Kata
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Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
Kata
Maygan
Actually your perception is an excellent beginning. Most of the problems I see start with people who don't know they have problems, or think they are pretty good. The more you know, the more you realize you don't know. The harder you work, the more you understand how far you have to go.
My personal take is that your kata can be an excellent barometer of where you are in your practice and training. Note though how I used two words here; there is a difference. Some of what we do (practice) involves the direct learning and application of technique. Other things we do (training) involve preparing our bodies so that we have the athletic ability and physical constitution to perform the technique. A well-designed program has the right mix of high quality practice and training. And a well-designed program involves constant assessment and redesign so as to meet the immediate needs of the practitioner.
Part of sloppiness and lack of strength come from being unfamiliar with the movements. Thus more kata practice and more partner application work can help here. Other parts come from a general inability to use one's body correctly. Thus time away from karate and with other training activities like weights, aerobic activity, and body conditioning can be very helpful.
Just remember that it all takes time. If you are constantly looking at your performance, you may be like the kid that looks at the finger rather than the moon that the finger points to. Good results come from good process. People who do well and make it are people who learn to enjoy the time in the dojo at work and with their fellow karateka.
Good luck, and post again soon!
- Bill
Actually your perception is an excellent beginning. Most of the problems I see start with people who don't know they have problems, or think they are pretty good. The more you know, the more you realize you don't know. The harder you work, the more you understand how far you have to go.
My personal take is that your kata can be an excellent barometer of where you are in your practice and training. Note though how I used two words here; there is a difference. Some of what we do (practice) involves the direct learning and application of technique. Other things we do (training) involve preparing our bodies so that we have the athletic ability and physical constitution to perform the technique. A well-designed program has the right mix of high quality practice and training. And a well-designed program involves constant assessment and redesign so as to meet the immediate needs of the practitioner.
Part of sloppiness and lack of strength come from being unfamiliar with the movements. Thus more kata practice and more partner application work can help here. Other parts come from a general inability to use one's body correctly. Thus time away from karate and with other training activities like weights, aerobic activity, and body conditioning can be very helpful.
Just remember that it all takes time. If you are constantly looking at your performance, you may be like the kid that looks at the finger rather than the moon that the finger points to. Good results come from good process. People who do well and make it are people who learn to enjoy the time in the dojo at work and with their fellow karateka.
Good luck, and post again soon!
- Bill
-
Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
Kata
Maygan
I also wanted to reinforce something that Jim Kass recommended - doing good kihon.
Most kata have 3 or 4 salient techniques that define the nature of the kata. Often these techniques can be the "sticking points" in the general kata performance. When I teach, I often spend more time working on these individual techniques than I do having the students perform the whole kata. I will even choreograph my own little exercises (we call them hojoundo) that allow someone to work on these points repeatedly. Each day, I make the exercises a little different so as to add a little variety.
Another thing I like to do is to break these salient techniques down into their fundamental components. Actually I apply this same method when I am trying to teach myself a song on the guitar that has pieces which are much too difficult for me to play. I may spend some time just working the posture. I may then spend time working on the foot movement (most people neglect this vital aspect). I may see the fundamental elements of movement within a complex technique, and have the students practice those. On some movements, I start with drilling all the fundamental elements (usually coming from a foundation kata like sanchin), and then slowly put the pieces together until they are performing a complex exercise that drills this movement in an even more convoluted way than is done in the kata.
Open your mind up to the kata and study it very carefully. Good kata practice involves more than just doing it again and again. You'll never get anywhere in karate operating in automatic pilot. Enlightenment doesn't come to those who practice with their minds shut off. Take some chances and play with the pieces and parts. Even if you make mistakes in the process, you will learn a lot and benefit from the results. And if you maintain these study methods over time, you will find yourself seeing more and more with the kata as your understanding of karate matures. Your performance then will subsequently reflect this mature outlook.
- Bill
[This message has been edited by Bill Glasheen (edited July 05, 2001).]
I also wanted to reinforce something that Jim Kass recommended - doing good kihon.
