Kata tips in tournament

[Fire!]

Has anyone been a judge for katas? What are the judges watching and seeking?

A few points that I can think of are,
- kata movements + bunkai
- tension
- kiai
- face expression when permising the kata

[seienchin]

Fire, I haven't been a kata judge in tournaments, but I have been an assessor at plenty of gradings. I think the things looked for are the same, so I'll chip my bit in.

Of course, it goes without saying that the kata has to be technically correct - right steps/blocks/punches.

Then its the three basic things of kata:

Tempo of technique, - the fast techniques should be crisp and sharp, the slow tension deliberate and controlled. I don't think any kata calls for anything "in between".

Points of power stress (including kiai)
It's nice if these are delivered with gusto - a blood-curdling scream, not just a little "whoosh" of breath.
I also think it's good to borrow a musical technique here - rubato for the muso's reading - and have a tiny, tiny pause after the kiai (the time for the pause is "robbed" from the preceding moves by speeding them up ever so slightly, then the pause brings you back exactly to timing again).


and breath control
this is something that people often don't think about - where are they breathing when they aren't kiai-ing. The breathing is different for fast and slow techniques, for tension and for flowing techniques.


Then there are the bits that make the kata live:
Know and understand all your bunkai - and make the assessors see your attackers.
In kicks, unless it is necessary to pull back really really fast - you can try a tiny rubato pause with the leg extended - especially effective in side kicks with an accompanying fist - freezing for a microsecond fully extended creates an image that will stay in the mind, and it is also good balance practice.
And finally - the one I think is most important - use of gaze. Always look before you turn. for example, in gekisai sho, with the yokogeri/zenkutsu dachi down the middle, turn the head first, before gathering into tsuro-ashi-dachi, and keep your steely eye fixed on what it is that you are about to knock down with your yoko geri.

[chen3141]

One of my competition (vs bunkai) kata friends told me this...
"Remember, when you're performing kata, its just that a performance."

[Jan-san]

I've never seen a Kata Competition in Kyokushin. So i'd like to ask if there are some?

[Bloke]

Ichegeki-san

Most groups have Kata tournaments - the IFK hold a world Kata tournament every 4 years.

[Jan-san]

Ah, okay.. That's nice to hear. Think i will ask my sensei about it.

[Eitan]

Hi guys.. I plan on participating at the next IKO1 European Kata championships . I have a year or so to prepare myself. I practice the katas every day in different speeds and rhythms, but I would love to hear different training methods from you all. My elected katas are : gekusaisho and kanku. Do any of you know how should one prepare for such an event..... Thank you all for your tips and advices, I appreciate it enormously. Osu !

[seienchin]

My most important suggestion is that you invest in a video camera if you don't already have one, and video yourself doing each of them NOW. This will help you confirm that your choices are right, and that the kata look roughly right.

Video again every few weeks or so to ensure you have not developed any nasty little habits. A video is also a good way of tracking your progress.

Good luck!

[Eitan]

Thanks a lot seienchin ! Actually I have started to record myself by a video camera and it helps a lot. when I first saw myself it was so strange but very helpful... now I have to train train train and monitor my progress with each video just like you suggested

[Eitan]

Do any of you guys know how many rounds one should pass to reach the finals at the European kata championships ( IKO1)? I think it's 3 rounds and in each one you do a different kata.. is that correct ??

[Spirit]

I'll give you my view as a judge...
Besides what seienchin has already pointed out...

Don't make that "fake over focused face"
as well as the fake loud kiai and breathing and the steer-down, that is just poor and weak.

Remember that the judges have had a long and often boring day judging. By acting during kata will only get you low points from Experienced judges.

Kata, do it, do it with true feelings and not manufactured ones. We can tell who knows their kata and who does not (just like Santa ...) and never stop during kata even if you make a mistake or forget it, keep going....

I'm a judge that expects kata done, not performed... if a kick should be chudan and you do it jodan off comes the points. I don't care if you can kick high!!! If the kata is one way and you change it points will drop specially in a Kyokushin only tourney...and will give a talking to other judges sitting on my panel that give to high or to low scores and often remove them do to inexperience (for yudansha kata).

DO THE KATA FOR YOU, NOT THE JUDGES!!!

PICK A KATA THAT FITS YOUR BODY SIZE...
Don't do a big man's/woman's kata if you are short and the same for big people...

Don't pick an advanced kata just to do a advanced kata, I would rather see a excellently done taikyoku than a poor to Midland Seipai!!!!

Good skill to you at your next competition.

[Eitan]

Thanks a lot . important tips to consider you just gave me .. !! Osu !!

[Shokei Marcsui]

Spirit,

Just out of curiosity what would be the example of a big man/woman kata?

Shokei Marcsui

[Lucy]

Originally Posted by Spirit

I'll give you my view as a judge...
Besides what seienchin has already pointed out...

Don't make that "fake over focused face"
as well as the fake loud kiai and breathing and the steer-down, that is just poor and weak.

