In this blog, we will be discussing the concept of martial arts kata including how, why, and when they are used. Equally as important, we shall discover the disadvantages which may make them completely unnecessary or ineffective training. To fully understand kata, we also dive into the integrity and ways of training martial arts.
I’ve practiced martial arts for over 20 years specializing in multiple martial arts whilst also studying the key details of many others. This includes throwing, weapons-based, empty-hand, and grappling arts as well as straight-forward Self-Defense systems and firearms tactics. Along with dozens of kata being learned over my career, I’ve also learned many ways in which information can be taught and retained. I consistently instruct, learn, study, read, and observe all types of martial arts. I consider myself well-rounded and very open-minded, ready and eager to learn, hear, and discuss with others.
It is the hope that the following information is enough to contribute towards the development of your own opinion. I will share my “current” overall opinion about this topic but implore you to validate all information presented and come to your own conclusions.
What is Kata in the Martial Arts?
Kata (型 or 形) are choreographed or pre-determined patterns of movements, practiced solo or with a partner, in various martial arts disciplines around the world. These include Karate, Taekwondo, Kung Fu, Wing Chun, Filipino Martial Arts, Iaido, and Aikido. Originating from Japan, the term “kata” translat es to “form” or “pattern”. These sequences are meant to demonstrate and perfect techniques, balance, timing, and other principles of martial arts skill and knowledge.
Here are some key points regarding the benefits of Kata:
1. Skill Development: Kata can help in refining a practitioner’s technique, ensuring that movements are executed with coordination, precision, and fluidity. Working on perfecting the movements of the art are integral to advancing their discipline both mentally and physically.
2. Muscle Memory: Repeated practice of martial arts kata ingrains the movements into muscle memory, allowing for automatic and instinctive reactions.
3. Discipline and Focus: Performing martial arts kata requires concentration and mental discipline, enhancing a martial artist’s focus and self-control. Focus is needed to continuously perfect each movement as it was intended while discipline is developed by taking the time and energy required to perform the kata.
4. Physical & Mental Conditioning: The rigorous practice of kata can enhance physical fitness, including strength, endurance, speed, flexibility, and overall health. This aspect requires one to practice the kata in a manner which supports these attributes. Strength requires implementing resistance, endurance requires decreased rest time, and so on.
5. Historical Preservation: Kata often contains traditional techniques passed down through generations, preserving the rich history and philosophy of martial arts. Historical context allows us a peek into the past and how practitioners experienced life as warriors.
How Kata Are Utilized
1. Training Tool: Kata serves as a training tool, providing a structured approach to learning and perfecting martial arts techniques. When done correctly, you can inherit an overall better technique and solidify your foundational understanding of the art.
2. Assessment and Progression: In many martial arts schools, proficiency in kata is a criterion for belt advancement and overall skill assessment. You may want to consider reading about RANKING IN MARTIAL ARTS for a perspective on the belt system as it exists today.
3. Self-Defense: Each movement in a martial arts kata can represent various defensive techniques against multiple opponents, weapons, or circumstances helping practitioners visualize and mentally prepare for actual scenarios. Essentially, kata is better than nothing.
4. Competitive Performance: Kata competitions allow martial artists to showcase their skills, precision, and understanding of the art in front of judges and gives them motivation to perform these with a superior level of skill.
Understanding Kata
Kata can be a vital component of martial arts training, offering a blend of physical, mental, and philosophical benefits. By understanding and practicing kata, martial artists can potentially develop the skills, discipline, and knowledge necessary to excel in their chosen discipline. Whether for personal growth, competition, or self-defense, the practice of kata remains an enduring and essential tradition in martial arts.
Types of Kata
Kata typically comes in two (2) main forms: PAIRED and SOLO:
1. Paired: Training with a partner to learn a concept or technique.
2. Solo: Sequences of movements and techniques performed without a partner.
Both types of martial arts kata offer benefits but come with cons as well. No matter what type of katas (or any type of activity) you practice, it should be done consciously and with intention. I want to reiterate CONSCIOUSLY and with INTENTION. The reason you are doing these katas is to ACTIVELY LEARN the material, not just perform it. If you are not thinking about it actively, then you are just performing the motions. The practice of Kata is to mainly hone your skills and perfect technique every single time.
How to Properly Practice Kata
You may practice both solo or paired kata similarly. Paired Kata, however, offers better opportunity for continuous or uninterrupted repetitions, inclusion of uncontrived movements or responses, and the addition of resistance. Allowing for these pattern disruptions is vital to staying spontaneous and preventing habit formation from the baseline pattern.
