Kata real timing

[tenkamusou]

I was having a conversation w/ my sensei about kata, and he told me that 90% of the people doing it ( especially in competitions ) are doing it wrong.

 

He was a direct student from Shikan Akamine, and he told me that in the beggining, they did in the slow rythim ( like most of us learn how to do it ), the medium speed, and then fast.

 

And he also told me, that the speed and rythim that people use it nowadays is the ones that only the begginers used to learn the kata, cause when you do it, it should be done twice as fast!

 

And I dunno if you saw on a show about that top 10 martial arts, when they showed karate, it was the real traditional okinawan karate, I'm sorry but I don't remember the name of the sensei, I'll check it out then tell you guys later. So, he did gekisai dai ichi, in a incredible speed, and kime, at the first look you say: "what the hell is he doing????". But that's the correct way of doing the kata!

 

For example Pian Nidan ( heian Shodan ), people usually take 40,50 secs to perform it. In the "correct" way this kata should last 30secs, 25 secs.

 

And I'm now training this way. I tell you, you've to really know the kata well in your mind, know how to breath correctly, to move real fast, and to punch real strong. It's not an easy tast to do. I recommend you try it!

 

Off course that If u do this way in a championship or a tournament, people will look and say: "WTF?????????????", cause for some viewers, the fast timing and speed might take the "beauty" of the kata. But anyways, as we karate practioners always say: Kata is not a dance! So why should we care about it's looks instead of it's efficiency?

 

And If you guys search old kata videos ( 50's or 60's) you'll see what I'm talking about! I'm a shito-ryu, but I've see videos of shotokan guys doing the same way as we are supposed to do in shitoryu!

 

Well, that's my message for you guys! I ask you to forgive me about my bad english! And I hope that for those who are interested not only in the "sport" aspect of karate, but also in the art, do not forget it's roots, and it's "correct" ways. And for those who already dedicate yourselfs only in the art aspect, I hope that you already know all this stuff that I said! hehehehehhhe

 

Thanx

 

See ya

[Darce]

Interesting read. And your English is actually very good.

[tenkamusou]

Tetsuhiro Hokama is the name of the sensei I saw on the program... and he was doing Gekisai Dai Ichi...

[G95champ]

There are many ways to work kata and each will give you a differant take. Be it change the speed, or timming or do it backwards. All of which are good. I don't really agree that one should go as fast as they can because certin combos take time but I do see the importance of developing speed.

 

I do agree that most people do not do kata the correct way. This usually has less to do with the speed but the application and practice of them.

[Kate]

*edit* Edited October 17, 2003 by Kate

[tenkamusou]

Exactly kate... they used kinda as a form of fighting, and if u 're surrounded by 4 or 5 enemies, you won't fight them as most of the guys do kata.

 

That's why u've got to do it fast.

 

And of course that there're many ways to practice a kata, you do it slow when u're learning, but once u have it tattooed in your mind, i recommend u speed it up! and practice... u'll see d diference.

[karatekid1975]

I feel there isn't a "wrong" way to do kata. It depends on how the instructor teaches it and/or the person doing them. I've been to two schools that do the same forms, but they are slightly different (which made it a little confusing at first). Some kata are done fast, others slow. When I learn a kata for the first time, I definitely go for technique, not speed. Then once I have it down, I'll speed it up a bit, but not to the point where, if you were in a tourny or something, the person judging/watching couldn't see your moves. Just my opinion

[shotochem]

In our dojo we practice kata in various ways. We go regular speed, slow motion and also as fast as possible without losing your technique. That along with mirrior, reverse and when sensei is in a crazy mood, blindfolded.

 

Its amazing how when you think you know a kata a little thing like sight or change of direction can be a somewhat humbling experience.

[Sauzin]

I couldn’t agree more with what you are saying. Please allow me to theorize as to why this is.

 

There is a vast amount of beginning and intermediate level students coming to the states and becoming instructors. Often it occurs in a style or system that the founder never reached much further then an intermediate level under his sensei and it is taught from person to person, no higher then this. Many styles have lost their more advanced kata practice.

 

I believe it is truly important to practice kata slowly, step by step, movement by movement until a very solid foundation and understanding of the movements is obtained. Eventually it should be practiced as though one were actually fighting. Perhaps what truly differentiates this method of kata practice is the lack of individual step by step motions. Really the only way to obtain the correct “speed” is to flow one movement into the next as efficiently (without excessive motion) as possible. The reason kata is separated into separate movements or techniques is because it is very important to learn how to finish a motion before starting the next. But at an advanced level the motions are finished by flowing or rebounding into the next motion instantaneously. This has the appearance of speeding the kata up tremendously and looks entirely different then the standard “one, two, three” step by step kata practice. I don’t think it is always that they are moving faster though. I think they are simply not stopping.

 

In many tournaments this would not get you very high marks. Long dramatic pauses and smooth slow motions sprinkled with quick bursts seem to be the standard high scores now days. Of course kata were not designed to make high scores.

 

-Paul Holsinger