Thoughts on Kata

KATA
It reveals your heart,
there are no hidden secrets,
only endeavor!
I wrote this haiku as I was thinking about training one night. Many karateka these days, think of kata as an outdated and useless part of karate. However, I see it as an invaluable component of karate training. Besides it being a great form of exercise when there is no equipment or people to train with (like in Iraq), kata can provide revelations and lessons concerning technique and body movement. With constant and mindful effort there really are no secrets in martial arts!

3 thoughts on “Thoughts on Kata

  1. Hi Veronica,

    Sorry for not acknowledging your comment for so long (I don’t think I got the auto-notification). Thanks for your input, and I wish you continued success in your practice of choy li fut. I do believe that due to the JKA Shotokan pre-occupation with sports style sparring techniques during the period karate was spreading world-wide, we were somewhat unbalanced. The chinese systems usually have a good foundation in the art, as applied to health and spiritual development, beyond just physical application. I hope that as our own senseis and seniors become older (many of the Shotokan masters are now 70 years), that the emphasis shifts beyond sparring speed, conditioning, and self-defense. Karate katas and chinese sets certainly are invaluable for life in general.

  2. Hi, I’ve been doing Choi lei fut ( http://choileifut.com ) for 7 years now, and I too find the lessons of forms (katas) invaluable. It is the way to an intimate knowledge of your art.

  3. Right on, Wes. I think your perspective is especially telling, not only because it reveals your particular heart when I see you perform kata, but also because with your extensive background in grappling, street techniques, and the realities of conflict in your law enforcement duties…to still understand the essence of kata’s value is even more meaningful.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.