Here are some practice points to consider:
1. Step-by-Step Learning: Beginners learn step-by-step, starting with basic, gross movements, and gradually progressing to more refined technique and complex sequences as their skills improve. For excellent technical understanding and performance, aim to be as precise, intentional, and purposeful as possible with every action.
2. Regular Repetition: Consistent and regular practice is essential to mastering movements and technique. Practitioners often repeat each form until the movements become second nature.
3. Visualization: While performing Solo kata, martial artists visualize opponents in real combat situations, enhancing the practical application of each technique.
4. Feedback and Correction: Instructors can provide feedback and corrections, helping students refine their movements and improve their overall performance.
5. Exercise and Attribute Development: During Solo Kata, tense your muscles, increase or decrease speed, intensify every action, work beyond your threshold to increase flexibility, or modify the movements to make them more physically demanding & challenging. For Paired kata, aim for pattern breaks and variations in intensity.
No matter the goal, practicing kata properly means you’ve challenged yourself both physically and mentally to enhance your attributes and skills. Your understanding of distinct principles of martial arts will improve. If you don’t know what you should be learning or focused on, consult your instructor.
The History and Development of Kata
Martial arts katas, as we know them today, is primarily based out of East / South Asian Martial Arts (China, Philippines, Japan). This particular blog is not intended to become a history lesson. Essentially, kata was developed and intended as a tool to teach students and preserve the technical, cultural, & philosophical aspects of a martial art. For individuals who could not read or write, it was appropriate to use a method such as Kata for documentation.
At certain points in history, kata has been created or modified in order to practice martial arts while it was deemed illegal to do so. This was a political attempt to control the people and inhibit their abilities to create the skills needed for an uprising. Often, many katas incorporated “hidden” techniques or “encoded” movements to prevent onlookers from knowing it was martial arts training or learning the secrets and tactics of the art. Later, we’ll discuss why this was a bad idea.
Contextual Significance
Some katas were formed to teach the martial arts and some have been formed based on actual encounters or battles. A detailed look into certain katas can give you an in-depth, historical understanding of the times in which they were created. This is one of the most fascinating aspects of kata as they are much like open books. We can explore the past, interpret them in a logical way, and learn from them. Just imagine how many books, and kata, were likely formed and lost over the many centuries before us… death and destruction throughout history does not allow us future folk to have a complete knowledge of Earth’s past events. All we have is what’s left. Some say it’s due to survival because the style was superior… but that would be complete speculation.
For an example of context, there is a Samurai Sword kata done in Seiza (kneeling position) with the katana placed by the practitioner’s side. The sword is grabbed, removed from its saya (scabbard), and thrusted straight up while the practitioner elevates on their knees. Without historical context, you’d think this person is trying to stab a bird mid-flight or turn off a smoke-detector that just won’t stop beeping! In actuality, this kata was simulating the person sitting in an onsen (hot tub), hearing an intruder traversing the room or roof above him, deploying his sword upward to stab the foot of the intruder. So frickin’ cool. Without proper context, we, as onlookers, cannot always assume we know what’s happening. We can deduce and theorize all day but ONLY the creator of the martial arts kata knows the true “bunkai” (interpretation).
Relevance of Kata in Modern Times
Understand that the more “traditional” the martial art, the older the kata will likely be. With old kata comes old, potentially irrelevant context compared to today’s way of life. The methods that were once used regularly and necessarily in the past may not be as relevant today or a hundred years from now. A great example is that sword kata previous explained. We typically don’t have swords by our side whilst bathing hither nor do we have roof or ceiling structures easily penetrated with a katana. While the kata is intriguing, it’s irrelevant to modernity. The question is, “is it valuable”? From a historical preservation and educational standpoint, absolutely! For practical purposes of learning Iaijutsu / Iaido (katana sword arts), it is completely unnecessary as you could simply read or practice the concept during a regular class session to gain just as much knowledge and value.
Knowing a 400 year-old kata is cool and all, but if it’s not useful, it’s useless. it’s equivalent to saying you own a 400 year-old vase with a hole in the bottom. It won’t hold dirt, water, or flowers but does hold historical significance. In the end, it’s just a useless vase. When it breaks, it will not have an everlasting effect on the world since value is subjective. Would losing a kata be the end of the art?
