Awesome Katas! 

Simple Tips for Better Katas

If you are serious about wanting to improve your katas, here are three important tips that can make ALL the difference in your performance.  And the nice part?  They are VERY easy to execute with a little practice.

1)   HEAD SNAP --  Many students think that they ARE snapping their heads before or during a move, when all they are doing is LOOKING!  It takes practice.  Imagine this:  You are walking alone at night down a very dark alley.  You’re nervous and a bit fearful of what may come out of the shadows.  All of a sudden you hear a crashing sound to the left!  You SNAP your head in the direction of the noise – your senses ignite, muscles tighten, heart goes into overdrive, and the adrenaline flows!  Then you see that it’s just a cat that knocked over a can. 

Phew!  False alarm!!  But that head snap was for REAL!  It made you move your head as quickly as you possibly could!  A head snap done right adds drama and excitement, and pulls the viewer into your “battle”.

2)   WIND-UPS – Remember that a kata is a pretend battle against multiple attackers.  Here SPEED is of THE essence!  Many students don’t realize, until they start to spar with others, that speed is the key to effective blocking.  We all learn that a BIG wind-up is important to make blocks strong.  However, that wind-up AND delivery must occur as a SINGLE count!! 

Many students wind-up by dropping and swinging their hand and arm in an arc.  This may only take a split second longer, but it may also make the difference whether or not the block actually WORKS!!  In order to move as fast as you can, the wind-up hand MUST move TIGHTLY and DIRECTLY to its designated spot. “Tightly”, meaning that the elbows must bend quickly and “directly”, meaning that the hand must move to the designated spot in a STRAIGHT LINE!

3)   POSTURE – The position of your body over your legs and hips are the key to speed, power and balance!  Keeping your back straight and hips directly under your body and over the legs will assure that you move at maximum speed and effectiveness while main-taining power and balance.

Focusing on these three areas will enhance the performance and excitement of your katas.  Try it, imagine yourself in a battle for your life, and you may be pleasantly surprised!

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Side note:  When watching someone performing a kata, don’t just watch to be entertained – WATCH TO  LEARN!  Watch those that stand out from the others, and try to replicate their manner, timing, or style.  Observe the way they step up to the ring, bow, walk in, call out their kata, and perform!            Although most students have decent stances, snap, kime, and techniques, they tend to perform their katas too mechanically – with very little feeling or intensity.  Remember – a kata portrays a pretend “fight”, where multiple attackers are coming at you!  This is where the “survival” part of you is supposed to kick in!  The audience should be taken on a thrilling ride with you, and feel the fears and exhilaration of the battle!  THIS is what you should be trying to convey to your audience!

          BEST OF LUCK ON YOUR KATA JOURNEY!!!