How to improve in Kata ?
- Thread starter Azulx
- Start date
Start by paying attention to the details. Like, just as one example, not calling the forms used in Korean martial arts (which you have said you are studying) kata.
Depending on what aspects you want to improve, do it in an unfamiliar environment, or with your eyes closed. Unfamiliar environment makes you focus on the moves, and eyes closed makes you focus on your balance/how you're moving your weight around.
Also, try to figure out what the purpose of each movement is, and do each move slowly (with dynamic tension if your so inclined), to examine the mechanics of your body and see if doing it slowly raises any questions about it.
Technically that's all under the 'doing it over and over again', but still helps.
Also, try to figure out what the purpose of each movement is, and do each move slowly (with dynamic tension if your so inclined), to examine the mechanics of your body and see if doing it slowly raises any questions about it.
Technically that's all under the 'doing it over and over again', but still helps.
To expand upon this, you comprise a list of principles, or concepts, and work the whole form, at least once for that one thing. Just a tip, you won't make rank until you have mastered the footwork; so, do the form for the footwork first, and what ever you are working on second.
hoshin1600
Senior Master
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Doing forms over and over is a usless endeavor. ..unless your doing it with your mind engaged.
1..do the form
2..ask yourself questions ,,why..how..ect
3..do the form again
4..repeat for the next 30 years
1..do the form
2..ask yourself questions ,,why..how..ect
3..do the form again
4..repeat for the next 30 years
- Thread Starter
- #6
I am aware of the Korean terminology (Hyung/tul). I said kata, because I figured people were more used to that word. Plus I have also stated that my instructor uses the Japanese terminology.
- Thread Starter
- #7
When I do the form I am assigned to do, I try to engage myself as much as I can into what I'm doing. My foot placement, balance, application, etc. I guess I am asking for what can I give as advice to my lower rank classmates who don't understand the engagement. Does it just happen? My instructor always talked about when you get to the advanced rank, you just "get" things. There is no explanation, I just got it, and stopped looking at the moves in the forms as just movements. My instructor taught me that forms are just choreographed fights. On here I learned a new perspective that I never would have learned in my class. Which is that it's not one big fight, but small sequences of moves that can be used as tools to teach techniques.
@Dirty Dog trust me I cringe every time I use a Japanese term to describe something in Tae Kwon Do, it is what my instructor does. Coming from a Japanese influenced martial arts school combined with my instructor being taught Korean Karate (which I know is Tae kwon Do) as a teenager. He chooses to use Japanese terminology. He calls it Karate to this day. I am no one to tell him "stop using the wrong terminology" or shame him for doing so. I am happy with knowing that I know the correct terminology.
If we are talking about "art", you will need to add your "personal flavor" into your form. For example, when you throw 3 punches, you can do it as:
- fast, fast, fast,
- slow, slow, fast,
- slow, fast, fast,
- fast, slow, fast,
- ...
Jaeimseu
3rd Black Belt
This will depend greatly on what system you practice and how much standardization exists within it. In Kukkiwon Taekwondo, for example, everything is pretty well defined, so "personal expression" would be seen as wrong.
If you want to get better at forms, I would say you should break the form down into its individual pieces/techniques first, then create larger pieces/segments, and finally put things together as a whole.
Other things you can do are to verbally name each technique in sequence (to internalize the order, practice blindfolded (works well in conjunction with video to see if you can "feel" the correct movements/stances, do the form backwards, do the form in a different place or facing a different direction than normal, or only do the stances. Above all, I'd say choose one thing to work on and fix that instead of attempting to correct everything at once.
one I see that throws a lot of newer students is to simply have them face the other way at training. They get so used to orienting themselves to the hall a simple change throws them.
Do you have access to a mirror as you practice? they can show up a lot of errors you may not notice. Try doing them stances only. eyes closed and see if you hit your mark on completion. Get someone more experienced to critique it. do them fast, or slow.
Do you have access to a mirror as you practice? they can show up a lot of errors you may not notice. Try doing them stances only. eyes closed and see if you hit your mark on completion. Get someone more experienced to critique it. do them fast, or slow.
One day when you (general YOU) have trained your MA system for over 50 years, you will think differently from those who has just trained in their MA system for only few years.
If you can't contribute anything into your MA system, the best that you can do is just another copy machine. The sad thing is, even the best copy machine, the quality will get worse and worse from generation to generation.