Most kata have 3 or 4 salient techniques that define the nature of the kata. Often these techniques can be the "sticking points" in the general kata performance. When I teach, I often spend more time working on these individual techniques than I do having the students perform the whole kata. I will even choreograph my own little exercises (we call them hojoundo) that allow someone to work on these points repeatedly. Each day, I make the exercises a little different so as to add a little variety.
Another thing I like to do is to break these salient techniques down into their fundamental components. Actually I apply this same method when I am trying to teach myself a song on the guitar that has pieces which are much too difficult for me to play. I may spend some time just working the posture. I may then spend time working on the foot movement (most people neglect this vital aspect). I may see the fundamental elements of movement within a complex technique, and have the students practice those. On some movements, I start with drilling all the fundamental elements (usually coming from a foundation kata like sanchin), and then slowly put the pieces together until they are performing a complex exercise that drills this movement in an even more convoluted way than is done in the kata.
Open your mind up to the kata and study it very carefully. Good kata practice involves more than just doing it again and again. You'll never get anywhere in karate operating in automatic pilot. Enlightenment doesn't come to those who practice with their minds shut off. Take some chances and play with the pieces and parts. Even if you make mistakes in the process, you will learn a lot and benefit from the results. And if you maintain these study methods over time, you will find yourself seeing more and more with the kata as your understanding of karate matures. Your performance then will subsequently reflect this mature outlook.
- Bill
[This message has been edited by Bill Glasheen (edited July 05, 2001).]
Kata
Maygan,
I fully agree with Glasheen-Sensei's posts on this as well as the other poster's comments about repetition to help with this issue.
One thing my Sensei used to have us do when working on kata was to do them in extreme slow motion. This accomplishes several things - it forces you to be far more correct in your balance, it allows you to more accurately feel the flow of the motions as you execute them, it allows you to isolate portions that are particularly problematic for you so you can get correction in your jitsu, it allows you to do what we called a "slow move-high strength" action, where you focus all of your strength into the move while moving slowly.
This last is rather hard to describe, but it is almost a dynamic tension effect and using this in kata training can be very beneficial to a student (regardless of level, I would think) in assisting them in focusing their power so that when they execute at full speed, the power comes more naturally.
Another thing this type of practice allows is for the Teacher to notice small things about your kata, like where your eyes are looking. Many beginners focus on the attacking fist or striking foot as opposed to looking at where your uke WOULD be in a real situation.
Surprisingly, such a little thing as looking at the wrong point can throw your balance off considerably. Ask any figure skater or ballet dancer.
Remember, if one can do a kata slowly, without wobble and with power, doing it at full speed wil come much easier.
Sincerely hoping that this helps,
Lee Darrow, C.Ht.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Maygan:
Please Help!! My kata look all floppy and not strong how can I stop this and make them look stronger? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I fully agree with Glasheen-Sensei's posts on this as well as the other poster's comments about repetition to help with this issue.
One thing my Sensei used to have us do when working on kata was to do them in extreme slow motion. This accomplishes several things - it forces you to be far more correct in your balance, it allows you to more accurately feel the flow of the motions as you execute them, it allows you to isolate portions that are particularly problematic for you so you can get correction in your jitsu, it allows you to do what we called a "slow move-high strength" action, where you focus all of your strength into the move while moving slowly.
This last is rather hard to describe, but it is almost a dynamic tension effect and using this in kata training can be very beneficial to a student (regardless of level, I would think) in assisting them in focusing their power so that when they execute at full speed, the power comes more naturally.
Another thing this type of practice allows is for the Teacher to notice small things about your kata, like where your eyes are looking. Many beginners focus on the attacking fist or striking foot as opposed to looking at where your uke WOULD be in a real situation.
Surprisingly, such a little thing as looking at the wrong point can throw your balance off considerably. Ask any figure skater or ballet dancer.
Remember, if one can do a kata slowly, without wobble and with power, doing it at full speed wil come much easier.
Sincerely hoping that this helps,
Lee Darrow, C.Ht.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Maygan:
Please Help!! My kata look all floppy and not strong how can I stop this and make them look stronger? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