The evolution and mixing of martial arts around the world has created styles that make older, more “traditional” martial arts less effective and less reliable. Realistically and from the view of practicality, if you don’t evolve, you die. Look how firearms, explosives, and technology changed the way the world does war. We no longer line up in echelon formation waiting to die. There is no meetup with thousands of soldiers with a battle-cry for victory. Today, hand-to-hand combat is rare thanks to gross military combat with long-range weapons of enormous firepower and destruction. In warfare, if you don’t adapt and evolve, you run the risk of being conquered.
For a long time, you could not simply go to another country or look up tutorials online to learn other martial arts methods and tactics. There was always the element of surprise. They’d have to deploy spies or take notes on the battlefield. Take the farmers of Japan, for example, and how they needed to develop Kobudo (weapons arts) using farming equipment as their baseline tools for defense against the Samurai. Had they not used ingenuity, it would’ve been a different story for them.
In Japan, Ninja, Samurai, or any other weapon users would carry weaponry or tools on their belt line or waist. They may carry elsewhere also, but the waist was popular for its accessibility and convenience. Look at today’s warriors… where do police and military tend to carry weapons or supplies? On the waist. Why does this matter? In feudal Japan, if I needed to deploy or retain a weapon, it would be done so from the waist. This means that it would not be off-base for a police officer to train the Samurai Sword where in which he could learn the concept of weapon retention, deployment, distancing, movement, etc. It’s not meant to replace firearms training, but to supplement it.
Irrelevance today doesn’t invalidate kata or a martial art. It’s OK to find an entire martial art irrelevant and impractical as long as we do not discount it without understanding it first. Ignorance is why people cut themselves short of their potential and how valuable knowledge fades away. Assuming something without due diligence of education is a good way to stay stupid. There is so much to learn from all martial arts and sometimes, you just have to look for the relevance.
Remaining purposely ignorant and naïve of other martial arts is a good way to get caught off-guard.
The Cons of Kata in Martial Arts
Briefly, here are some of the common reasons why some practitioners and experts argue that kata may not be the most effective training method:
1. Lack of Realism:
- Static and Predictable: Kata involving pre-arranged movements and sequences, which can be very different from the dynamic and unpredictable nature of real-life combat situations.
- No Opponent Interaction: Practicing SOLO kata means that students miss out on experiencing real-time reactions, resistance, and the unpredictability of an actual confrontation. This can create the illusion of flow. Real situations are chaotic, erratic, and seemingly uncoordinated due to split-second decision making and reactions.
2. Limited Practical Application:
- Unrealistic Techniques: Some techniques in kata may be outdated or impractical for modern self-defense scenarios. These movements can sometimes be too stylized and not easily applicable in a real fight or defense scenario. This includes “hidden” techniques.
- Overemphasis on Form: Focusing too much on perfecting the form can lead to neglecting the practical aspects of fighting, such as improvisation and adaptability.
3. Potential for Bad Habits:
- Muscle Memory: Repeated practice of a specific pattern can create muscle memory that might not be relevant in any specific combat scenario. This may place the practitioner at a disadvantage after executing a technique instinctively even though contraindicated.
- False Sense of Security: Mastering kata can give practitioners a false sense of confidence in their combat abilities, which might not translate effectively to real-world self-defense situations.
4. Time-Consuming:
- Time Investment: Learning and perfecting kata can be very time-consuming. Some argue that this time could be better spent on more practical training methods such as sparring, drilling, and conditioning.
- Slow Progression: The emphasis on kata can slow down the overall progression of a student’s practical application as it diverts time and energy from other training methods that may be more functional or productive.
5. Resistance to Innovation:
- Traditional Focus: Kata is rooted in tradition, which can sometimes lead to resistance against modern training techniques and innovations. This can result in a training program that is less effective for contemporary self-defense needs.
- Rigidity: The structured nature of martial arts kata can make it difficult for practitioners to adapt and innovate, potentially stifling the development of more effective, adaptive fighting techniques.
What’s Wrong With Kata? It’s the People…
Kata has been passed-down and managed by people. Details can change or go missing over time, everything is up to personal interpretation, and value is in the eye-of-the-beholder.
Humans hear and see what they want. We use our own life experiences, expectations, and education to develop our own interpretations of information presented to us. Humans create these pre-conceived ideas, notions, or have agendas, which can inhibit their ability to think freely and consider alternatives. We see this everywhere today. Blind followers will believe what they’re told as long as they respect the person saying it while more intelligent people question everything and everyone.
Why is it important to question everything and everyone? Because we are human. We are flawed. We are not trustworthy. We let emotions lead our lives causing us to make bad decisions with everlasting negative effects. We are easily manipulated to believe things without significant proof and we can be conditioned. We are on an everlasting quest to make things our own, make things matter. Carrying on traditions is not easy. Even when raised under certain traditions, it’s normal for someone to feel rebellious and consider halting them for various or no reasons at all.