IMO, you should be the master. Your MA style should be your slave. It should not be the other way around.
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Jaeimseu
3rd Black Belt
There are plenty of avenues where you can contribute, but poomse is not really one of them.
All forms/Katas were created by human being. If a form/Kata can be created 200 years ago, a new form/Kata can be created today. 200 years from today, your new created form/Kata will be traditional too.
JR 137
Grandmaster
IMO the best way to improve your kata is video taping it. You'll see flaws you can't see while performing it. Once you've got the kata memorized and all the movements correct, it's all about fine tuning it. A mirror is good for checking your final posture for each count, but I find the entire movement itself is difficult to gauge by using mirrors; I tend to get tunnel vision when using mirrors. With video, I get a picture of everything.
With video, you'll see if you're dropping your hands, changing levels, leaning to a side, looking at the correct spot, etc.
When I was competing in kata, my teacher extensively used video. I honestly thought I (and the rest of the class) improved our kata far more during that period than any other time.
I should also state that that was when we were trying to improve the performance of kata (the physical part of it; making it look better). If you're trying to improve your understanding of the movements, the best way is to break the movements down with a partner to get a better understanding of why the movements are what they are.
Taikyoku 1 is the most basic kata we do. During the turn and low block parts, there's a very good reason why you set your hands, look to the next direction, step strong, twist your hips and torso, and time your block with when your foot lands: opponent grabs you, you apply an arm lock, look to the direction where you'll take him, step back strong, and twist your torso to generate maximum power. If done right, it's a fluid movement with your hands and feet ending at about the same time. Those subtle details will make or break the effectiveness of the technique.
With video, you'll see if you're dropping your hands, changing levels, leaning to a side, looking at the correct spot, etc.
When I was competing in kata, my teacher extensively used video. I honestly thought I (and the rest of the class) improved our kata far more during that period than any other time.
I should also state that that was when we were trying to improve the performance of kata (the physical part of it; making it look better). If you're trying to improve your understanding of the movements, the best way is to break the movements down with a partner to get a better understanding of why the movements are what they are.
Taikyoku 1 is the most basic kata we do. During the turn and low block parts, there's a very good reason why you set your hands, look to the next direction, step strong, twist your hips and torso, and time your block with when your foot lands: opponent grabs you, you apply an arm lock, look to the direction where you'll take him, step back strong, and twist your torso to generate maximum power. If done right, it's a fluid movement with your hands and feet ending at about the same time. Those subtle details will make or break the effectiveness of the technique.
Those are both correct, but you'll find that the most widely used term is poomsae.
Have you looked around here much? The active posting population isn't exactly a bunch of inexperienced noobies.
So? You're not at your school, or speaking to your instructor. There's nothing stopping you from using the correct Korean terminology...
The best way to improve your forms is to stop practicing your forms. Instead, practice bits and pieces repeatedly to improve the parts of the form. Then put them back together. Keep in mind that the purpose of training forms is not to learn forms. The forms are merely tools to help teach a whole gamut of skills.
And keep working on your lower forms as well, in the same manner. What you're learning now should change your understanding of what you learned six months ago.
I've been to schools where asking a 1st geup to do the form they learned at 7th geup was met with a blank stare. They had forgotten the form, because they no longer practiced it. This is antithetical to the entire concept of systematic learning.
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
Forms are not performance art. They are not a product in and of themselves. As has been stated, they are a tool meant to help you develop your skills. So keep working on them, but not with the purpose of performing them.
Get a partner. Find resistance. Dissect the postures to 4 basic components (punching, kicking, throwing, controlling) then determine what makes sense & what doesn't.
Doing it over and over again is good when you're first learning the kata. After you get the sequence down work on making it look realistic. Another words, imagine you're really fighting opponents when you do the kata. Every strike, you are connecting with an imaginary assailant. Use your imagination. That is why kata is called meditation in motion. All too often lots of people will downplay katas saying they're not a good training tool, I would have to disagree.
I think there's still personal expression in the performance of KKW forms, even though the techniques are very standardized. It's... like playing classical music. The sheet music has been exactly the same for hundreds of years, everybody that plays the piece plays the exact same notes, but performers still bring their own expression to the piece. Similarly, even within the constraints of the standardized poomsae, you still see differences in terms of how one person performs a form compared with another, in terms of grace vs power, rhythm, etc.
But that may be more subtle than the kind of help Azulx is looking for.
Yeah, definitely great suggestions!
