Analysis on Kata Stopping Points

 
Whether one should teach kata to stop at a specified point, exactly, in order to determine the quality of the performance. Thus whichever means one performs a kata isn’t bound by one rule, rather just define your system’s specific stopping point in relation to the starting point.


So is this a good standard to teach to?


Should the student feel the reward for stopping on the correct spot?  Does making a final adjustment step to end there count, or does only perfect performance of every movement be the goal? Does missing that point mean the practice is useless, or lessened from one hitting that point?


Those are good questions to consider.

 
I believe my instructors never discussed the stopping point because almost all of the training was individual, or in very small groups. They worked on awareness of each individual technique, and if each technique was right, you’ll get to the correct ending, so why worry about the spot.

 

Young Lee Kusanku

In fact that is my own approach. I’m most interested in correcting a mistake or error immediately (regardless of the students length of training), not waiting till they’ve finished and then working backwards to discover why.  The goal is to develop their continual awareness of their performance, so they are in command throughout kata performance. If they keep their awareness alive, and their technique execution in total control, their ending will be correct.


[Disclaimer 2 – Of course correct kata practice is only one aspect of long term training in my book. At some point one would begin changing the length of various movements, learning how that effects performance, and working on the application potential such changes represent.  Working on fitting these techniques (large scale and micro) into various attacking patterns suggests these alternate performances. Then working on meta study, how to set an attacker up so their attack is ready for the kata application, is yet another layer of study, and so on.]

Devin Van Curren Seisan
(the pink belt was a joke for her, she was actually a brown belt)

On the other hand, as karate became a large group activity, I can see how use of a closing point could make it easier on the instructor to see if the group gets there or not.

 

Mike Cassidy and Young Lee Chinto-Chinto

I have problems with large group study, however.  It is too easy for members to look like they’re working within the group, and coast instead of explode.  Often too easy to make a mistake and see where the group is and then correct to get back into line. It may serve group order, but I don’t believe that serves the students development.


There are times and places for group practice, but I believe it should be very controlled when it is used. But as karate moved from its small group origins, other tools were developed.


So perhaps the point of where to close a kata may have been highlighted, for convenience.


In my book precise kata performance is an extremely useful energy development tool at all stages of karate study. That the tool has other potentials does not diminish ones need to work on perfect practice either. It just suggests how much depth there may be in our training.


Your obedient,

Victor Smith
bushi no te Isshinryu