What the heck is that?
Me: “Okay, guys, now it’s time to practice kata.”
Students: Collectively moan and groan, “No!!! Again!?”
I get it, practicing the same moves over and over and over again can be daunting. I was there, I felt the same way. That was until I finally understood that the repetition is not without reason. Understanding the who, what, when, where, why, and how; behind kata helps you truly appreciate it and its overall impact on you as a martial arts practitioner.
Table of Contents
Normally in conversation when people ask what a kata is, I respond with “have you ever seen those martial arts movies where the person is fighting no one on the beach?” Normally their answer is “Yeah… I think so.”
Well, those are katas. In a nutshell, Kata or “form” are prearranged set of movements comprised of various martial art techniques. Practicing kata helps fine-tune body mechanics, including muscle memory, which is needed to execute proper martial art techniques.
Kata consists of basic techniques (advanced kata have advanced techniques) that martial artists would/could use in sparring, combat, or self-defense. The repetition of the kata is necessary to develop a natural flow in the movements and increase power.
No, Kiai are not screams, they are spirit yells. A battle cry so to speak. Kiai means to unite the spirit or internal energies. The idea is to focus all of the energy in the body into the execution of the technique.
Kiai’s are frequently done by forcing the air out of the diaphragm while executing a punch or kick. When done properly, a kiai unites one’s internal energies with the physical energy produced by the contraction of the muscle. This makes the techniques incredibly powerful.
To practice with kiai, imagine all of your energy being gathered, focused, and projected outward through the execution of your technique. The forced exhale produces the loud shout people normally think is screaming.
Kata is for the students and practitioners of martial arts. Easy enough, right? Well, kind of. Every belt level has kata specific to that level that the students will learn. In fact, one of the elements in belt exams is the performance of every kata you know and the proper execution of its techniques. What does that mean? It means a yellow belt, shouldn’t even think about doing a purple belt kata.
Does that mean a purple belt can’t do a yellow belt kata? No. You see, as you increase in belt levels you continue building on to your repertoire of kata which in turn is kind of like unlocking a fighter character’s move list in a video game, except it’s yours.
For a white belt in the Shotokan system, one of the first kata learned would be Taikyoku Shodan, which consists of the basic techniques: down block, lunge punch, c-walk, forward stance, and turns into blocks. These techniques are just the basics that students will build on, but if you take the techniques learned in this kata your future katas will also be positively affected. What’s important to note is that “knowing the moves” isn’t enough to learn the next kata or test for your next belt.
In the dojo, outside in the backyard, park, or mountain, when you’re waiting in line at a store, when you’re watching tv, at night before bed, after dinner, when you wake up, with friends, alone… I think the real question is when and where can you not?
Throughout my years of training, I found that I would sometimes daydream about doing different kata. I eventually found the act of practicing kata peaceful, so daydreaming about them became grounding.
In the dojo, outside in the backyard or park, when you’re waiting in line at a store, when you’re watching tv, at night before bed, after dinner, when you wake up, with friends, alone … I think the real question is when and where can you not?
In the dojo I’d practice the same kata over and over and over again, each time taking in more constructive criticism bestowed by my sensei. Then, I’d go home and break apart the kata move by move in my mind while applying its bunkai (we’ll talk about that in a minute) until I felt like I was fully able to understand what I was really doing in that kata. Martial arts is 95% mental, so it definitely helps for you to do the katas even in your mind as that has been scientifically proven to boost muscle memory.
Afterward, I’d then return to the dojo for the next class and practice it over and over and over again, while taking in even more constructive criticism (that’s the part that a lot of students can’t handle – criticism) and fine-tuning my techniques. I have to say, that after reading Karate-Do: My Way of Life by Gichin Funakoshi, I’m thankful my Sensei was not nearly as brutal as Master Funakoshi’s was.
Throughout my years of training, I found that I would sometimes daydream about doing different kata. I eventually found the act of practicing kata peaceful, so daydreaming about them became grounding.
In the dojo I’d practice the same kata over and over and over again, each time taking in more constructive criticism bestowed by my sensei. Then, I’d go home and break apart the kata move by move in my mind while applying its bunkai (we’ll talk about that in a minute) until I felt like I was fully able to understand what I was really doing in that kata. Martial arts is 95% mental, so it definitely helps for you to do the katas even in your mind as that has been scientifically proven to boost muscle memory.
Afterward, I’d then return to the dojo for the next class and practice it over and over and over again, while taking in even more constructive criticism (that’s the part that a lot of students can’t handle – criticism) and fine-tuning my techniques. I have to say, that after reading Karate-Do: My Way of Life by Gichin Funakoshi, I’m thankful my Sensei was not nearly as brutal as Master Funakoshi’s was.
Kata is one of the three pillars of karate (kihon and kumite are the other two) and it honors the ancient traditions of martial arts as it has been taught for centuries. Not to mention kata has a long list of benefits, but let’s start with some of the things you actively try to improve on on when you train and perform a kata.
The practice: Fine-tuning the techniques in each strike.
Example: Our punches are linear, so if your elbow is flared out, you’re losing power in the technique. Something as small and easily overlooked as arm positioning can affect the overall outcome of the technique.
The Practice: Similar to strikes, having the right form while pointing and setting for the blocks is crucial. Think of it this way; if you don’t block first, you won’t get a chance to throw a counterattack.
Example: We are looking for how you ‘point and set” (how you prepare, set, and execute the move), how firm or “powerful” your block is, along with how you move with your stances (mentioned next).
