Too much speed in kata

[Spartacus Maximus]

When learning and practising kata, it is a very common for beginners and intermediate level practitioners to give to much attention to speed. Kata is not a performance or a dance. If kata is too fast, it becomes a blur where techniques blend into one another.

Every move must be clear and the emphasis must be on correct body mechanics rather than speed. To get the maximum benefit out of kata, one must practise with the aim of understanding every part independently instead of a sequence or choreography. Slowing down and focussing on each step or technique is too often overlooked.

[liger]

When learning and practising kata, it is a very common for beginners and intermediate level practitioners to give to much attention to speed. Kata is not a performance or a dance. If kata is too fast, it becomes a blur where techniques blend into one another.

Every move must be clear and the emphasis must be on correct body mechanics rather than speed. To get the maximum benefit out of kata, one must practise with the aim of understanding every part independently instead of a sequence or choreography. Slowing down and focussing on each step or technique is too often overlooked.

I found I did do that at the begging. The new fellow students seem to do the same thing. I also wonder if it may be our faults to some point. When we teach by example the first kata do we do it to fast for them to assimilate every move. Perhaps as advanced belts/ and black belts we could do it at a slower speed so they see every movement.

Another thought I have is when learning a new kata have you ever gone to fast without thinking through every movement? I find my self doing that sometimes and have to regroup and slow it down. Even starting half of the kata over if i make a mistake till I do it right.

This could also go into how do we teach kata. Some like to show it then have them work through it with students. Some just work through it with the students. Some even have were they tell you the moves to make while first learning the form.

I personally like the watch then do it with the instructor and upper belts. That way you can see the whole thing then work through it yet thats how my mind works. Yet i think the 1st and/or 2nd steps that i listed should allways be done slow so every movement may be able to be seen by the student.

Note: I am only brown so I am trying to chose my words carefully on the naming of teacher / advance. And in my school we upper belts help the lower belts. I personally like being able to do this.

Sorry little scatter trying to get all thoughts on paper.

[Karate_John]

No kidding, beginners and intermediate level practitioners like you said give way to much attention to speed. When i'm instructing I'm always telling them to do it at 1/2 speed, and if that is too fast I'll make them do it by the steps. I want to see the stances, body placement, proper form, and power. not speed.

Honestly, I think this is because they are going with the flow, they think they know the Kata, they want to get through it. But don't realize the nuances they are missing but speeding through it.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I have noticed it with my students where the beginners and intermediate students go really quickly and the advanced students slow down.

But I still see advanced students rush kata which frustrates me, because all i can think is that they don't care or want to get the best out of their training.

But I tell students irregardless of rank to slow down, because if you go slow then you can focus the quality of the kata and not the speed of it. Yes sometimes go quickly but in the aspect of strength/hip movement etc.

Also with the lower ranks i remind them to slow down because that will help them remember the kata and to make it better than if they go fast which may make them forget a step/do the wrong movement etc.

[Wasp]

I've seen this especially happening during tests, when students are nervous and do the kata even more quickly.

We sometimes do kata as if it was a Tai Chi class in order to focus on the movements and stances.

[liger]

I've seen this especially happening during tests, when students are nervous and do the kata even more quickly.

We sometimes do kata as if it was a Tai Chi class in order to focus on the movements and stances.

That's a fun way to do them. Very relaxing.

[Shizentai]

I think I know what you're saying: that students perform the entire kata quickly and morph one technique into another. As all mention, and I agree, this is a common mistake for beginners.

However, I think it's important to mention dynamics here as well. When performing kata, there should be a contrast between fast and slow techniques. Speed has it's place in kata too. Getting a karateka to physically understand this balance between tense and relax, and fast vs. slow in kata is advanced indeed. It's one of the things imo that makes a lot of high-level competitors stand out: their ability to control and exhibit both speed an purposeful slowness.

case in point for good speed contast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0lPJD5eIMs

[JR 137]

Power comes from technique, not speed. Every movement should be performed as though an enemy is standing in front of you; every movement should have intent behind it. A good video to teach the difference to students...

Speed -

I thought it was a joke and/or sped up to be made fun of. Look at the audience; it's not sped up at all. The "practicioners" are serious.

Intent/power -

William Oliver's version of Kanku never gets old. It would probably score low in a tournament, but I don't think he cared!

The other one never gets old either. For obviously very different reasons.

[Wastelander]

While I agree that one shouldn't rush through their kata, I feel that there is also value in doing so from time to time. If the movements must be applied quickly, and blended together, then it only makes sense that we should practice them that way, at least occasionally.

Consider Tetsuhiro Hokama Sensei:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv7GBs-LE1A

He runs a karate history museum out of his dojo on Okinawa, and is considered a master of Goju-Ryu karate, which is a fact that I don't think many would debate. From what I understand, though, he regularly runs his kata the way you see in the video, above. It has sections that are controlled and precise, but it also has sections that are seemingly-sloppy flurries of movement. He says that he does this because of the applications of the kata, and that makes perfect sense to me.

Now, all that said, I feel that this is really only beneficial if you've learned how to do all the movements properly and precisely, first. That requires you to slow way down, and practice at a regular tempo.

[JR 137]

While I agree that one shouldn't rush through their kata, I feel that there is also value in doing so from time to time. If the movements must be applied quickly, and blended together, then it only makes sense that we should practice them that way, at least occasionally.

Consider Tetsuhiro Hokama Sensei:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv7GBs-LE1A

He runs a karate history museum out of his dojo on Okinawa, and is considered a master of Goju-Ryu karate, which is a fact that I don't think many would debate. From what I understand, though, he regularly runs his kata the way you see in the video, above. It has sections that are controlled and precise, but it also has sections that are seemingly-sloppy flurries of movement. He says that he does this because of the applications of the kata, and that makes perfect sense to me.

Now, all that said, I feel that this is really only beneficial if you've learned how to do all the movements properly and precisely, first. That requires you to slow way down, and practice at a regular tempo.

A night and day difference between his and William Oliver's "fast" and the first video I linked to. I whole-heartedly agree - learn the intricacies, the hows and whys, then build up speed and power. If going lightning-fast makes realistic sense, use it. If it's fast just for the sake of being faster than anyone else, it's worthless.

A lot of people don't appreciate the process of learning enough. They do something once or twice and think about the next thing. Going fast shines a spotlight on the flaws.