Eleanor ([info]ellathemad) wrote in [info]karate_do,
@ 2008-11-23 18:45:00
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Home Kata training
Hi, sorta new member here. I was a member here with a different account, but switched accounts fairly recently.

I was wondering how people practise kata at home. I tend to go through kata in order once each (only know seven, so It's not like I'm going through every Shukokai kata ever taught) then go through them slowly, checking for correct form, then go through them each a couple of more times at proper speed.

Alternatively, if I've just learnt a new kata or two, and I'm not so confident with them, I go through kata once, then focus on the new kata. Same for if I'm struggling with a particular kata, or I've been told to work on/correct something, or if I've got a grading coming up, when I'll practise the grading kata more than the others.

Anyone else do the same, or have different methods of training kata at home?

crossposted to [info]girlfighters 

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[info]strang_er
2008-11-24 05:09 am UTC (link)

I have a few ways i like to practise patterns, which i use at different times or sometimes in combination if time allows.

One is as a technical exercise, concentrating on proper stance, technique, timing, power etc. That tends to be quite slow, and each move a bit isolated rather than flowing into each other. Another is as a fighting exercise, trying to approximate the speed and rhythm of an imagined fist fight (i do Tae Kwon Do, and our forms are mostly pretty straightforward blocking and striking applications). That way tends to be quite fast and a bit ugly. Another way is to focus on the 'mood' of the individual form - tkd patterns each have a certain symbolism, party reflected in the way each form is performed (eg fast and erratic like a flickering flame or solid like a mountain etc) and focussing on this can sometimes help get a better feel for each one. A fourth way, which i've just been trying lately is as a 'moving meditation' exercise - trying to do it with a completely still mind, usually after a few moments' standing meditation. That's quite interesting too.

Ideally, i imagine the aim would be to combine all of those elements at once, but i can generally only focus on one at a time.

:)

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[info]frightened
2008-11-24 11:15 am UTC (link)
I find the main problem is space. There's just nowhere big enough. So I focus on combinations of a few moves, up to a turn or so, and particularly on ones that are giving me trouble.

Oh, and sometimes I go through with just the leg movements, because when I'm focussing on the blocks and strikes and timing, I can feel my stances getting worse and worse.

Edited at 2008-11-24 11:16 am UTC

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[info]foxor
2008-11-24 01:27 pm UTC (link)
Whenever you're in weather which allows it, practice outside. For me that's only a couple months of the year, but it solves the space issue and practicing kata outside just feels good. (Actually even if you're on slightly uneven terrain it can be a good exercise, but that's a different topic altogether). Otherwise, you get used to knowing where to place yourself in the room so that you can make use of what space you have (ie.what direction the kata will go in) and you get used to just adjusting (even mid kata, by stopping and moving yourself where you need to be) where you are in the room to make it work. It's a little frustrating sometimes, having limited space, but if you're practicing you're still better off, even if you have to work in the confines of a small space.

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[info]ellathemad
2008-11-24 04:40 pm UTC (link)
The practising with legs only sounds like a good idea-I think I'll try that for Pinan Sandan-I keep landing in horse stance between the first and second kiai instead of standard then switching to horse. I would go now, but it's icy out and my room's a mess (after searching for my licence, incidentally...)

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[info]ellathemad
2008-11-24 04:41 pm UTC (link)
Yes, the time old issue of space. I find another thing that annoys me about training indoors is the carpet-my feet keep getting caught. I also train outside, infact, oh, maybe two hours before typing that post I was training outside. In the cemetary =]. No one seems to mind (including the vicar), and it's the only place with space to train in winter. The carpark has broken glass on it, and the beach made my toes and the balls of my feet go numb within 15 mins when I trained on it last week, so that's out too now.

I must have looked quite the sight, though, in white-ish gi pants, hoody, wooly hat, scarf and gloves.

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