Eclectic Karate & Kickboxing Systems (EKSA)
Kata Information
Kata is a Japanese word meaning literally "form" referring to a detailed choreographed pattern of movements made to be practiced alone, and also within groups and in unison when training. It is practiced in Japanese martial arts as a way to memorize and perfect the movements being executed. Korean martial arts with Japanese influence (hapkido, Tang Soo Do) use the derived term hyeong and also the term pumsae.
Kata are also used in many traditional Japanese arts such as theatre forms like kabuki and schools of tea ceremony, but are most commonly known in the martial arts. Kata are used by most Japanese and Okinawan martial arts, such as aikido, judo, kendo, kenpo, and karate.
Kata originally were teaching and training methods by which successful combat techniques were preserved and passed on. Practicing kata allowed a company of persons to engage in a struggle using a systematic approaches, rather by practicing 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.