One of the things I tell my students (and I do tell them a LOT of things) is that there are two ways to practise kata.

One way is for when you are learning a new kata and that is to go through it with abbreviated stances while learning the pattern. And only for learning the pattern, after that you should practise the second way.

The other way has two ways of doing it (lol). One of these is to do the kata properly with timing, breathing, stance, technique etc. --MUST do it this way UNLESS you are doing the following way! --

The second way (sub-way if you like) is to slow it all down, try to keep the timing for different parts in proportion to each other but do the whole thing S..L..O..W..L..Y. This allows you time to concentrate specifically on stance, individual techniques, or to pay extra attention to parts you know (or have been told) you need to work on.
Get it right slowly and it will be better at normal speed.
As long as you don't just switch on the auto-pilot.

And don't neglect the earlier kata so you can get straight onto the latest one(s).


Mick

i like those ways mike...

i also like practicing slow and under tension (easier for first and second katas but harder for the others). if you practice a few times slow and under tension, when you do it at the normal speed your techniques seem to be more accurate and more easily performed.

and also...
when practicing kata (and also in class) i prefer not to use "in your own timing". if taking my students through kata i try to make sure they do it in "kata timing" with the highest graded student leading the correct timing (this includes correct timing in the slow and tense parts, not just rushing through the entire kata without a breathe).

Provided, of course, that the highest graded student does it in the correct timing. But that should be the assumption - follow the highest grade for the timing.
Sometimes it does require the highest grade to slow down a little, mainly through 1st and 2nd kata for the newer students to not get left behind, but while slower the timing should still be proportionate.

When I teach kata, once they have the pattern I teach the breathing as part of the kata. At yellow belt they should at least be trying to breathe, and by the time they reach orange belt they should be breathing anyway.

Like I often say, at the finish of the kata if the senior student can't hear anyone breathing through doing the kata it means you have either finished and are waiting or you're dead.


Mick

I was going to comment on the same thing.

One thing have noticed is that "Kata timing" varies greatly between regions and senseis.

Our understanding/advice is that 1st kata should take about 20 seconds from start to finish. That's about a second per count, and the rhythm is fairly constant.

Of course it also requires good techniques/stances *before* reaching that time.


Mick

I have seen this used often enough to say it is useful: when you are more comfortable with a Kata, perform the Kata flat-out with as little power as possible. It's not a technique "enhancer" as such, it shows you where your body/mind will forget a Kata when you're under pressure - if it's not engrained, you will goof it!

Just my 2-bobs worth. :thumbwink:

CraigL

Thanks for your input Craig.
and to the forum

i have just recently tried doing my katas quickly with less strength and yes it does take a lot to make sure you get it right

definately a good exercise in focus

Greetings CraigL, and welcome aboard!
Must say I like kata that way....once "no focus" then "full focus" is the way we do it a lot. first time to get your mind in tune, then - no excuses!!

I've found that all formulas for practising kata so far are great ones but you all forget the best way to learn kata and perfect it, you practise small sections of it at a tie to get it perfect then once you have got one pert correct you do the next bit, and so on untill you are doing the entire kata picture perfct.

EXCELLENT point Mick :thumbgrin:

Mick said ......

The second way (sub-way if you like) is to slow it all down, try to keep the timing for different parts in proportion to each other but do the whole thing S..L..O..W..L..Y. This allows you time to concentrate specifically on stance, individual techniques, or to pay extra attention to parts you know (or have been told) you need to work on.
Get it right slowly and it will be better at normal speed.
As long as you don't just switch on the auto-pilot.

So many students dont see the value in practising kumite at 25/50/75% speeds, and undervalue the basics ("oh no, not basics again - WHY do we have to do them every week") and why we do them slow/medium/fast, but here Mick gives us another example of how the karate "triangle" links kihon, kata and kumite to each other ....... through speed. Only by practising at slow speeds can we learn when to twist the arm, shift the balance, apply the hips, land the punch, lock the leg, etc etc so that all these things to flow together at normal and fast speed.


ummmm does anyone have a spare soapbox ??? hehehe


Keep Smiling

Jo

True. You can also practice your sparring at slow speed. At this sort of speed you/your students can make some contact cos its not gonna hurt.

The trick is to block at the same speed as the strike coming in, not smack it quickly away.

The idea behind that when I do it is that it then gives you the chance to see whether you are blocking far enough or even too far. If you aren't blocking far enough and the punch is retracted before it hits you can be fooled sometimes into thinking that you are blocking ok when an exercise like this can show that you would still be hit.

And it takes a tremendous amount of concentration to spar slowly.


Mick

ps You can share my soapbox Jo, I don't take up that much room.