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''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( or ) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements made to be practised alone. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practised in
Japanese martial arts Japanese martial arts refers to the variety of martial arts native to the country of Japan. At least three Japanese terms (''budō'', ''bujutsu'', and ''bugei'') are used interchangeably with the English phrase Japanese martial arts. The usa ...
as a way to memorize and perfect the movements being executed. Korean martial arts with Japanese influence (
hapkido Hapkido ( , , also spelled ''hap ki do'' or ''hapki-do''; from Korean language, Korean 합기도 ''hapgido'' ) is a Eclecticism#Martial arts, hybrid Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, throw (g ...
, Tang Soo Do) use the derived term '' hyeong'' (hanja: 形) and also the term ''pumsae'' (hanja: 品勢 hangeul: 품새). Kata are also used in many traditional Japanese arts such as theatre forms like
kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought ...
and schools of tea ceremony (''
chadō The Japanese tea ceremony (known as or ) is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of , powdered green tea, the procedure of which is called . While in the West it is known as "tea ceremony", it is se ...
''), but are most commonly known in the martial arts. Kata are used by most Japanese and Okinawan martial arts, such as iaido,
judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo") ...
,
kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords ( shinai) as well as protective armor ( bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spr ...
, kenpo, and
karate (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...
.


Background

Kata originally were teaching and training methods by which successful combat techniques were preserved and passed on. Practising kata allowed a company of persons to engage in a struggle using a systematic approach, rather by practising in a repetitive manner the learner develops the ability to execute those techniques and movements in a natural, reflex-like manner. Systematic practice does not mean permanently rigid. The goal is to internalize the movements and techniques of a kata so they can be executed and adapted under different circumstances, without thought or hesitation. A novice's actions will look uneven and difficult, while a master's appear simple and smooth.Rosenbaum, Michael. ''Kata and the Transmission of Knowledge in Traditional Martial Arts.'' YMAA Publication Center, Boston, 2004. ''Kata'' is a loanword in English, from the 1950s in reference to the judo kata due to Jigoro Kano, and from the 1970s also of karate kata; but the word has come to be used as a generic term for "forms" in martial arts in general, or even figuratively applied to other fields.


Japanese martial arts

In Japanese martial arts practice, kata is often seen as an essential partner to '' randori'' training with one complementing the other. However, the actual type and frequency of kata versus ''randori'' training varies from art to art. In iaido, solo kata using the Japanese sword (
katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...
) comprises almost all of the training. Whereas in
judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo") ...
, kata training is de-emphasized and usually only prepared for dan grading. In kenjutsu, paired kata at the beginners level can appear to be stilted. At higher levels serious injury is prevented only by a high sensitivity of both participants to important concepts being taught and trained for. These include timing and distance, with the kata practised at realistic speed. This adjustability of kata training is found in other Japanese arts with roles of attacker and defender often interchanging within the sequence. Many martial arts use kata for public demonstrations and in competitions, awarding points for such aspects of technique as style, balance, timing, and verisimilitude (appearance of being real).


Karate

The most popular image associated with kata is that of a
karate (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...
practitioner performing a series of punches and kicks in the air. The kata are executed as a specified series of approximately 20 to 70 moves, generally with stepping and turning, while attempting to maintain perfect form. There are perhaps 100 kata across the various forms of karate, each with many minor variations. The number of moves in a kata may be referred to in the name of the kata, e.g., ''Gojū Shiho'', which means "54 steps." The practitioner is generally counselled to visualize the enemy attacks, and his responses, as actually occurring, and ''karateka'' are often told to "read" a kata, to explain the imagined events. Kata can contain techniques beyond the superficially obvious ones. The study of the meaning of the movements is referred to as the bunkai, meaning analysis, of the kata. One explanation of the use of kata is as a reference guide for a set of moves. Not to be used following that "set" pattern but to keep the movements "filed". After learning these kata, this set of learned skills can then be used in a
sparring Sparring is a form of training common to many combat sports. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively ' free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to minimize injuries. By extension, argumentative deba ...
scenario (particularly without points). The main objective here is to try out different combinations of techniques in a safe environment to ultimately find out how to defeat your opponent. Recently, with the spread of extreme martial arts, or XMA, a style of kata called CMX kata has formed. These kata are performed in tournaments and include gymnastics related elements, such as backflips, cartwheels, and splits. These kata can also be performed with weapons such as the ''bō'' staff.


Judo

Judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo") ...
has several kata, mostly created in the late 19th century by Kano Jigoro, the founder of judo. The judo kata involve two participants. Judo kata preserve a number of techniques that are not permitted in competition or in ''randori'', including punches, kicks, and the use of the
katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...
and other weapons. The study of kata is usually begun typically at around the green belt level. The most commonly studied judo kata is Nage-no-kata, which consists of fifteen throwing techniques. The Katame-no-kata is composed of pinning techniques, chokes, and joint locks. Kime-no-kata is a long kata consisting of self-defense techniques against both unarmed attacks, and attacks with swords and knives.