In the real world, if you can’t argue both sides, you do not hold an informed opinion. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of kata makes your opinion more meaningful. Whether to someone else or yourself, you did your research and not just attend a couple classes or read an article by your favorite Sensei 😉
So let’s discuss some issues regarding the credibility and integrity of Kata.
Whisper Down The Alley
“Whisper down the alley” is an exercise of communication for a group of people in which a motion or phrase is passed down the line by whispering or demonstrating the information until the last person receives it. Often enough, the last person tends to have a different motion or phrase than the original. Why does this occur? People simply mishear, misinterpret, or transfer the message in a manner different “enough” to change it. Even with the smallest of details being altered, a domino effect surely ensues. It may not be apparent in the first few people, but even a small stone can make ripples across a big pond.
Imagine now that a “Kata” and it’s meaning was passed down through many generations. We’re talking dozens, if not, hundreds of people, in a cascade effect. Everyone will potentially add, remove, or simply change one little thing here or there. It could be on purpose or accidental. Therefore, if the martial arts kata or information isn’t officially documented on original paper or carved in stone when it was created 400 years ago, signed and delivered, how can you POSSIBLY tell someone it’s completely accurate and correct? Spoiler alert: you can’t!
When someone tells me something, I don’t adopt it as truth immediately. If I cannot contradict or counter the statement with evidence of my own, I’ll process and retain the information until I can validate or invalidate it. What’s important is that I ONLY present the information as factual when it becomes validated. Otherwise, I will disclose it as hearsay for others to look into and consider as well.
To illustrate “whisper down the alley”, I’ve learned katas only a few generations old and there were still inconsistencies. For example, a 13-step jo-staff kata in Aikido, which is only 70 years-old, give or take, was taught to me a certain way just three (3) instructors down from the “creator”. The same kata can be seen performed decades ago by one of the founder’s primary students (outside my lineage) but different. I’ve practiced the same kata in other Aikido schools as well and it was significantly different. Even during my training, the kata experienced minor adjustments. So which is best or valid? Honestly, all of them AND none of them. The founder either taught it different ways, it was modified on purpose (evolved) by students, or it experienced the “whisper down the alley” effect. Despite the inconsistencies, it begs the question, “which one is proper and why is it better than the others”? Can we trust kata after acknowledging the effects of human involvement?
Hidden Techniques
Within Kata are many movements including blocks, stances, attacks, throws, etc. With enough experience, especially with a partner, you can decipher these movements and train them with the intention of a certain practicality. Conjuring up possible scenarios based on a specific kata could be fun and engaging. As martial arts knowledge evolves, new bunkai could be created for these same exact kata. Even so, is all this “figuring-out” necessary as opposed to instructor-led learning of a combination to include it’s many possibilities? Not today, but maybe it was necessary many years ago before technology allowed us to record things readily and with ease. We have no need to memorize things today with so many ways to record them. With so many techniques today, could we possibly fit them all in to a handful of kata? I don’t think so.
Painting a wooden fence upwards and sideways, as in the movie, “The Karate Kid“, will not make you instantly great at blocking, as suggested. Painting a fence is just painting a fence although the “concept” of blocking is “hidden” within. If Master Miyagi had asked him to paint the fence with the “intention” of learning to block, it would’ve been much more beneficial for Daniel-San. Blocking strikes is simply not the same as painting a fence. Relating an exercise for practical purposes leads to better understanding and utilization.
Here is the down-low… if you are not performing techniques properly, every time, you will not perform them properly under stress. “Train how you fight, fight how you train”. This can’t be emphasized enough. If your kata is weak, you will be weak. If your kata is slow, you will be slow. Practicing a throw in a “dance-like” fashion not even remotely similar to the actual technique will not aid you in learning the throw. To become proficient, you must develop a balance of speed, movement, and technique that works best for you and is best done with a partner. Upon performing a solo kata for an instructor (who doesn’t know the exact bunkai), if they question what you’re doing, it shouldn’t be done. Your movements should clearly depict the technique performed. The context or scenario of the martial arts kata is always up for interpretation, but the movements should be proper and on-point. Doing things wrong, intentionally, will ruin your overall technique.
Memorization
Memorization is something all martial artists have to experience at one point or another. There really is no getting around it with so many terms, techniques, concepts, and exercises. To be truly proficient, information has to be naturally consumed over time. The more you ingrain the information via practice, the easier you will recall and execute it without much thought. Concepts and technique will become second nature. Not thinking during the execution of technique is a significant goal in martial arts training. This requires the study and understanding of basic concepts, fundamental principles, and foundational technique.
