A few Questions about katas & one other thing

[kingkong89]

hello out there a couple things. one does anyone know any site where i could find some interesting katas, i have been in martial arts for a little over a decade and was wanting to learn some new katas, and second, when you post or reply to a threat you have your avatar, name and belt, how in the heck do i change the color, i am a 2nd degree brown and i can get everything right but the belt color, any thing you could suggest

 

[SFC JeffJ]

I can't really help you as far as web sites for forms go, but the belt color is based on the number of posts you have on here. It does not reflect any actual rank you hold outside of this forum.

The way I lean new forms is just by asking around at my school. We have several people who study or have studied other arts. Have a few even who just study with us to further understand the bunkai of their kata. And there is always DVDs.

Jeff

 

[Brandon Fisher]

There are some great videos on amazon that you can buy or go to downloadkarate.com

 

[MJS]

hello out there a couple things. one does anyone know any site where i could find some interesting katas, i have been in martial arts for a little over a decade and was wanting to learn some new katas, and second, when you post or reply to a threat you have your avatar, name and belt, how in the heck do i change the color, i am a 2nd degree brown and i can get everything right but the belt color, any thing you could suggest

Have you learned all of the required katas in the art that you currently study? If you're interested in expanding your Martial Arts knowledge, it may be best to seek out a live, qualified instructor to teach you, rather than trying to learn from a video.

As for your question about your belt rank...that is the 'belt system' that this forum uses. It goes by post count. Your real life rank can be listed in your profile. Here is a link to the MT belts.

http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=240630&postcount=2

Mike

 

[chinto01]

Just wondering why you are looking to learn new katas? The ones you have are probably plenty to work on provided you have a sensei who can show you how to work with them. Most of the old masters only knew two or three katas and they developed entire systems based off of them.

Are you looking to learn more katas for the historical aspect and preservation of them? I would be interested on your thoughts.

In the spirit of bushido!

Rob

 

[pstarr]

It's best to focus on the ones your teacher has taught you thus far...each kata is a complete fighting system in and of itself. Learning new katas isn't like learning new dancing routines. They're meant to be studied in-depth.

 

[kingkong89]

Thanx all for your reply's i found out about the belts.
i am interested to learn more katas, one so i can keep moving forward, i am currently a second degree brown belt and my next step is a black. which will have test for in a bout 2 and a half weeks., i know 22 katas already just wanting to learn some more.

 

[MJS]

Thanx all for your reply's i found out about the belts.
i am interested to learn more katas, one so i can keep moving forward, i am currently a second degree brown belt and my next step is a black. which will have test for in a bout 2 and a half weeks., i know 22 katas already just wanting to learn some more.

Have you currently learned all of the katas required for your current system or are there more to go? Perhaps I'm missing something, but I don't see how learning a kata from outside your system is going to help you to advance in your current art. As Rob has already stated, having someone to teach the meaning behind the katas, is also very important. Simply going through the moves with no understanding is doing more harm than good.

Mike

 

[Brandon Fisher]

I agree fully on its not the amount kata its the depth of knowledge of the kata you know.

 

[SFC JeffJ]

Personally, the style I study has no kata. I've gone out of my way to learn three (Nehanchi, Tensho, and Rohai) because the content of them really compliments and expands on my Kenpo Jitsu. Two of the kata, I've been doing for many years now, and I've just in the past year added Tensho. I have to agree with the other's advice to stick with the kata of your system. Sounds like you already know quite a few, so just explore the applications of them. In the old days of karate, the masters would just choose a handful to teach particular students. Those five or fewer kata would give the student a lifetime of material to study.

Jeff

 

[Swordlady]

Thanx all for your reply's i found out about the belts.
i am interested to learn more katas, one so i can keep moving forward, i am currently a second degree brown belt and my next step is a black. which will have test for in a bout 2 and a half weeks., i know 22 katas already just wanting to learn some more.

If your 1st Dan test is in 2.5 weeks, shouldn't you be practicing your katas and techniques for the upcoming test? It may be a good idea to hold off learning new material for now. And to echo what others already said, if you want to learn kata from another MA style, seek instruction from a sensei. Not from videos or any other medium.

Good luck with your test!

 

[Grenadier]

Good advice so far. I'll just reinforce what has been said with a few lines from "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace:"

Obi Wan Kenobi: "Master Yoda said to be mindful of the future!"

Qui Gon Jinn: "Yes, but never at the expense of the present!"

Good luck on your exam. Remember, anything can be cumulative, even the first Taikyoku kata.

 

[chinto01]

Good luck on your black belt test. The one piece of advice I will pass to you is that black belt is just the beginning. You see over the years your sensei has been filling your library with these books "kata". Now at black belt he will teach you how to read these books by breaking them down for you. Then over time you will be able to break them down and read them yourself. It is not the quantity of things that you learn but the quality of the techniques. Spend time with the kata. Explore it, break it down, find the "hiddden applications" if you believe there are any. My father who was a mechanic told me that it makes no sense to have 10 wrenches when you can have one that works really well for you.

This site is an excellent resource with alot of knowledgeable people. ask questions and do not be afraid to explore other possibilities. Think outside of the box when looking into your katas and you will have plenty of material.

Good luck!

In the spirit of bushido!

Rob

 

[Fuzzy Foot]

To reiterate what's been said, it's quality not quantity. I would concentrate on what you need to know for your test. By doing a good job there you'll do yourself and your instructor proud.

 

[kingkong89]

thanx for more reply's
i am still running over my basic katas over and over for my tes, but after i obtain my black belt i will need to know two other katas then the ones i alredy know, i already have two aditional katas, gojishiho dia and super inpe. but i would like to have at least one more because i want to save super inpe for my forth degree belt. the way my school system works is once you get your black belt it is 2 katas every 2 years for the next degree.

 

[chinto01]

thanx for more reply's
i am still running over my basic katas over and over for my tes, but after i obtain my black belt i will need to know two other katas then the ones i alredy know, i already have two aditional katas, gojishiho dia and super inpe. but i would like to have at least one more because i want to save super inpe for my forth degree belt. the way my school system works is once you get your black belt it is 2 katas every 2 years for the next degree.

I may not be understanding you with the heat and all. So if I understand you correctly you need to learn katas outside of your system for future dan ranks?

In the spirit of bushido!

Rob

 

[MJS]

thanx for more reply's
i am still running over my basic katas over and over for my tes, but after i obtain my black belt i will need to know two other katas then the ones i alredy know, i already have two aditional katas, gojishiho dia and super inpe. but i would like to have at least one more because i want to save super inpe for my forth degree belt. the way my school system works is once you get your black belt it is 2 katas every 2 years for the next degree.

I'm still a bit confused. How is learning a kata from outside your art, going to help you advance? Who is going to know if you're doing the kata correctly? With all due respect, but this sounds to me like the focus is on the quantity of material rather than the quality.

Mike