The Uselessness of Kata

[bushido_man96]

It's also evolved to the point where most of the people who practice martial arts can read and write (as well have ready access to paper). You can now draw, or even better, video record teechnuqes in order to preserve them as opposed to keeping them in a form. I have no problem if the other guys wants to devote a lot of times to forms...more power to him. But when forms take of 1/3 plus of traing time (and another 1/3 being exercising and aerobics), you have little time for actual martial applications. Plus since most places rank by kata known, your belt has very little connection to martial ability anymore (I say anymore because you used to have to belt it out with others for ranking bare knuckled style...even in the US when TMA were less mainstream).

You make a good point here, NightOwl. I tend to agree with you. When my class is taken up by basics, forms, and one-steps, I leave knowing my technique is good, but my level of application ability is what is in question.

As i have stated before Kata is done for:

1.tradition

2.fun

3.uniformity

4.self training tool

all the rest is embelishment

I think this order is how it is in most martial arts schools, that do forms or katas. However, this is what I think it should look like:

1. Self-defense/applications

2. Drills for applications

3. Fun

4. Uniformity

I could throw in others, and this is just a guideline. However, I think self-defense should be at the top of the list, at any rate.

[cross]

Or at the very least the instructor should make it clear with the student what the focus is before any training takes place.

[bushido_man96]

Or at the very least the instructor should make it clear with the student what the focus is before any training takes place.

This is true. If their focus is techniqe, then it is good to know that. That is one thing about our school and our instructor. We practice technique, and compared to other schools at tournaments and testings, our technique is good. However, there is more to it than that.

[username8517]

It's also evolved to the point where most of the people who practice martial arts can read and write (as well have ready access to paper). You can now draw, or even better, video record teechnuqes in order to preserve them as opposed to keeping them in a form. I have no problem if the other guy wants to devote a lot of time to forms...more power to him. But when forms take of 1/3 plus of traing time (and another 1/3 being exercising and aerobics), you have little time for actual martial applications. Plus since most places rank by kata known, your belt has very little connection to martial ability anymore (I say anymore because you used to have to belt it out with others for ranking bare knuckled style...even in the US when TMA were less mainstream).

Personally I think even a greater amount of time should be spent on kata (for those schools that do perform kata) than 1/3 of the time. Perhaps 1/2 of the time (if not a little more), with the remaining time being spent on techniques, exercise, etc.

Now before this post goes up in flames, let me make one clarification--this is aimed at the lower ranks. This is because when students are new, they may know what a punch or block looks like, but the odds of executing them effectively will be very low without risking their own personal safety.

Then as they get up in rank and start getting the hang of techniques, and can execute them correctly; start incorporating more drills to develop the skills the student will need for actual fighting/defense--starting them off with basic one-step sparring and basic attack/defend drills to eventually working their way up to full speed sparring and applications with resisting opponents.

[learning kempo-karate]

Hello, If Kata's work so well in our training? ...How come other sports and fighting like boxing,Muay thai, basketball, football does not use kata's?

I have never seen it in bowling too? ....UM"

It does have some purpose...but actully fighting is very different.

Just my thoughts.....kata (got to) leave now! ..............Aloha

[Patrick]

I'm fairly certain that basketball, football and bowling have their own training methods that could be comparable to kata. In some part of practice/training/cultivation, they all work on technique without touching a ball or any other person.

[Red89]

I was at a shotokan demonstration last night and i was really impressed by a 14year old black belt doing his kata, first he done it by himself, slowly then fast. Then he trained with the Bunkai, it was really well done, you really saw how to apply each aspect of the black belt kata, im not sure what it was called as im wado-ryu and it didn't sound familiar when he called it out.

[learning kempo-karate]

Hello, How many real fights look like kata style of fighing. (besides the movies).

Who punches in that real deep style of stance in a real fight? (Like in katas?)

Kata's is a good training tooL (but in a real fight...anything goes..). Not sure if kata applies here

In the future....there will be lots of changes in the use of Kata's. People will find it HAD it's purpose. BUT no longer will it be use as much. Traditions have a way of staying.

Fights are fast,furious,continueous,keep hitting and striking, most times...Did you ever see a fight that follows a KATA?

.........Just my thoughts on this.......Aloha (we are require to know all the kata's in our system and we do learn and practice them).

[ninjanurse]

I'm fairly certain that basketball, football and bowling have their own training methods that could be comparable to kata. In some part of practice/training/cultivation, they all work on technique without touching a ball or any other person.

Good point Patrick! Muscle memory can be developed and conditioning can take place in many different ways...including kata.

[cross]

Good point Patrick! Muscle memory can be developed and conditioning can take place in many different ways...including kata.

How often when sparring someone do you execute a punch the same way you do it in kata?