Non-Japanese martial arts

While the Japanese term is most well known in the English language, forms are by no means exclusive to Japan. They have been recorded in China as early as the
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
, and are referred to in Mandarin as ''
taolu Taolu is a village in Hopang District, Wa Self-Administered Division of Myanmar. Geography Taolu is located in the mountainous area near the border with China, which lies east of the village. Mong Ling Shan mountain rises about to the north. ...
''. South and Southeast Asian martial arts incorporate both preset and freestyle forms. In
silat is the collective term for a class of indigenous martial arts from the Nusantara and surrounding geocultural areas of Southeast Asia. It is traditionally practised in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Southern Thailand, Southern Phi ...
these are referred to as ''jurus'' and ''tari'' respectively. Malay folklore credits the introduction of forms to the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. In
Korean martial arts Korean martial arts (Hangul: 무술, Hanja: 武術, ''musul'' or Hangul: 무예, Hanja: 武藝, ''muye'') are fighting practices and methods which have their place in the history of Korea but have been adapted for use by both military and non- ...
such as
taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. ...
and Tang Soo Do, the word ''
hyung The Korean terms hyeong, pumsae, poomsae and teul (meaning "form" or "pattern") are all used to refer to martial arts forms that are typically used in Korean martial arts such as Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do. * Hyeong is often romanized as ''hyu ...
'' or ''hyeong'' is usually employed, though in some cases other words are used. The International Taekwon-Do Federation uses the word ''
tul Tul is a Korean martial art form. Tul or TUL may also refer to: * Tul, Hormozgan, Iran * Tuł, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland * TUL corporation, a Taiwanese computer products manufacturer * Technical University of Liberec, Czech Republic * Lodz U ...
'', while the World Taekwondo Federation uses the word ''poomsae'' or simply the English translations "
pattern A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated li ...
" or "form." Taekwondo patterns have multiple variations including ''Palgwe'' and the more popular ''Taeguk'' forms used by the WTF. Forms are included in certain taekwondo competitions and are a key element of gradings. In
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...
, forms are known either as ''yudhan'' (combat form) or ''pentra'' (tactical deployment). Other Asian martial arts refer to forms by various terms specific to their respective languages, such as the Burmese word ''
aka Aka, AKA or a.k.a. may refer to: * "Also known as", used to introduce an alternative name Languages * Aka language (Sudan) * Aka language, in the Central African Republic * Hruso language, in India, also referred to as Aka * a prefix in the n ...
'', the Vietnamese ''quyen'' and the Kashmiri ''khawankay''. In the
Historical European martial arts Historical European martial arts (HEMA) are martial arts of European origin, particularly using arts formerly practised, but having since died out or evolved into very different forms. While there is limited surviving documentation of the martia ...
and their modern reconstructions, there are forms, plays, drills and flourishes.


Outside martial arts

More recently kata has come to be used in English in a more general or figurative sense, referring to any basic form, routine, or pattern of behavior that is practised to various levels of mastery. In Japanese language ''kata'' (though written as 方) is a frequently-used suffix meaning “way of doing,” with emphasis on the form and order of the process. Other meanings are “training method” and “formal exercise.” The goal of a painter's practising, for example, is to merge their consciousness with their brush; the potter's with their clay; the garden designer's with the materials of the garden. Once such mastery is achieved, the theory goes, the doing of a thing perfectly is as easy as thinking it. Kata is a term used by some programmers in the Software Craftsmanship movement. Computer programmers who call themselves "Software Craftsmen" will write 'Kata' - small snippets of code that they write in one sitting, sometimes repeatedly, often daily, in order to build muscle memory and practise their craft. In 1999, the term was used by Dave Thomas, co-author of the book '' The Pragmatic Programmer''. The concept was implemented by Laurent Bossavit and Emmanuel Gaillot who talked about it at XP2005 in
Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
(UK). Following this conference, Robert C. Martin described the concept and initial usages in his article "The Programming Dojo". One of the things that characterize an organization's culture is its kata – its routines of thinking and practice. Edgar Schein suggests an organization's culture helps it cope with its environment,Schein, Edgar. ''Organizational Culture and Leadership: A Dynamic View.'' Jossey-Bass, 1985, p. 57 and one meaning of ''kata'' is, "a way to keep two things in sync or harmony with one another." A task for leaders and managers is to create and maintain the organizational culture through consistent role modeling, teaching, and coaching, which is in many ways analogous to how kata are taught in the martial arts. '' Toyota Kata'' is a 2009 management book by Mike Rother aiming to establish a routine for establishing a continuous improvement process.


See also

* Etude * Practice (learning method) * Procedural memory


References


Further reading

* {{Martial arts Japanese martial arts terminology Aikido Jujutsu Karate Judo