How should a kata be performed?

[Hawkmoon]

From this thread:

http://karateforums.com/post499341.html#499341

Different views on kata and its performance came out.

the poll asked what you think?

In this thread can I ask why you think it?

Can you support your view with detail etc etc too?

I say in the other thread, that Kyokushin kata have a known time measurement, in this way to finish the kata the demonstrator of the kata is seen to have been fast where needed, shown power as required, to have committed to the kata and its teachings, to have executed the kata correctly.

To finish faster is to indicate a lack of power, or even to have missed a movement.

To finish slower is to shown you have been uncertain, hence slow and not understood the kata.

[Wastelander]

I had to put "other" because, in my mind, there is no true "correct" pace for a kata, and even if there were, we are so far removed from the creators of the kata that we have no way of knowing what that pace was. In addition, I don't perform my kata at the same pace every time. Ideally, I think you have to make the kata fit you, individually.

Sometimes I do it at a metronomic pace, as I would if an instructor was counting. Other times, I let my body go through the kata naturally--whatever feels right, to me--which tends to be faster. Other times, I go slow and focus on flowing, or working with dynamic tension. Every now and then, I will even go through the kata as fast as I can without missing movements.

[Harkon72]

Kata is like a piece of music, everyone plays it differently. We all recognize the tune, but the way you interpret it is up to you; that is what makes it an Art.

[Kusotare]

Within clasical budo, the six priniples of Kata practice are as follows;

From - https://www.sannoya.com

Ikita Kata Kata should be alive and practiced with feeling and purpose.

Inen Kata should be practiced with spirit.

Chikara no Kyojaku During Kata practice there should be variation in the application of power. Technique may be strong or yielding, hard then soft.

Waza no Kankyu During Kata practice there should be variations in timing. Sometimes moving fast, sometimes moving slow.

Kisoku no Donto Kata should be practiced with the correct rhythm of breathing.

Balance Good balance should be maintained during the practice of Kata

K.

[ps1]

Within clasical budo, the six priniples of Kata practice are as follows;

From - https://www.sannoya.com

Ikita Kata Kata should be alive and practiced with feeling and purpose.

Inen Kata should be practiced with spirit.

Chikara no Kyojaku During Kata practice there should be variation in the application of power. Technique may be strong or yielding, hard then soft.

Waza no Kankyu During Kata practice there should be variations in timing. Sometimes moving fast, sometimes moving slow.

Kisoku no Donto Kata should be practiced with the correct rhythm of breathing.

Balance Good balance should be maintained during the practice of Kata

Ditto

K.

[sensei8]

Within clasical budo, the six priniples of Kata practice are as follows;

From - https://www.sannoya.com

Ikita Kata Kata should be alive and practiced with feeling and purpose.

Inen Kata should be practiced with spirit.

Chikara no Kyojaku During Kata practice there should be variation in the application of power. Technique may be strong or yielding, hard then soft.

Waza no Kankyu During Kata practice there should be variations in timing. Sometimes moving fast, sometimes moving slow.

Kisoku no Donto Kata should be practiced with the correct rhythm of breathing.

Balance Good balance should be maintained during the practice of Kata

K.

Solid post!! Kata should vary because true situations vary across the board.

[Hawkmoon]

Within clasical budo, the six priniples of Kata practice are as follows;

From - https://www.sannoya.com

Ikita Kata Kata should be alive and practiced with feeling and purpose.

Inen Kata should be practiced with spirit.

Chikara no Kyojaku During Kata practice there should be variation in the application of power. Technique may be strong or yielding, hard then soft.

Waza no Kankyu During Kata practice there should be variations in timing. Sometimes moving fast, sometimes moving slow.

Kisoku no Donto Kata should be practiced with the correct rhythm of breathing.

Balance Good balance should be maintained during the practice of Kata

K.

So if this is to be considered the 'correct way' then this is to say 'its tempo', no?

That said, that means a kata no matter what one, who does or where it is done will be completed in about the same amount of time taken by the person also called 'tank' as it was by the guy named 'stick insect'?

Neither faster or slower than the last demonstration.

This is to say kata has a tempo, a spirit that is the kata as it was back inthe day it does not change?

At Open contents in the past,I've watched Shotokan kata and a kata called "tekki shodan" ..was done fast, a Shotokan friend explained that this was the point of this kata... speed ..... it was meant to be done as fast as possible!!

Yet another Niji Shiho was more sedate with certain focus on power so keeping a clear (even to me a low grade kyokushin student) rhythm and tempo.

One kata was to be done faster than the last guy, yet the other was being done and should finish at about the same time as the other guy!

[Nidan Melbourne]

Personally i believe Kata should be performed how you think it should be done.

I have done Goju-Ryu Karate for the last 12 years and each student performs kata slightly differently for tempo/speed. Like for Gekasai Dai Ichi our green and purple belts (we start teaching them as green belts in preparation for their kata test with their purple belt). Their timing is different (mostly) to us black belts as we have insight of what the kata is doing if we were doing those techniques in real life

[Hawkmoon]

Personally i believe Kata should be performed how you think it should be done.

I have done Goju-Ryu Karate for the last 12 years and each student performs kata slightly differently for tempo/speed. Like for Gekasai Dai Ichi our green and purple belts (we start teaching them as green belts in preparation for their kata test with their purple belt). Their timing is different (mostly) to us black belts as we have insight of what the kata is doing if we were doing those techniques in real life

With the post from 'Kusotare' in mind, when you say

'...us black belts..we have an insight of what the kata is doing....'

Is this something I can take to show that the black belts if demonstrating this or that kata, would if all were blindfolded, If timed would all finish at about the same time'ish?

What I'm getting at here is I've said speed when that is the point of the kata, power if that is what is needed, and here you say:

"...we have insight of what the kata is doing if we were doing those techniques in real life..."

Hence to me when you say this, the senior grades, because of the 'additional' knowledge of what, why how or why this is done are following the katas demands, fitting to its spirit...its tempo!

Shihan Liam keaveney http://www.bkk-uk.com/Profiles.asp has in various workshops talked at length about 'studying' kata.

Then in detail after asking us for what 'we' thing is or is not the point of this or that element, given direction to the true purpose of the element/kata as taught by Sosai Oyama and Hanshi Arneil.

[Kusotare]

What I'm getting at here is I've said speed when that is the point of the kata, power if that is what is needed, and here you say:

"...we have insight of what the kata is doing if we were doing those techniques in real life..."

Hence to me when you say this, the senior grades, because of the 'additional' knowledge of what, why how or why this is done are following the katas demands, fitting to its spirit...its tempo!

Shihan Liam keaveney http://www.bkk-uk.com/Profiles.asp has in various workshops talked at length about 'studying' kata.

Then in detail after asking us for what 'we' thing is or is not the point of this or that element, given direction to the true purpose of the element/kata as taught by Sosai Oyama and Hanshi Arneil.

My knowledge of Kyokushin kata is limited, however from a general "budo" perspective, the tempo / speed of performance is something that you "absorb" from your instructor - as part of the kata "Omote".

K.