The Uselessness of Kata

[elbows_and_knees]

To you. I do get bored doing that unless I am ramping it up with someone with similar experience who is skilled enough to compete hard without injuring me. It is not easy to find such people to spar with regularly.

that's too bad.

Because we are not discussing judo or muay thai. We are discussing Karate, and in Japanese Karate, sparring is done at long range, and the kata applications are the infighting techniques.

here again, I'd bring up self expression. my teacher liked to throw. I liked to punch more than kick, although I did like to kick. Neither of us were what you would call long range.

[Sensei Tom OBrien]

Hi everyone. For years I was down on kata. I never entered kata competition. I only wanted to fight. Now that I am older I thank the stars for kata. I'm too old to fight now but I can do kata, kobudo & self defense.

Thanks,

Sensei Tom

[Jiffy]

And hence the beauty of Karate-Do (as opposed to Karate-Jutsu)

[bushido_man96]

I think that fighting is indeed and artform in itself. I like this example of how two people can go through virtually the same training for years, and each one still matures into their own system. You can see these results in many different martial styles, but it great to point out.

my karate teacher moved back to his hometown of kumamoto, japan. When he comes to visit, we train together. It's always interesting to see how much each of us has changed when we spar.

That's pretty cool. I like getting together with my old instructors when I get the chance as well.

[wolfen]

I find that kata open ones eyes to new applications of techniques, unless you are very creative. They also hone discipline (if performed correctly).

It would be awesome to spar with my first sensei (though I am sure he would still whip me).

My second sensei moved to Georgia so I can no longer drop in during his classes

[elbows_and_knees]

Hi everyone. For years I was down on kata. I never entered kata competition. I only wanted to fight. Now that I am older I thank the stars for kata. I'm too old to fight now but I can do kata, kobudo & self defense.

Thanks,

Sensei Tom

I don't know that you're ever too old too spar. My first judo coach is pushing 80 and he will still do ground randori with us.

one of our judo and bjj coaches is 40 and he has placed in the top three in every national tournament he's been in for the past few years.

out of curiousity, what are you considering old?

[Sensei Tom OBrien]

Hey don't get me wrong. I still spar in the dojo at 59. I have a brown belt I'm getting ready for the advanced division. I just don't enter kumite in tournaments anymore. I'm just old not stupid.

Thanks,

Sensei Tom

[bushido_man96]

Here's a jump back to the original post: I don't think kata training is useless; I think that it has stagnated. By being so caught up in the 'tradition' of a thing, we don't ever think in our wildest dreams that we should modify it. There are so many ways to use forms in training, if we are willing to do them.

You can set a timer for 2 minute rounds, and crank out forms, like shadow-boxing. Hard and fast, like you were fighting.

You can slow them down, and spend 5 minutes time on a form, and really burn up the legs.

You can set the timer for 15 minutes, and get more of an aerobic workout. And these are just physical fitness aspects.

There is the bunkai training. You can have preset techniques, or you can improvise.

There is also kata-based sparring that you can do. I am not an expert in this field, however, I am beginning to research it, and I can see its worth. It forces you to think freely, and see what happens once the opponent begins to resist, not unlike what judokas and BJJ practitioners experience.

There are many ways that forms training can benefit us, we just have to be willing to step outside the box and utilize them. Are there other methods of training these ideas? Sure there are. But hey, variety is the spice of life!

[ninjanurse]

Agreed! Traditional does not mean that you can't be creative.

[arran6]

come on. if anything atleast Kata looks good!!! i mean spinning jumping cocutsadach with an openhand block like in Empi or the wierd closed leg move in hangetsu. Plus Kata helps you to improve basics