Team Kata

[conrad665]

Hi,

This semester we're going to separate into groups of three and every group will work on a kata. We are going to start next week and I'm a little nervous,because we will meet and work when we have time-there will be no trainer.How can a kata be worked by three people who are not very good yet?How do you do it(if you do)?Are there any important points to work more efficiently?Thanks in advance.

[Adam_XKT]

First of all, I would love to do something like this. In my opinion, you've got a fun opportunity here.

Do all three of you know the form?

I would work on getting the form down first in the air. Then once you have that, study what the interpretation is. Check a book, consult with your instructor, etc.

Once you actually get to working with each other, work on specific sequences to make them really good. Keep the pieces of the puzzle small. Then when all of your sequences are good, put it all together.

[DWx]

How do team kata work? If its anything like team patterns in TKD its a great training tool and we do it all the time (for comps as well).

Adam_XKT has good advice. The first thing is definitely to learn the kata well and then just practice it over and over again together to work on the timing (presumably you want to all look identical?). A mirror is very useful or if you don't have access to one a video camera will work. Sometimes slowing the whole thing down can really help you to get the movement down so that you're all doing it the same but don't practise too much this way as you need to get a feel for everything at full speed.

Like Adam said, its worthwhile splitting up the kata into sections, the natural combinations that fit together and then drill them in your group. Everyone will have their own quirks and ways of doing the movement so you will have to sort out amongst yourselves how you are going to do the techniques. Breaking down each movement further and looking at how high you start a block and how low you finish it etc. is stuff to work on too so you really do look identical.

Useful tip my coach told us for timing is to have someone "count out the kata". So that you all move on each "1, 2" or whatever and slow movements are "1, 2, 3, 4". If you get what I mean.

Team stuff is always fun so I hope you enjoy it

[Blade96]

How do team kata work?

Its like of like synchronized swimming or skating. Your doing a kata except as a group and all of you are in unison, alyned with each other perfectly as close as you can. You move, spin, and kick and punch and you do it together. Its not like individual kata, team kata is a bit harder, doing the kata, Its different because now you are doing it with someone else and you have to allyn your movements with theirs.

I like doing team kata, we had to do it for our grading on Friday.

[Chitsu]

It depends on what sort of level, for what reason you are practicing team Kata and what your goals are.

If you are doing it to compete, I would suggest that each team member needs to a have a good understanding of the kata before trying to blend it along side others.

Then there is a lot of work to do as team.

As an individual, you have the freedom to move in accordance with the most appropriate way (in accordance with you size and build), but as a team you have to move as one.

Team Kata was not really my thing, but I did once scrape a medal in the Europeans - and it’s a fair bit of fun too.

If you are serious about competing, then the first thing you have to do (after you have done your best to really understand solo form), is to be part of a team that is of similar build and ability to each other.

Then you need to train alongside one and other - and I mean literally next to each other (for weeks) in the Kihon line up - as this helps you get a feel for how each other move.

As others have said, you need to practice the "verses" of the kata and work them over and over again until you understand among yourselves how to move as a unit.

Depending on what sort of comp you are doing (mine were mainly WKF governed comps), the three person team has to start with each team member facing front and there can be no audible or visible prompts to start or between each move - this is where the months of training as a unit comes in.

After their walk on, most teams today start the kata in triangle formation. I always liked this method as you have a point man at the front who leads and then when the form turns to the left right and rear, the people at the respective points of the triangle assume the lead for the others.

Here is a clip of Niseishi one of the team Katas my group used to in competitions with similar walk on and formation.

All good fun.

Chitsu

[DWx]

I guess it is very similar to our team patterns, but we get to put splits into ours

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d51ZezEOLt0

[Chitsu]

Thanks for Sharing that DWX, I have never seen footage of TKD team kata.

Its quite different from Karate kata isn't it.

Chitsu

[DWx]

Is it really that different? Aside from the obvious stylistic differences and the fact that we are supposed to put the splits in ours, it is similar? In competition, the majority of marks go technical content and on being in unison.

[BDPulver]

Alot of good points here.

When we did team kata's, we just looked at it as a seperate class. In that when we practiced we generally just did the kata in unison like one would do when sensei had the formation in class.

The difference is trying to have the energy flow from each person but as if its done by one. Here's where the coordination comes in play along with timing.

It is fun to do. my most memormable team kata competition came from us getting together cause there wasnt alot participating in the tournament. We thru it together in bout 30mins and won 2nd place. But since we already knew everyones moves it made it easier to get a group together.

[JAKEHE3078]

Here is a link that might help you out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzctd6aiGhc&feature=related