Description

The most popular image associated with kata isthat of a karate practitioner performing a series of punches and kicksin the air. The kata are executed as a specified series ofapproximately 20 to 70 moves, generally with stepping and turning,while attempting to maintain perfect form. There are perhaps 100 kataacross the various forms of karate, each with many minor variations.The number of moves in a kata may be referred to in the name of thekata, eg. Gojushiho, which means “54 steps.” The number of moves mayalso have links with Buddhist spirituality. The number 108 issignificant in Buddhism, and kata with 54, 36, or 27 moves (divisors of108) are common. The practitioner is generally counselled to visualizethe enemy attacks, and his or her responses, as actually occurring, and karateka are often told to “read” a kata, to explain the imaginedevents.In teaching the open handed kata, most styles of Karate start with a series of three, or sometimes two, very simple kata called blocking forms before advancing to five basic kata named Pinan in some systemsand Heian in others. By working through this series (in order: Shodan,Nidan, Sandan, Yondan, Godan (except in Wado Ryu Karate, where Shodan and Nidan are reversed)) the practitioner learns all the basic stancesand techniques before moving on to more advanced kata. Traditionally,kata are taught in stages. Previously learned kata are returned to in order to show more advanced techniques or ways of doing things, as beginners do not have the same knowledge and experience that practitioners further up the ranks have. It is not uncommon in some styles for students testing for Shodan (first rank black belt) to have to repeat every kata they have learned from the first belt, but at a”black belt” level, for example, with better technique, power, amongstothers. This system is often used for the lower grades as well. The student will perform one new kata and one or two previous ones, todemonstrate how much they have progressed and how quickly they canlearn new things.