Thursday, March 14, 2019

Beginning Group Kata Study

I found that group kata performance is a powerful way to indoctrinate students into the study of their karate.

 

Long ago I decided to start with a number of simpler classic kata from a variety of systems as a way to prepare my students for the study of Seisan kata. I was in no rush to teach them and wanted to use the time involved to better prepare them for Seisan, which I consider the core of their eventual black belt examination.

 

While as beginners I exposed them to a different number of very short mini-kata, from 4 to 8 movements long, to get them to understand what kata were. That always proved successful. Then they all began with my Isshinryu-ized version of Fyugata Sho (which I called Kata Sho not to give them a chance to play on the name.

 
Within a few short weeks they would learn the basic movement required for the form.

 
They when the entire class performed the form together (a regular practice) the benefited working with the others, as they felt anyone watching would not have their eyes on them.

Another benefit was they were then able to do the kata with all the others, realizing everyone had started in the same place, and if the others could learn, in turn they could learn. When performing the kata with more advanced students, their own performance would grow ever stronger, as if they were able to absorb the technique from the more advanced students.

 

We frequently opened class with kata sho and then closed the class with kata sho. Every time by the end of class they were stronger in their performance.

 



Then there were the other uses I put my Kata Sho too.

 
1.      Among them a close order drill with everyone attempting the kata with the smallest techniques they could do. All shoulder touching shoulder, Chest touching back ahead of them. The purpose was to have everyone perform the smallest technique execution while staying together.

2.      Kata Sho with basic multiple striking.

 
a.     

3.      Kata Sho done with an opposing partner.

 
a.     
 

What this did was to force the students to get more familiar with the kata, and of course engage their other senses. The multiple striking practice was to set the stage to have them proficient by black belt, in that it is never to early to begin something.

 

And of  course I have written about such things before. Here are some of my posts from my blog.

 





 

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