isshinryuronin
Senior Master
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Yes, this is a result karate's evolution from a combat art into the second part, an artistic competitive sport. But in having two parts with different goals, it's important to remain aware of the differences. We must remember, kata was originally devised as practice for combat, not as an artistic sport.To me kata has two parts. The first part is to prepare one for combat situations should they ever arise in the street or in kumite. The second part is to be artistic.
Much of the time, competitive forms favor the artistic elements over the combat effective elements - What looks nice to the judges and audience may not work nice in a fight. And techniques that work well in a fight aren't often pretty or flashy enough for forms competition. While one skill can contribute to the other, they are really two different things.
Sparring competition is a third kind of animal. Scoring points does not always equate with artistic form, or with combat effectiveness. Many of the most effective combat techniques are not allowed (for good reason) in competition. Again, we must recognize the differences between the many faces of karate and not confuse them.