Learning Katas

[Holloman]

I would like to hear some comments and/or feedback on learning katas. My question is, Is it better to learn a kata move by move? Perfecting each movement as you go. As opposed to learning all the moves to a kata and perfecting it all at once? Is there a benefit to do one over another?

[PeterKa]

Hi,

for myself I found the following "guidelines" (which apply to my studies I do alone, in the dojo it's a little different though):

• I repeat Kihon first, before I actually start with a new Kata. It might seem obvious, but I mean: I really take the time to re-read, re-think and (most important) re-do [isn't it funny that the english word "do" (doing, making, building) and the japanese word "do" (way, path, exercise) are so similar?] the basic steps. Very slowly (like in Tai Chi) I try to check the movement, the stances, the positions of arms, legs, hands... Without any power I watch my body move and adjust certain things. So I want to avoid my body to get used to wrong or sensless movements.
• I study the books and watch vidoes, but not the whole Kata. I break it down into parts, depending on the length of the Kata. It does not make sense to me to learn a kata all at once. E.g. when I studied Wing Chun it took me half a year to learn the first kata. Before that I had to repeat pieces of the kata over and over again. I think this is a good practice, therefore I stick to it.
  I do this very slowly again!
• I pick certain, special parts of what I've learned so far and take a closer look at these spots. E.g.: in Jion there are several spots where you have to do "Manji Uke". I realized that the position of my rear arm (the hooked one behind my head) has a slightly awkward position. So I studied switching sides in Manji Uke in front of a mirror.
• When I think I know these parts of the kata, I start doing them faster with more power. At this point I keep asking and showing the Kata to my sensei.
• When I have all the parts together I do the whole kata. First very slowly (Tai Chi again), then a litle faster to have the right rhythm/timing and feeling for the imaginary horde of opponents. At last I'll try to do it with "full power" (to please the jugdes ).

At this point I can say I know the basic steps of the kata, as well as the timing. But this does not mean I really "know" the kata. As we all know, it takes a very long time to really get a kata into ones mind and body. I use this guidelines also when I study bunkai/real application of any techniques/movements and it takes a long time to have the body "reacting" without "thinking" correct.

Generally I don't think it's good to know 26 Katas. I don't see the point of if, really. Especially when I see my younger comrades in the dojo, wearing green or blue belts and studying Bassai Dai and Jion for tournament, I get a little sad. Their techniques are not neat/clean. They do just a dance...
I maybe a Troll, but that's the way I see it.

[HanshiClayton]

I had several thoughts while reading the previous two entries. Maybe I'd better just list them.

• Perfecting one move at a time is the right way to study kata at home by yourself. If an individual move lacks power or focus, go back to the Basic Principles and find the part that you left out. Climb the mountain a step at a time.
  
• However, in the dojo we can't just all go off in different corners and work on moves by ourselves. We have to teach beginners the whole kata so everyone can do it at the same time, poorly or well, and then we hammer on fixing individual moves one at a time. It is simply the nature of group training.
  
• I am not a dancer. I have no patience with any kind of dancing. I want to know the bunkai of the move up front. If the move has no practical combat application -- and I am hard to satisfy on this -- then there is no point in studying it. Life is too short to waste it by balancing on one foot. Move on.
  
• As for learning 25 kata, I wholly agree that there is no point in it. Shotokan originally had the ten kata we teach up to Shodan, and the other two Tekkis, and one or two others. Somewhere in that zone Funakoshi and Nakayama started adding "extra" katas to give variety to their dance contests. I personally got to Nijushiho and rebelled. Sure it's "a beautiful kata," but if that's all it is we should spend the evening on jujutsu instead.

So, relative to the original question: If you are studying the kata for your own satisfaction, go move-by-move. If you are leading a class, teach the whole kata. Then tell the students to master it move-by-move.

It occurs to me that I actually teach about 20 moves at a time to a class. That's an entire Heian, but half a Bassai or Jion, and a third of a Kanku. Sometimes "the whole kata" is too big to bite off all at once. That's just common sense.