Kata: beneficial or not?

[disgruntled]

hopefully you are not all too stressed about x-mas to keep posting

got another debate for you guy... is Kata benefical?

i am kinda mixed on this one. it is great because it gives plenty of skill in one pattern for practice, but it is not the most practical thing to practice. i could argue that you are better off useing that time to shadow box. shadow boxing is also a good solo practice that allows you to practice many techniques and is slightly more realistic than kata.

but there are somethings i find more beneficial about kata. for me it is almost like a meditation, i focus on my concentration. it can be slowed down so that technique can really be focused on. it teaches how to make good combinations.

what do you guys think?

[sirdarksol]

Aside from concentration, kata also teaches you to flow from one maneuver to another. If practiced properly, a kata is essentially shadow boxing, as you are supposed to picture what your opponent is doing as you react.
At the basic level, as you learn one kata, it is very little practical help. Things like grappling practice and sparring are better for that. However, as you keep stacking kata on top of kata, you have an ever-expanding tree of maneuvers you can move to from any given attack or defense, and each of these maneuvers is meant to flow well from the original maneuver. This leaves the mind free to decide which maneuver to use next.
I've felt the effects of this in sparring before, a moment where everything comes together, and, without actively thinking about it, you flow from rising block to double reverse punch to side block to front snap kick. Then I lost it, and my opponent tapped me in the chest, but for that moment, I was in control of the match.
I'm know that there are other ways to achieve this state (what I consider to be zen), but since kata is the way that I learn it, that's what I focus on.

[Shirindo]

I have done many kata's in the past and agree that they can of huge help in learning your techniques and how they can link together.

I can more often than not be practicing what I loosely describe as 'free flow' kata. I will perform techniques with as much power as i feel I can safely do so, flowing from one technique to another but with no concious thought as to what I am actually doing.

It's not for the purist I suppose but I find it very therapeutic and relaxing so :P

[tntma12]

I agree that Katas can be useful for practising techniques and getting the flow down. Its a great way to work on technique, power, and accuracy. It can also be a great cardio tool when done fast and hard.

[Militis]

Originally Posted by disgruntled

hopefully you are not all too stressed about x-mas to keep posting

got another debate for you guy... is Kata benefical?

i am kinda mixed on this one. it is great because it gives plenty of skill in one pattern for practice, but it is not the most practical thing to practice. i could argue that you are better off useing that time to shadow box. shadow boxing is also a good solo practice that allows you to practice many techniques and is slightly more realistic than kata.

but there are somethings i find more beneficial about kata. for me it is almost like a meditation, i focus on my concentration. it can be slowed down so that technique can really be focused on. it teaches how to make good combinations.

what do you guys think?

Well, I have been a debate about the same thing on another forum, and Katas
in my opinion are very beneficial if done properly. If you are going through it lazy and weak, you are going to get nothing from it. However, if you work hard, any kata creates good muscle memory and you strengthen your self.