Is practicing and doing kata really necesary

**Torakaka** · Posted On: 4/10/2006 1:15am

Originally Posted by Garbanzo Bean

The best conditioning in my opinion is just more rolling/randori/sparring.

and the three of us agree on this point

**Mr. Jones** · Posted On: 4/10/2006 1:20am

I made a thread about two man kata ahile ago and said how all the moves were learned from the kata.

**CanucKyokushin** · Posted On: 4/10/2006 1:27am

Originally Posted by Bugeisha

That clip was crap.

If you're just interested in becoming a fighter as quickly as possible, there are more efficient ways to go about it than Kata. I think that kata are a valuable tool in a longer training timeline, both mentally and physically.

Still a lot better than I've sen TKD artists do.

I don't like it when a lot of class time is devoted to kata practice. I can work them as much as I want on my own. I feel the same way about conditioning. I like to warm up in class, but my conditioning is on my own time by and large. The more of that sort of thing I take care of outside of class, the more my teacher can focus on, well, teaching me in class.

Considering everyone should be warmed up before any class begins.........

**MONGO** · Posted On: 4/10/2006 1:28am

Kata, as its done in the dojo that I train at, is a way to judge the skills of the practicioner. With sparring/fighting/competition, there is the unavoidable fact the way someone fights, does not neccessarily mean they have skill.

Say, a grappling comp, the guy you are facing is a takedown specialist and he racks up points by taking people down and then getting up, repeatedly. He may win the comp, but that doesn't mean that he is skilled in all areas of grappling.

Kata can be used to judge skill without having to limit it just to competition record. Neither one is a better indicator, they should both be practiced.

That being said, I hate kata, I find that I am much more successful and randori/comps because being aggressive makes up for the flaws in my techniques. I practice the kata because I know that it will help my skills in the long run.

**Mr. Jones** · Posted On: 4/10/2006 1:50am

Judo is only two man kata right?

**Bugeisha** · Posted On: 4/10/2006 7:16am

Originally Posted by Canuckyokushin

Considering everyone should be warmed up before any class begins.........

I agree with this as well. If everyone were really dedicated to improving in their training, we would condition and drill basics outside of class, and come to class already warmed up.

Catch is, I train at a school that caters to people who aren't as dedicated to their hobby as well. They might not warm up, condition, or stretch outside of the two or three nights a week they're in class. I would bitch more about it, but they're the ones that keep the doors open. In all honesty, I don't go to class terribly often. I teach a couple times a week, and I'm probably in class two or three. The classes are mostly for fun for me; I do most of my training outside of class. I actually live in an apartment attached to our dojang, so I've got easy access. I work on my own, and hook up with my teacher a couple times a week to go over whatever I'm working on. I work my sparring time into the classes I run.

I agree that sparring is the best way to condition for sparring. I do other conditioning to improve my general fitness rather than to improve my fighting ability.

**konosan** · Posted On: 4/10/2006 7:24am

I think that practicing is mostly important. But, kate is a supreme waste of time!

**FictionPimp** · Posted On: 4/10/2006 9:16am

I agree with my judo instructors take on kata. Kata is for old people who can't compete anymore. It keeps them busy and gives them something to do at touraments. It is also a great way to remember the techinques when you really dont use all 67 throws (or however many there are) in competition (Most people only have 2 or 3 throws they really use, or so I'm constantly told).

I think this is how its ment to be, kata should be put off until at least the black belt level. Then as you age and start teaching and get out of competition, then work kata more and more to keep your mind sharp on the mechanics of the technique.