Keeping notes and documenting your training is integral to advancing and remembering important details that may otherwise be lost. This is important so we don’t waste time “re-inventing the wheel” for information less practiced. Can you simply show up and eventually integrate the information to become proficient? Absolutely! But there is so much information, especially if you are studying multiple disciplines. Is it realistic to memorize 10 katas for this art, 13 for this one, and another 8 for that art with some being 20-30 movements each? Let’s not forget basic, everyday principles and techniques we learn in class that can be random and numerous. Let’s pretend that you can or already do have all this memorized… it’s a lot of information to store and a lot of time and energy dedicated to maintaining their accuracy (whisper down the alley).
Documenting is ideal for preservation and means it’s ok to forget, especially if you don’t intend on teaching. After learning numerous kata, both paired and solo, I’ve found the choreographed katas quite the time investment with little to no return regarding skillset acquisition that I wasn’t able to get from regular lessons.
Would you enjoy practicing the same kata for 50 years? Would you like to re-watch the same documentary, weekly, for 50 years? At some point, the information is learned and the vehicle it came in will be out of gas.
Note-taking is ideal for revisiting techniques and drills, specifically the ones lesser practiced. Remember to notate WHAT, HOW, and WHY you’re doing something. Take lessons and review them as often as you want. Transform the lesson into your own solo kata or use open-mat time to practice it. Eventually, you will learn the fundamentals of your discipline so well you won’t need to think about it or refer to your notes as often. With so much information to learn from an instructor, there is really no time for kata as the variation of technique and drilling is limitless. It’s recommended you be more concerned with remembering technique or combative concepts learned in class than a sequence of choreographed movements.
Pattern Development
Patterns become habits, muscle-memory. This can be good & bad. Good in that your response is quicker and more natural. It can be bad because the pattern executed may not be relevant to the situation. Performing the same sequence repetitively can inhibit our ability to move freely and be ever ready to adapt. I’m NOT saying learning patterns is bad, quite the contrary, but we cannot train it solely and treat it as gospel. When practicing any patterns, use them for attribute building and adjustment to technique, but include free-style movements. Allow for opportunities of pattern-breaks to explore reactions, issues, and solutions. Every technique or kata should address variation of technique and scenarios.
With katas, getting locked-in to specific patterns can create a certain rigidity in training. These movements then become your bible and you may very well, instinctually sound them off when the time is right. However, if the pattern you’ve spent so much time practicing is irrelevant to the actual scenario, you’ll be forced to adapt and adjust instantaneously. A better way to practice is individual scenarios, circumstances, or techniques while adding variation. While focusing on patterns may provide instinctual movement and coordinating, it may not allow you to adjust appropriately when a wrench is thrown into the gears. We must acknowledge the flaws and vulnerabilities as well as the advantages to any pattern we learn.
Martial Arts & Kata Evolution
Would it be a sin to create new techniques, modify an existing kata, or even create an entirely new kata today? If you think so, then you probably wouldn’t be opposed to living without internet, yes? How about electricity or modern medicine? We survived 1000’s of years before those but you would have to admit we have evolved and advanced as a race. If you want to live in the past and only do things they did in the past, then go for it. If you want your technique to rely only on the “context” of the past, then go for it! It’s every tactician’s dream for their opposition to be unprepared for their tactics. This is exactly why spies exist… to gather intel so they side can adapt and not be taken off-guard.
Everything works until it doesn’t. We must stay relevant and progress forward. Advancing our understanding of techniques and knowledge will give us an advantage. Disregard elements that do not contribute to learning your martial art. If it’s not helping, it may be hurting.
With the convenience of sharing information world-wide in an instant, everything is out there. There are no more secrets. There are no “hidden” techniques. There are no superior styles. We have access to it all. Anything that can possibly be done to the human body most likely has already been discovered. Martial artists that study more than one art learn that they are all fundamentally similar but stylistically or contextually different.
Should we create firearms katas as they once did for swords or other weapons? Or how about a wrestling or boxing kata? Shadow boxing is similar to kata but it’s free-form. These could “preserve” techniques for future generations… and who would be best suited for creating them? If kata is important for somethings, why not others?