The Practice: If your stance is off or wrong, then your power, your balance, and your techniques will all be wrong. Doesn’t matter “strong,” you think your strikes or blocks are – it’s all wrong.
Example: I know it’s much easier said than done, but things like your proper weight distribution within a stance, the length and width of said stance, and keeping the consistency of the stances while in movement is crucial for proper execution of any technique.
The Practice: Think you know how to breathe? On a normal day and as an average person (a non-practitioner) breathing is as easy as … well breathing. However, for a martial artist, you will be challenged; learning to breathe properly can cause slight light-headedness at first but I assure you it’s highly rewarding once understood and practiced.
Example: One of the first katas you see that has an emphasis on breathing is Heian Sandan. However, the first time we look at breathing is when you learn your very first kata. Senseis look at a few things like how you breathe throughout the kata, if you are holding your breath, whether you are breathing fast or slow, if you’re breathing through each technique, how you calm your breath after the kata, the power of you kiai, and we note the progress.
The Practice: Focus your wandering eyes. The majority of the time that you’re performing a kata, you are eyes should be focused on where your “attacker” is.
Example: If you’re lunging into a lunge punch your eyes should be focused directly in front of you, if you are setting up for a turn then your eyes should be looking to the direction where you are heading. If you’re performing in a team kata, don’t look directly at your teammates. This will help you learn to build your confidence and you’ll learn to build and utilize your peripheral vision.
The practice: Getting to a point where there is a natural flow to your kata and your moves is a point where many practitioners aim to be. This is why it’s necessary to stay at your level and practice kata as much as possible.
Example: A lot of the moves in kata are moves you will never see outside of the dojo (some of them are in movie fight scenes (ex. Michael Jai White from the movie Never Back Down: No Surrender) but they provide you with combinations that can come in handy in a fight.
The Practice: Power is different from strength. Arguably power comes from the level of effort applied to the moves.
Example: When you do a kata, how much power/energy/effort are you putting into the blocks? the strikes? the stances? the techniques? Martial arts is a full-body workout all the time… are you showing that you’re putting your mind and body into it?
The Practice: I feel like this sometimes confuses people; speed not in the sense of how fast you are in terms of how quick you can get through the kata, but more so speed as in how quick your point, sets, and executions of the moves with all of the other important components mentioned in this list executed as well. Too much? Remember, this is a full-body workout, including your mind.
Example: Too often students breeze through the kata and we hear “I know the moves already”… but do you? Slow down the kata and focus on the moves and learn to go from a quick point and set to a clean powerful executed move. Give the moves a break in between to help you see the breaks between the moves.
The Practice: When doing kata alone it’s important to keep the same level of effort and consistency as you would in the dojo as it reflects in your kata.
Example: Are you training when you’re alone or do you only practice when you’re in the dojo? Are you showing that you’re confident in your performance? Are you showing that you can take ownership of your actions and its consequences? Your Sensei knows the truth.
The Practice: Performing kata with a team is wonderful, but collaboration is key.
Example: If your team is performing a kata and one person finishes first and the others stay together, then the Sensei sees a lack of teamwork.
You mean besides from being able to produce some super cool fight scenes, kata has a long list of benefits. Here are a few:
Finally, we get to talk about Bunkai. As mentioned before, Bunkai is the application of the kata. Bunkai is when you get to apply the moves from the kata on “real” opponents. For example, remember when I talked about Taikyoku Shodan and how the moves are down block and lunge punch with turns? Well, when applied, the attackers would be trying to kick you and you would do the kata as normal to apply it.
To truly understand a kata, it’s best to know and practice its bunkai. The bunkai lets you practice the applied technique of that same down block you’ve been practicing all summer. It’s also important to note that there are many ways to interpret a kata’s bunkai as the moves can be applied to many scenarios.
Kata are learned at each belt level throughout your training. Asking to be trained in martial arts without training in kata is like asking to be a chef without ever touching pots and pans… it just doesn’t make sense. In conjunction with that thought, it’s also important to note that you 100% should not be practicing kata outside of your belt level, there’s a reason why you need to learn to walk before you can run, and the same rule applies to kata.
Some things to keep in mind when training and practicing your kata:
You’re going to do these kata more than hundreds of times. With each time you’ll have improvements, but only if you’re not blocking yourself. Remember martial arts is 95% mental.
No matter how long you train there are times that you will want to compare yourself to others. DON’T. You’re not on their journey, you have your own path to live. If you start focusing on others you will lose sight of yourself.
Keep in mind all of the items listed in the ‘why do we do kata?‘ section. Strikes, blocks, stances, breath work, focus/concentration, natural flow/fluidity, power, speed, independence, and teamwork are things that you should be actively working on each time you perform a kata.
During the practice of both kumite and kata, the delicate balance of Mushin and Fudoshin must be acquired. Mushin is an empty mind, a mind beyond thoughts and desire, entirely in the present moment. Fudoshin is an unshakable mind, a spirit burning with intention. Together, they represent the state of mind of a karateka, a mind that is paradoxically both “empty”, adaptable and determined.
During kata, every single attack should be executed with the intention of eliminating your opponent and every block should be performed with the intention of breaking their bones and crushing their limbs…. I know it’s brutal, but in a fight, it’s you or them.
Kiai are part of kata. I know they feel awkward and weird at first, but the more you do it, the more comfortable you become with it.
Go ahead, let your spirit roar!
Don’t do a kata blindly, without understanding it or knowing the meaning of its movements. Investigate and ask questions. It is fundamental to understand the nature and reason of each movement. The more you’ll understand a kata, the better its execution will be.
More from our Blogs
