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Kata. Is it still relevant or an outdated way of training?


Kata

Some people love it.

Some people hate it.

Some people believe it is crucial to the growth of the martial artist.

Kata is the ART in martial arts. Just as a musicians play music, the karateka performs kata, the choreographed movements of an imaginary fight.

Some people believe it is outdated and useless. That is, until covid hit. Your see, many modern fighting arts have eliminated kata in training. Especially in styles that are more “martial” focused than “art” focused. Then…

Covid. I’m not here to argue anyone’s beliefs about covid. I’m just pointing out that for almost two years, humans were no longer allowed to make any physical contact outside of one’s own home. And the fact is, businesses and organizations that did not comply ran the risk of being shut down.


So, many dojo’s began online and no-touch classes. This caused a serious problem. How do fighting arts train without fighting? Suddenly, many styles without kata began to implement it so the students could continue training. This, in my opinion, was a hidden blessing of kata.


There are many other benefits of kata. It increases grace, power, balance and agility while learning to rely on body memory. It teaches total body awareness and control. Once a kata has been filed to memory it becomes meditation in movement, the practitioner cannot overthink the next movement or it interrupts the flow. It also helps overcome brain blocks where a student gets caught of the cycle of doing the same few moves over and over again.


Kata is the dance of the martial arts. As you begin to practice, as you work hard to perfect your movements, you will inevitably see a change in yourself as well. Your skill level will dramatically increase and you will then understand the importance of kata.

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