Kata – The Heart of Karate

Over the years I've learnt a great deal about karate and kata especially. As a beginner in 2007, I did not understand the philosophy behind kata. However, as time went by I started to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for it.

Kata is defined by Wikipedia as

“…detailed choreographed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs.”

Sosai Oyama doing kata

However, for a karateka, it is more complex than just a set of choreographed movements. In each kata is the knowledge of karate passed from generations of practitioners. They hold the fighting techniques the ancient masters have developed and used.

Katas are more or less condensed versions of fighting techniques. I've noted that the simplest kata can hold some of the most effective combat skills, and a single movement can have multiple applications (bunkai).

The understanding of these movements drives the practitioner to understanding the number of applications that can be used. A karateka that I greatly admire for his understanding of kata and bunkai is Iain Abernathy.

I've heard Iain’s podcasts and watched his videos and I’m convinced his approach to kata is the most practical.

If you've seen martial arts films, you will notice the techniques are romanticized for entertainment purposes. However, in a real fight you hardly see the bunkai done at competitions - it simply won’t work. So why continue studying kata?

Well, kata teaches a number of valuable lessons. In it we:

1. Learn and develop a proper understanding of the stances and techniques;
2. Develop coordination and balance;
3. Develop mental readiness (visualization) for combat situations, and lastly but not the least;
4. Study the deeper meanings of each technique.

Kata should not be seen as practical way of fighting but rather a guide for practitioners to use techniques.

Anyway, before I sign off, I've embedded an audio of one of Iain’s podcasts which I believe would be of interest.


Osu!