A prime example of evolution involves BJJ and the formation of the UFC. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) evolved from Judo and Ju-Jutsu. They refined the knowledge and training from Mitsuyo Maeda to ultimately develop a very effective method of grappling that rivaled even it’s own origins. Throughout the 1900’s, the Gracie’s were known to hold underground challenges against any and all competitors of any style. They won a majority of the 1-on-1, no rules, empty-hand contests. The UFC debuted as a televised (almost anything goes) fight contest created by the Gracie family to showcase the superiority of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) to the world. During the first several UFC events, Royce Gracie debuted and defeated many opponents of varying size and skill level, representing BJJ as a powerhouse of fighting styles.
Since the formation of the UFC, however, BJJ is no longer considered as superior as it once was. Instead, a new form of martial art has taken precedence known simply as Mixed Martial Arts or MMA. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is no longer a surprise attack on the world of martial arts. It has since been assimilated and adapted into any style willing to acknowledge its effectiveness. As a result, many people have improved it as a fighting art and created defenses for it as well. The secret’s out, essentially. If you know what the opponent’s style, it’s easier to defend, theoretically.
Evolution is key and comes from knowledge. Therefore, it’s not off-base that katas have been likely modified on purpose throughout the years. It’s also extremely likely that the original creators of any one kata may have gone through several versions before or even after passing it on. I once again bring up the 13-step jo-kata mentioned prior… whether it was altered by O’Sensei himself or his students is not the issue, we must know which is most valid if we are to incorporate and pass them on.
When you’re not willing to evolve a martial art, you are doing the world of martial arts a HUGE injustice and are simply a historian.
Time Changes All
Let’s not forget, most of the arts were developed in a time where hand-to-hand or weapon-based (non-firearm) combat was common place. These people were training for their lives, not sport, not preservation, not for fun. They were training for war, to defend their homes, or to maintain their honor. It was kill or be killed. Context is everything. It was simply a different way of life than the average person lives today. Arguably, human civilization is safer and much more civilized than ever before.
Think about it, what was more important 400 years-ago? Focusing on preserving a martial arts kata from 300 years prior OR developing the most effective form of fighting at the time? They needed to win. They were learning, developing, and evolving every chance they got. Learning and evolving was a priority. Knowing their enemy’s tactics, they’d be fools not to integrate or work to discover proper offense and defense.
While some follow the “old school” of thought of undying trust and loyalty to the teacher, others are learning from many styles and developing their own. While some people stay content with their abilities and trust their art form as it is, others will study the flaws within and aim to correct them while filling any voids with information from other styles. We develop and advance our martial arts with the times. Imagine if Bruce Lee never studied outside Ip Man‘s instruction… Jeet Kune Do (JKD) would be non-existent. Like it or not, he combined, evolved, and revolutionized several styles to create JKD. You can too. Why not?
Someone had to create these martial arts, these “Kata”, and they were not created in one day! They evolved into what they are now. Adding and removing things constantly until they came up with the best approach at the time. Who are we to halt that PROGRESS? Who are you to say the art is complete?
The whole point of martial arts is to evolve. Just like technology and weaponry, if you don’t advance them along with your knowledge, skillset, and tactics while everyone is, you will be left in the dust. Many martial arts are only a century old while some are several centuries old. But is age a factor? Not when we consider evolution. Survival of the fittest. Centuries old tactics and techniques MAY not be relevant today, as previously discussed.
Don’t get stuck in the past. Adapt. Change. Modify. Adjust. Create to your heart’s content. Every practitioner’s goal is to contribute to the martial arts. Every practitioner has something to offer. Everyone SHOULD aim to take any and all knowledge they possess and create their own style. Do what works for you and learn how it works for others. That’s exactly what was done to create the art you know today. Let’s continue that legacy. Hopefully, our contributions will only move the arts forward and not keep them in the past.
Does Older or “Traditional” Kata Equal Better?
In short, NO. If that were true, then that would contradict the evolution argument. Is learning classical music a requirement to becoming a skilled musician? It surely helps but there are plenty of musicians that have never played classical.
Remember, someone had to make up these Kata at some point. Whoever decided those specific katas were gospel? Were kata’s only passed-on by warriors who had battlefield-tested tactics (speculative argument)? What about the kata people didn’t pass on and have been lost? Earlier, I brought up learning a “13-step jo kata”… I’ve also learned a 9, 31, and 35 step Jo-Kata in my Aikido system. Let it be known that other schools and affiliations don’t recognize the 9 & 35-step katas while I’ve also discovered there is a 22-step Jo kata missing from my lineage. Am I missing out or are they? Where did mine come from? Why am I missing one? See how many questions surround martial arts kata? What’s truly important is “usefulness”.
