The Uselessness of Kata

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What a great way to train. I love practicing even my most basic forms. Mentally, kata practice takes you away from alot of stress and opens your mind to better training.

How so?

[Steve_K]

Since they are so short, they're good for practicing to put yourself in the violent and aggressive mindset you need to be in while fighting for real, as opposed to trying to hold that mindset for the duration of your entire workout.

The mindset you acheive during kata would be worlds apart from how your body would react during a violent situation. Fine motor skill is the first thing that flies out the window.

Okay... I didn't say anything about motor skills, and anyway, most all the movements in the katas are broad and in general not consequence to fine motor functions. The way you make it sound, people who practice kata have as good a chance of hitting themselves in the face as they do their opponent. I think (almost) all of us can agree that's not true.

Also

A person can put themselves into any mindset they want while performing katas. I put myself into a violent and aggressive mindset where I feel ready to tear somebody apart. I'm not saying it's the exact state I'd be in during a fight, but I try to bring it as close as I can.

Anyway, the entire point of training in general is to make yourself able to perform those movements and think relatively clearly under the high stress and adrenaline.

[bushido_man96]

I suppose I could be answering my own question. I've never hurt myself doing kata.

I think that most BJJ gyms are pretty injury-free. As long as you tap when it starts to hurt, you will be ok.

[bushido_man96]

Anyway, the entire point of training in general is to make yourself able to perform those movements and think relatively clearly under the high stress and adrenaline.

I think you make a good point here, however, adrenaline is hardly ever replicated in a class setting.

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Okay... I didn't say anything about motor skills, and anyway, most all the movements in the katas are broad and in general not consequence to fine motor functions.

Perhaps the movements are not. The ability to convert the movements (which have very limited direct application) to techniques that will actually work does take quiet a bit of thought.

Looking at another post on the forum regarding how many kata people know, it turns out the majority of people learn upwards of 15 kata. If we are conservative and say each kata has 10 techniques (most probably more). Thats 150 techniques to remember. Some will overlap, but do the overlapping ones all have the same application, or is each 1 different? The point im trying to make is that learning alot of techniques is probably the worst thing you could do if you want to defend yourself. Having alot to choose from causes indecision which is something you cant afford to do. And all that assumes the person has a working application to all the techniques.

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Anyway, the entire point of training in general is to make yourself able to perform those movements and think relatively clearly under the high stress and adrenaline.

I think you make a good point here, however, adrenaline is hardly ever replicated in a class setting.

Agreed. Its those movements, found in kata, that are often the problem. The body doesnt naturally act that way. The body already knows how it wants to act during high stress situations. Rather than trying to relearn that, why not embrace your natural behaviour and train to enhance that?

[baronbvp]

True. Most people revert to brain-stem power in a fight anyway. That which you like and have trained repeatedly will stick. For instance, I just don't think I'll ever do an X-block in a fight even though the kata/kihons include them. It isn't a natural human move, at least not to me. Of course, I don't have the experience of you guys who have trained consistently for years.

From what I've observed, most folks under stress don't get too creative unless they are desperate.

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From what I've observed, most folks under stress don't get too creative unless they are desperate.

Exactly, that point was highlighted when i witnessed a person with almost 15 years of training who was going for his 3rd dan, step up to spar with much higher grades. He froze up and did nothing besides get hit and thrown the whole time.

[username8517]

Looking at another post on the forum regarding how many kata people know, it turns out the majority of people learn upwards of 15 kata. If we are conservative and say each kata has 10 techniques (most probably more). Thats 150 techniques to remember. Some will overlap, but do the overlapping ones all have the same application, or is each 1 different? The point im trying to make is that learning alot of techniques is probably the worst thing you could do if you want to defend yourself. Having alot to choose from causes indecision which is something you cant afford to do. And all that assumes the person has a working application to all the techniques.

Going by this assumption, in my currently style alon would know somewhere between 80-160 different techniques (factoring in copies of the same technique on the low end). However when I practice I only run through the same dozen or so.

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Going by this assumption, in my currently style alon would know somewhere between 80-160 different techniques (factoring in copies of the same technique on the low end). However when I practice I only run through the same dozen or so.

What are the other 68-148 for?