Over the time I have been a member of this forum there have been numerous discussions on the value of kata, or the lack thereof. A person who's name crops up from time to time is Iain Abernethy, a man I respect highly. I subscribe to his newsletter and in the latest one he has a German translation of a prior article entitled "The Four Stages of Kata Training". I have attached the link to the original English article for your enjoyment and usual incisive comments . :asian: