Tips on Kata

[tenkamusou]

It's like they're trying to blow their nose but they have a sudden lack of Kleenex

 

Same here... but hopefully... people will see that, that SH noise is not so necessary...

[tenkamusou]

D'oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

that quote I tried to do didn't work.... ehehhehe

 

but you guys got it, right?

[omnifinite]

I think some people use it to focus. I think a lot of other people use it because they saw someone doing it who was focusing and they thought maybe it sounded cool and didn't really know why they were doing it. I catch my instructor doing it very slightly every once in a while. I think I'll ask him why he does it next time.

[DeeLovesKarate]

Know your kata thoroughly. Practice until you can do it with your eyes closed. Every turn is always eyes first then feet then hands. Work on letting the movements flow together. Do a kata over and over and over. Do it a few thousand times. Always try to do the best stance, the strongest blocks and the fastest punches and hand techniques you can. Then one day things will click. You will begin to get a special feeling. Then you are beginning to learn the kata.

 

I agree, but when you've reached the point where you can do it without thinking, take that as a hint to NOT THINK. When you know a kata, and can do it automatically, just be calm about it, because when you get yourself nervous and think, you start to look like a disoriented sea cow. Trust me, I've done it

[WhiteBelt]

What about rythem? If you want your kata to look good, you need to practice that as well.

[SaiFightsMS]

Yes pick them apart when you practice. Do just segments of a kata until that particular part flows smoothly. Then add the segments together until the whole thing begins to flow.

 

Many people look jerky when they do kata. They never get past the point of doing it on counts.

[Kirves]

I think some people use it to focus.

 

I wasn't taught to "use" the breathing like that for anything. It just comes naturally when I focus the force properly. When you flex the lower abdomen so forcefully it builds the internal pressure and blows some of the air out from your lungs, you hear a sharp hissing sound. Again, you have to be taught a proper way to tighten your hara/tandien before this will happen naturally. A good chi kung class will help with that. I've noticed many people flex the abs "outward" when they are supposed to flex "in" to build the internal pressure, at the same time the groin and spinchter muscles are to be tightened too, again thinking "inwards/upwards" as the direction of tightening. And it must be a very, very sharp and forceful movement. That way the internal pressure is built enough to both protect the inner organs from external shock, and to give extra punch for your technique. Pavel Tsatsouline explains this quite well in some of his books and videos.

[Faunus]

Always make your last move of the Kata the best move, everybody always sees your alst move and your stance, even if they don't watch anything else, they'll see your stance at the end of the kata.

[SaiFightsMS]

Faunus, welcome to the forum. Why not stop by the introductions area and introduce yourself so we can all welcome you to the forum.

 

Sai