is kata worth the time

[theswarm]

Forms are awesome

 

It takes alot of self discipline to be able to do a form/kata well, and in disciplining yourself to do that form well you learn or improve your breathing techniques (useful in a real fight/sparring - breathing improves timing and decreases adrenaline AKA tunnel vision/nervousness), timing ( timing is ever so important), strength of technique. I heard that alot of the katas/forms had secret techniques that the masters of the styles did not wish to be stolen by other schools. In my style i can think of a few techniques in katas that we don't necessarily do in kihon and in sparring.

 

It also teaches you to get out of your shell as far as sparring, you get used to standing thorugh a different stance than you usually do, find new uses for stances, has a variety of applications from those stances. (Thinking of karate now - seinchun mainly in sumo stance). bassai dai - while I can't imagine actually ripping someone's testicles off and then snapping them off with a crescent kick, some of the moves in that i could see a practical application for - the grab and then sidekick that snaps the knee of the opponent etc.

 

You can always tell the people who hate kata when you spar them (in my style anyway) they do not alternate their fighting style often, usually always the same stance. It's hard to explain but even though a kata or form is a routine I think it actually encourages people to be not so predictable as you can unconsciouscly mix katas into the way you fight (because you do the kata like a zillion times some of the combinations of moves become second nature).

 

Basics is the most important. I also think sparring drills is important, a little bit of conditioning, and keeping your body strong, and eating well.

 

Also I think the kinds of sparring you do should change every now and then. I love phonebox sparring, ju kumite is great, 2 person drills, even occasional point sparring is alright if you're into it, and bare knuckle full contact (but my school doesn't do this but sometimes i do it with friends who do MA).

[wcnavstar]

Piont blank,

 

If you do nothing but fight you might as well not even take martial arts. You are better off participating in street fights; because, a street fighter and even martial artists who do not practice kata are very raw and there technique cannot stand up against anyone whom does an equal amount of kata and full contact training.

 

Many of these arts have been around for many years in some cases, hundreds. Hence, the kata are not wasted time and useless. To assume that becuase we consider ourselves to be of a more advanced mind that our theories and concepts on fighting make the old mehtods of training useless, is just plain stupid. The older methods of fighting were develpoped by people who at any given time would have to fight to the death for land, possession, or even uprising agaist their own government. They were not fighting for ego, a wallet, and most of them carried some type of weapon.

 

Therefore, since we do not face these same circumstances. We are quick to discount there methods as either no longer needed or even ineffective. By doing this, we are responsible for the degrading of the martial arts world into a big joke. A race to develop the most effective form of fighting to learn within the least amount of time. The majority of the people who undertake the study of the martial arts are not natural fighters. Kata is a tool to guide not only inexperienced students, but seasoned veterens as well. Anyone who has studied Wing Chun will know the importance of kata for effective training.

 

Many people choose not to do kata because it is the search for perfection in your technique. While you can never truly attain perfection. The path toward that goal is not easy and does not come quickly. Most Americans are looking for the easy path to fighting knowlegde.

 

In this aspect, they are not true martial artists. They seek only to fight, either for ego or simply for self-defense. Now this is not the wrong way to go about training. But, the true study and heart of the martial arts lies within the kata. They are a look back into the past. Kata is an example of what your capabilities can be. And as quoted by others on this subject, it provides muscle memory training; thus creating a more perfect natural reaction to whatever situation comes your way.

 

Therefore, in my opinion, anyone who does not practice kata, is wasting there time studying a "Martial Art" and should concentrate more on just being known as a Fighter, nothing more.

[ramymensa]

wcnavstar: i wouldn't be so hard on those who dan't study katas in their styles

 

I still agree with many of the things you said about the use of katas.

 

Welcome to the Karate forums

[ninjanurse]

I agree with wcnavstar and it is true that America is a society with that "get rich quick" mentality. The quicker, the easier, the better.

 

Martial arts has a rich history and has survived the centuries because of students who strive to pass on kata and techniques as they were taught. It is a precious gift given to us by our teachers and we should pass it on with the reverence in which it was given. I myself am honored to be able to do this.

[wcnavstar]

Ramymensa: I have yet to begin to touch on the principles and uses of the various kata found throughout the martial arts. It is all a matter of style really. And within the different styles are different kata, primarily used to developed theorie and concepts.

 

I apologize if I come off too strong and harsh. Especially being so new to the forum. However I am no ametuer when it comes to the martial arts. If any of you would care to discuss in further detail, kata and what you beleive their true uses to be then I would be more than glad to discuss this issue with anyone. But if you belive forms to be useless, then please do not even talk to me.

 

Although, you never know who may teach you your next lesson that you can carry with you in life. So with that in mind I am open up to any further questions or comments.

 

Very Respectfully wcnavstar

[Kyle-san]

Although, you never know who may teach you your next lesson that you can carry with you in life. So with that in mind I am open up to any further questions or comments.

 

You've made some excellent points, but what about styles that have no kata involved in them? For example, neither of the Jujutsu clubs I've been to have used kata as part of their training but they have some of the best technique that I've seen. There is still the heritage/history behind the moves and certainly noone that lasts there is looking to learn how to fight, does that make them a less complete martial artist?

[ninjanurse]

A kata is just one of the tools used...this is not to say that other martial arts are inadequate because they do not have "kata". JuJitsu schools do have kata of sorts, each "board" is a combination of techniques that are done in succession, usually the same order. One school that I studied at had a jj "kata" which was a series of takedowns, and techniques done as both the aggressor and the "uke"-usually took 5-10 minutes to finish. I guess what I am trying to say is that since kata is a series of techniques but together in a certain pattern, it can take on many forms without being labeled as such.

 

[Maho]

I believe that kata can be many things... first, a demo of the techniques, but at the same time, a way to master the techniques. In kata, you are utilizing many of the moves you know, some fast, some slow... by tieing them in a strand, you learn how to use them in situations. Kata definetly makes you stronger, but thats not to say its the only way, sparring and experience fighting is just as important, all are ways to obtain the goal

[karate_woman]

I believe that if I didn't study kata and the related bunkai I would miss some of the best moves in my style, many of which are in the katas we learn AFTER shodan. Those particular moves aren't in the basic drills we do, but get practiced when we do bunkai, and the safer ones can be practiced during sparring or grappling as well.

[blitzcraig]

If katas are taught correctly, then you should know why your doing them and what applications each move is for. They are you train you to be able to perform certain moves almost instantly because you would have practiced them so much. But unless you know what to use the blocks and strikes for, then its kinda pointless.