Making Katas Better
You hit the nail on the head….
Post by Jeremiah Kerber
When I hear people debate about kata, the classical mess, etc, I hear them arguing about beginers’ practice.
People should only be training in that formal, repetitive style until they know the movements of the form. It’s only slightly different than practicing your jab in the mirror or throwing front kicks in the air. It’s done to develop the fundamentals of the technique. It’s a warm up. It’s a moving meditation. It’s learning the alphabet before you learn to write.
Next you build power–sand bags, makiwara, heavy bag, kicking shield, etc.
Then put it into practice against a partner.
Now go back, mix up the techniques in the sequences, vary the timing and the range, do it backwards–whatever.
And at the end of it, if you don’t want to do kata anymore…don’t.
It’s a tool, meant to be used while it’s useful. It isn’t the magical formula people try to turn it into.
