Kata - What's it all for?

[Dobbersky]

My idea of kata is that it is the core, the heart of Karate itself. It was the founder's way of passing on the techniques of each school.

It spent years practising the specified kata and most schools had no more than 5 or 7 kata. Its been said that if someone is taught the Pinan series they have everything they need to defend themselves

Application, Bunkai or whatever you want to call it was an integral part of a karateka's training. Every Kata I teach is taught and Bunkai goes hand in hand with it.

These days kata seems to be just for passing gradings. Not many karateka know genuine and authentic applications to the Kata. Also we have "Musical Kata" which looks more like gymnastics than Karate.

What does Kata mean to you is it for just passing grades or is it something deeper, please feel free to elaborate as much as you want

[Dobie1979]

I thinkBunkai is the most important aspect. There are other important things that one can gain from doing Katas. I think the two that are also just as important because they help everything. First, is the fluid movement from one technique to the next and maintaining balance throughout the Kata.

[honoluludesktop]

Kata is what all karateka have in common, even among the styles, we share similar forms. Other martial arts share similar fighting techniques, but kata is what distinguishes karate from other martial arts.

Unless the kata forms are based on principles that embrace combat, they are empty and meaningless. Kata forms gain purpose through the practice of kihon, and demonstrate timing from kumite experiences. IMO, none of the elements of karate are less important then the other.

Edited June 30, 2011 by honoluludesktop

[JCavin]

Here is what Sensei Higaonna thinks about kata:

http://www.goju-ryu.info/Misc/KatabyMorioHigaonna/tabid/76/Default.aspx

[sensei8]

Kata is the soul of karate, and in that, Bunkai is the heart of kata. Without kata, karate is dead, lifeless.

Kata, after all of these many years, is still hated by those who think kata is useless. Useless?!? No, even an empty cup is quite useful, just sitting there on some counter-top; it's just patiently waiting for its time to be called into service.

Kata, Kihon, Kumite...The three K's, separately important, yet, once called together, they can be a force to be reckoned with.

IMHO!!

[Wastelander]

Kata, to me, is a blueprint. On the surface it teaches you how to perform the techniques of your style--or how to build a house, to follow my analogy. The finer points, however, are something that must be learned along the way or the blueprint makes no sense (bunkai to kata).

[tallgeese]

I'll be the dissenting opinion here. I haven't done kata for years, although I did my share back in the day.

To me, kata is an outdated training modality.

It was designed for a different time and situation. Now, rather than hide bunkai and the like, we can freely practice each movement. The moving text book can replaced with repetition of actual applications. Theoretical movements can be replaced with live drilling via armored opponents, creating a more realistic feel. Tactics can be tested in randori with proper safety equipment and in proper sequence of reactions, not is partial snippets against hypothetical targets.

Look at the advances in both equipment and learning science since kata was invented. We have advanced about two hundred years in both. Are the armed forces of the world still training with flintlock pistols? Training in position warfare? Nope, firearms and tactics training has evolved. We should do the same.

Now, if one wants to practice kata for the history of the art, or cultural reasons, that's fine. Just be aware that a lot of kata were invented in the 70's, and a large chunk of what's left were modified heavily in the post WWII era, buyer beware. But it's all about what you want out of the arts. Each should get to practice for the reasons they want. But as a training aspect for fighting, kata has been surpassed by more scientifically proven methods of training due to our understanding of how human beings learn.

The other thing that MMA has done for the martial arts community is a push back to dynamic training (note that dynamic does not mean full contact constantly). This is a good thing for all martial arts, not just competitive arts.

[JusticeZero]

I think that kata/forms are essentially just an Asian thing. Culturally, both Japan and China tend to respond well to taking an activity and ritualizing it as a way of integrating it into their daily routine. A kata or form is a ritual.

Sure, they could have done the more modern practice of 'I need to practice kicks for twenty minutes, or is that just tuesdays and thursdays, no it's wednesdays and then I work on punching, and then I do cardio for thirty minutes and wait a minute, clocks haven't been invented yet oh for crying out loud i'm going to be late for work aren't I and did I forget any techniques, I can't afford a notebook to log this all because the paper is made out of sheepskin by specialists and then there's the ink..?'

Or their teacher can just teach them a ritual training sequence containing all of the material they need to work on and say "When you wake up, do this ritual eight times, then go on with your day. I'll see you again after harvest when work eases up for me." If you already are accustomed to breaking your day into rituals, this makes perfect sense.

Other cultures build their training into their culture in different ways, which I think is why kata have gone in such an odd direction in America.

America and Europe don't generally ritualize their activities like that. Instead, they strap on pads, codify everything into sports rules, and say "Okay, you have seven months to train to beat the Red Team, figuring how to fit the training is up to you. On your mark.. go!" Of course, if you give people with this mindset a bunch of ritualized forms, their first reaction is to make a contest out of it.

Same with my own art. People ask about the ritual dance structure and the singing and instruments. Really, all I can say about it is "How African of them." These are essentially the same cultural forces that make a Sunday in an African-American gospel church a very different experience from a Sunday in a conservative Northern church with no minorities in sight. Nonetheless, the purpose is the same, a way to work the material into their routine in a way that makes sense to them and the people in their community so that the practitioners can work the training into their life.

[Montana]

There are various reasons for kata...some have already been mentioned, but one of the most important is the developement of muscle memory thru rigorous and constant repetition. Kata teaches your body how to move, how to maintain balance, how to progress from one movment to another, how to step, how to move from one technique to another, etc.

Those that say kata is outdated and an obsolete way of training are missing the entire point.

[JusticeZero]

Yes, but the issue is that there are other ways to accomplish those goals, ones which aren't as alien to many of the people training. People think kata is "bad" when really the issue is more that the method doesn't make sense to them. It doesn't make sense because the context in which it is constructed is different.