Kata ? Whats the point

[Kevin Wilson]

I'm sorry if this is in wrong topic .

I have always been taught one of the main points of kata is to teach you to think outside the box. Its why I get a little mythed when some numpty goes .....whats the point in kata no one will ever attack in that exact set of ways.....

Well we know but that's not why we practice. I know its also helps with muscle memory but whats the other reasons just incase I havent heard them before?

[Kuma]

Because inside the kata is the really mean stuff you don't teach beginners.

[brokenswordx]

Kata is scripted to certain attacks in a certain order, so when you spar you'll hopefully be able to recognize that attack and perform a countermove to it.

[The BB of C]

Leg strength, cardio, builds speed, drills basics and techniques into subconscious. If Kata is taught correctly, it will show up in the fighting style of the user. As long as it's supplemented with Kumite, Bunkai and free sparring.

[Groinstrike]

I'm sorry if this is in wrong topic .

I have always been taught one of the main points of kata is to teach you to think outside the box. Its why I get a little mythed when some numpty goes .....whats the point in kata no one will ever attack in that exact set of ways.....

Well we know but that's not why we practice. I know its also helps with muscle memory but whats the other reasons just incase I havent heard them before?

Sorry, im from the states, what is a numpty????

[JusticeZero]

I was once told that in the olden days of lore, that students did not have books to record diagrams and notes in, did not have the opportunity to spend much time with their teachers, and had to do a lot of self-training. They had to learn a lot of techniques and be able to remember and train them for months before their teacher might be able to come and give feedback, and they needed to see substantial improvement regardless and a minimum of repeated drilling from their teacher.

For this purpose, because of how the human mind and memory works, forms are ideal. If one adds the ritual as a specific part of their day, for instance, "I will get up in the morning and do the 108 Movements twice in my kitchen before I start my day", it creates a memory aid to help recall. "In the morning" and "in the kitchen, where my teacher helped me when he visited" both help to create strong context for recall. The use of a ritual sequence helps to key memory of the next technique in the series.

These together mean that more time and mental effort can be spent on dissecting the movements given and on perfecting the flow therein, while at the same time giving movement-specific exercize toward doing the techniques properly with strength.

With the ability to spend time at the studio on a regular basis, and keep notes on scheduling and techniques on the computer or in your ebook? Not as important. But the method is retained because not many people feel comfortable enough in their totality of knowledge of them to cut them, for fear that there's something in them that they will miss and accidentally throw out.

[GaryMo]

Sorry, im from the states, what is a numpty????

An idiot or a fool.

[Groinstrike]

Personally, i come from a system where kata has fallen by the wayside. I believe that the reason for this is that we have decided that extensive grappling training is more combatively viable than large amounts of kata. This is not to say that kata is a negative thing, i believe that it has its place, escpecially for conditioning purposes.

However, i believe there is not substitute for moderate to hard sparring to get the feeling of having real pressure put upon you. I may fall into the category that makes me a "numpty", but when training for real life situations that are dynamic, not static, imho there is no substitute for sparring and spontaneus attack and defend with a non-compliant Uke.

[JusticeZero]

Personally, I think people collect too many, and destroy the purpose in so doing. If the whole thing is a mnemonic, why would it be good to learn so many that you are constantly going "Wait, it goes left in Flying Muskrat IIX but right in Neon Butterfly VI, which one was I doing? Oh wait, I was trying to learn Blessed Mango Digs Down III, and in that it goes straight into a mirrored lefthanded Unicorn Strike.." Seems that you should be able to do just fine with an extremely small number of forms, probably as little as one, plus a few other exercizes to work on on the side.

[FirelordAkiko]

I suggest reading this article by Dennis Fink, it is very enlightening as to the 'purpose' of kata.

In my training, I've been told, that in the old days, Okinawan Karate practitioners never used to have the basics. They only had kata and bunkai. As you advanced further through the grades, you would learn more complicated kata, and more complicated bunkai, at the rate that you can absorb the information.

Kata and Bunkai go hand in hand. Kata without Bunkai is like dancing.

In my opinion, practicing bits of kata in combinations and the appropriate bunkai enough times should make you do an effective counter to someone's attack.

In my Isshin-Ryu training, I've now done Seisan enough times to employ the moves in that kata in a real fight.