up almost 15 years ago but the new ones pattern many of our empty hand kata to help the students become more familar with the weapon.

[Zorbasan]

Please don't take this as an insult.. it's not, just a question to illustrate my point...

Why create new weapons Kata just because you don't have them? Why not study Kobudo and then use the Katas that have been around for hundreds of years, or at the very least, learn them and then choose to either use them or discard them? What is it that would make your Kata better or more productive than one that has been taught, practised and perfected for years?

why design new cars? the vs commodore works just as well on current roads as the new VE does. why didnt they just continue that design through?

sometimes you just do something cos you can, not because there is a profound reason for it.

[Zorbasan]

sorry to those that dont know the models i am talking about, i keep forgetting this is a world forum, not just australia.

[bushido_man96]

sorry to those that dont know the models i am talking about, i keep forgetting this is a world forum, not just australia.

That's ok, we can see the analogies.