As a student, I’ve been told certain katas were “generations-old” and needed to be performed exactly as taught. Before you knew it, there were modifications or corrections by my teacher or his teacher. It was also mentioned we have techniques and kata from a Samurai family that’s not even in the record books with no way to validate. You know what? I really don’t care. I can’t prove my Great, Great, Great Grandfather ever existed but here I am, in the flesh… Where the information came from is not as important as the information itself. Its credibility does not make it more or less useful.
Knowing where or when a martial art started has no bearing on how we use it today.
If you teach me a technique, it either works or doesn’t. It’s only as good as the person using it. I don’t care if the technique is made up last night or 1,000 years ago. While it’s interesting to know an origin or roots, it does not factor into its usefulness. Conversely, preservation of katas that are subjectively unique can be a good way to pass on, otherwise, lost tactical knowledge and context. Recording such kata is intriguing and worth the read.
Sensei Says
Realistically, what we need most in martial arts training are curriculum-based drills and techniques with a partner combined with “jiyu waza” (free form technique; uncontrived response to random attacks). Kata is USEFUL when performed appropriately but would be inadequate, alone, to learn a martial art. They should only be considered supplemental in attribute development and NOT used as a primary learning method or curriculum requirement. While it can be fun and make someone look and feel extraordinary, we can also find numerous examples of kata being performed in poor fashion. They run through the motions with no power, intention, or sometimes even proper technique. Make it useful.
The memorization of the kata is not important while the execution of the techniques and movements remains vital. Instructors should focus more on detailed techniques for their students, explaining the in’s and out’s during a drill evolution. There shouldn’t be mystery or interpretations. There shouldn’t be anything but information. Instead of worrying about getting the “pattern” down, focus on the actual movements themselves and their purpose. Allow for slight variations and aim for the gross concepts to be understood instead of exact, pinpoint technical factors until you become more advanced.
Paired Kata
Paired Kata gives you tactile feedback your brain can use to ingrain the information more accurately and securely. No interpretation needed. Just being in the moment, feeling, and experiencing the simulation. I suggest partnered exercises in which the attack is standardized (such as a wrist grab or strike) while the response (technique) is learned systematically at first and gradually advancing to slight variations or resistance later on. I believe this is necessary to understanding and defining the facets of individual techniques and principles. This gives us practical application, stress inoculation, and resistance experience.
Being interactive is integral to understanding and advancing your craft. Learning to drive a stick-shift automobile and practicing in a chair at home is not a bad idea but would you expect that person to drive effortlessly and effectively the moment they sat in a real driver’s seat? It’s possible, but unlikely.
Solo Kata
After 20+ years of consistent training, I’ve learned numerous kata in Aikido, Iaijutsu, and a couple other disciplines but never learned a single one in Kempo-Karate, BJJ, or Jujutsu yet I’m proficient. It’s highly doubtful that being forced to learn and memorize specific Kempo katas would make me a better practitioner… But every time I perform purposeful and intentional training or receive instruction, I walk away wiser and reassured in my understanding of technique, concepts, or principles.
Solo kata is much better suited for attribute development, exercise, or perfecting individual technique such as general form, movement, stances, posture, balance, etc. I recommend that solo kata only be performed with these goals in mind and to use your existing arsenal of techniques in a flowing, natural, and charismatic way to demonstrate and practice your discipline. This means to be in the moment and visualize opponent’s actions to decide on the next sequence of techniques. This will supercharge your imagination as well as your understanding of the fundamentals by experiencing an infinite amount of scenarios. The mere thought and actively imagining “what could happen” and deploying a physical and mental response to it is very good training.
Solo kata should be comprised of random movements created in the moment exhibiting solid form, proper movement, and excellent technique. You will still reap all of the benefits of traditional kata without the need to memorize it exactly. Kata will also demonstrate to an instructor your understanding of various techniques and the basics, as long as the techniques are done in a way they are recognizable (if they are hidden, that means you are not performing them correctly). Every movement made in your uncontrived and spontaneous kata should be crisp and logically sound in terms of bunkai.
Summary
While kata is useful having its benefits in terms of discipline, technique refinement, and historical preservation, it also has several notable drawbacks. The lack of realism, limited practical application, potential for developing bad habits, time consumption, and resistance to innovation are significant criticisms. For a well-rounded martial arts education, it’s crucial to balance free-form solo kata with more dynamic and practical training methods better suited to teach the fundamental concepts and techniques of an art.
Main Points to Consider:
- Someone had to create these arts and they were NOT created in one day! They had to evolve into what they are now. Adding and removing things constantly, they came up with the best approach at the time, constantly evolving. They are not the gospel of martial arts.
