A different way of challenging my students.

 

Standard kata performance
Inverse kata performance
Reverse kata performance
Reverse inverse kata performance

Going way back to about 1988 I wanted to find a  new way to challenge my advancing adult students.

At that time my program was essentially an Isshinryu program as I had learned the system.  While I had studied with many instructors from different systems of study, for the most part I kept those studies to my own practice. At that time I really had not begun my own studies into how kata technique potential could be utilized (I began those studies about a year or two later).

My advancing adult students were becoming quite skilled, and I was looking for a new way to challenge them, not just repeating the same things.

One day I had an idea. Of course that was not enough, I underwent the new idea myself working till I had it functional for me.

Then one night at class I gave them a challenge to perform Seisan kata in reverse order, beginning with the final technique and then performing the kata to the first opening movement.

When I completed my demonstration I then opened a challenge for them to do the same. Each of them tried but none of them succeeded. Of course then I performed the Reverse Seisan again.

In time I worked on several other kata , Seiunchin, Nihanchi and Chinto. I did not ask them to do what I could not do.

I began to realize those studies had other purposes. Each of those reverse kata movements offered a new potential for use, somewhat different from the use the way the kata was originally taught.

Of course this was not an every class exercise or challenges. Just something to keep all on their toes.

More time passed and I worked out several different drills.  Inverse kata performance and even reverse inverse kata performance. Each was a more challenging experience.

I did have my group attempt them a few times, however those performances never became a regular practice.

It was a short time later when began my own studies into kata application potential, then setting those practices aside.

At a later date I did incorporate the reverse kata performance into my youth program.  I had students perform our kata Sho in reverse order. Another way to keep them on their toes.

 

Something to think about to challenge your own students to push their own kata understanding.