Remember that the judges have had a long and often boring day judging. By acting during kata will only get you low points from Experienced judges.

This quote is very good. This is what my Sensei always talks about. I love kata, but obviously the judging side can be tedious. We are always told to go out there in front of the judges and WAKE THEM UP!!!

[Lucy]

Hmmm i would say a 'lady' kata would be Yantsu and a 'big man' kata Tsuki No Kata he he

[Spirit]

Well Yantsu was/is considered a woman's kata... if you looking in the old books you'll see it done by a woman in black leotard's, not a gi... culture thing.

Big or small person kata is based on several things... I'll list it as I know it, in no spacial order.

Your ability comes in play i.e. stances, punches kicks, how well you can do them and in the kata combinations sequeces...

Are you round and tall or short or thin and tall and short,
or muscular tall or short...

Balance, some have good kata balance and poor kumite balance others have the opposite and some are clumsy until the gi goes on like me.

How well you handle pressure of the floor. If poorly a small kata would be better than a large kata i.e. pinan san over Kanku

What type of tourney it is , open, WKA, AAU, WUKO, NKA, IKO, inner dojo type etc. All this changes the type of kata or even what kata you can do.

Are you a small/tall person and good kicks or good stances or good punches or punch and stances etc you get the point...

Is it open kata men and women mixed, are you kyu or dan

Now for what is big or small person kata well I'd need a couple of pages to fill it all out in written form, best if you ask your Sensei or friends on this one after watching you do kata at a tourney.

But to give you a point of interest,

I'm 6' 185lbs, tall and lean, have long deep stances, good kicks and fast block/punch. Kata that best suites me is Kanku, Seienchin, Geksai Sho, Saifa... Seipei or Sushiho to but not a fan of them.
If doing lower kata... Pinan san, yon, go, & Tsuki No

Sanchin is a good kata if you have issues with stances and moving, as would Yanshu (though most have the rhythm way off and it looks very poor) and Geksai Dai.

This of course is just a brief outlook. One would need to observe you doing each kata and then be able to pick out issues of the kata see if they can be corrected, improved etc.
Also see your skills in during Kihons then work on the katas with you blah, blah , blah...
it could be a 3 day or 3 year process depending on the each person and time available to train on/with...

Best thing is to think this way, take the highest kata you know then go down 2 and do that kata...

People think to impress with kata type instead of, Impressing with kata skill and knowledge...

I hope this helps...

PS for those of you who are still growing, your kata will change and so will your kata type.

[Eitan]

Helle guys. Long time no speake... I hope you all doing well.

I would like you to watch this link of me doing kanku kata, as I'm preparing for a competition... Please give me your ideas, tips and remarks:

MySpaceTV Videos: Kyokushinkai kata- kanku by Eitan

Thanks a lot
Osu!

[madflojo]

One thing I would like to add in

if you are going to a Kyokushin kata tournament then i agree with the above you want to make sure the moves are correct.

However if you are going to a general Karate tournament than the correctness of the moves may not be as big as you think. You should still practice and make sure you do the moves correctly only because its better to win because you were right. But in general karate tournaments usually judges wont know your particular style while they may know the kata schools/styles can change kata quite often. So if you screw up they wont know unless you do something to tell them.

So my biggest advice is don't do anything that would let them know you screwed up (if you screw up).

Oh and the breathing thing is a biggie with judges.

[Spirit]

Originally Posted by madflojo

One thing I would like to add in

if you are going to a Kyokushin kata tournament then i agree with the above you want to make sure the moves are correct.

However if you are going to a general Karate tournament than the correctness of the moves may not be as big as you think. You should still practice and make sure you do the moves correctly only because its better to win because you were right. But in general karate tournaments usually judges wont know your particular style while they may know the kata schools/styles can change kata quite often. So if you screw up they wont know unless you do something to tell them.

So my biggest advice is don't do anything that would let them know you screwed up (if you screw up).

Oh and the breathing thing is a biggie with judges.

Well that would be a big incorrect assumption that would cost you....
In many "Open" tourney's judges do know other styles kata's specially in the B/B divisions. Though they are more forgiving than style only (kyokushin only ) tourney judges!
Most of the judges have been around for some time, (well in the open tourney's I go to)

An since many of our kata's are shared by several style with small variations to them it would be best to focus on doing them correct.

As for in a Kyokushin only tourney, I would say that their would be far more debate on if the kata you do is correct since their is so many variations of said kyokushin kata's and no one way seen by all in Kyokushin.
Hell I think I know 10 different ways to do almost every kata in Kyokushin!?!

As for the breathing, you would be very surprised to how many judges miss it all together!!!

Do the kata for you not the judges!!!!!!!!

[intwominds]

Hi Eitan, I don't know kanku kata yet so can't comment on specifics, sorry.

I really enjoyed watching it though, particularly the emphasis on slow and fast sections. Well done