- Solo kata should be done uncontrived, spontaneously, and without any pre-arranged form. Feel free to string-together multiple techniques in succession to include movement, strikes, blocks, throws, etc. with focus on the refining details. Perform with power, speed, overall great technique.
- Recognize, after every kata, every partnered or solo exercise, every class, or every experience what you’ve learned and reflect upon it to help reinforce and retain that information. Take notes!
- Working with a partner is always recommended over solo training if the opportunity exists, especially with less experienced practitioners. Otherwise, solo kata is great for supplemental training or attribute building.
- Practicing regularly is how we learn the martial arts. Not by memorizing lengthy sequences to perfection, but redirecting that energy into learning and retaining fundamental technique and concepts.
- The preservation of katas that are subjectively unique can be a good way to pass on, otherwise, lost tactical knowledge and context.
- Always practice consciencously with intention and purpose.
Instructor-to-Instructor Advice:
Remembering long or complex Kata is not a good training tool and not worth the effort as it can put a student into routine, make them content or overconfident, and waste time and energy they could be using elsewhere. Kata is no substitute for instructor-led training! While it may have been institutionalized to “pass-down” information, it still requires memory as does everything else not recorded.
I highly suggest partnered drills which focus on a specific concept or technique. Incorporating variables within these exercises is vital to the development of conceptual understanding, not just the performance. We never want someone to just “go through the motions”. Act with intention and purpose. This lays the foundation for developing proper angles, movement, manipulations, distance, coordination, and efficiency. It begins with light, stress-free training and gradually evolves to include dynamic variations of speed, resistance, and stress.
Solo katas are recommended only in the form of spontaneous, unplanned actions to demonstrate and refine solid technique, speed, power, & precision. Instead of teaching Solo kata to be memorized, focus on randomized striking, blocking, and movement exercises they can record and practice. Explore the concepts and purpose of each movement. Advanced students should aim for higher efficiency, precision, and effectiveness.
“Active Training” involves random attack, resistance, and sparring drills ideal for dynamic reaction and defense. Take the concept or lesson you’re trying to convey and have the student implement it actively, consciously. “Goal-Based Training” is when the student focus mainly on utilizing a primary concept or technique against specific, random, or varied attacks. “Conscious Training” is when the student receives specific or random attacks and responds as naturally as possible while still maintaining awareness of what is transpiring. Spend less time allowing students to have a “free-for-all” as the mentality to “win” easily overrides the learning center and activates the “do what you know” area of the brain. This creates a calmer demeanor and technical mindset whilst under stress.
My goal is to have students understand and implement concepts. We could teach a technique one way from one condition but that will be all they know. Instead, teach the “concept” of the technique and let them explore the many ways it can be utilized. An example is a “hip-throw”: I’d rather teach the concept of a hip-throw so that learning 5 other hip-throws is theoretically easier. Learn how the body operates and how the concepts manipulate and disrupt typical human function. You are less likely to forget techniques and become proficient with a conceptual approach.
When we understand the “CONCEPT” of a technique, we can truly start to explore and recognize its relevance in application. Answering the following indicates conceptual understanding:
- WHAT technique?
- HOW does it work?
- WHY does it work?
- WHEN does it work?
Additional questions to consider when forming your own opinion of Kata. These are here as an aid and completely subjective:
1. If the kata was only two generations old, would it hold value? How about if you practiced it for 10 years before finding out it was very new? Remember that at one point in time, the kata was only one (1) generation old, and it was good enough then… Is a 20 generation-old kata anything more than a history lesson?
2. If it’s not documented by the creator, can you possibly prove its accuracy? Even if you could, is it better than several hundred years of martial arts and technological evolution?
3. If you had only 6-months to teach someone everything you know about martial arts, would you include kata in that instruction?
4. Is it possible an instructor could teach the techniques of a kata instead of the kata itself whilst maintaining the integrity of the style?
5. Is it ok to create your own kata and pass it on? If not, why? Someone else fabricated them, why can’t you? Is there a requirement of experience in order to do such a thing? If so, what is that criteria, exactly?
6. Have you found your particular kata(s) to be integral to your development as a martial artist? Does it have significant contribution to your skillset or knowledge that, without them, you would be less proficient?
Whatever your subjective opinion is about kata, everything we do deserves an introspective gander. What does it mean to me? Why does it matter, if at all? How does it affect me, if at all? Is it valuable, useful, or a waste of time?
Train diligently and with purpose.
Oss
