Steps to Learning a Kata

How to learn the katas in steps 
NB Don’t get disheartened if you find some of the steps difficult, if you can’t remember the Japanese, or the movements that is perfectly normal for all students. Set time aside to practice, you don’t have to do all the steps at once, maybe pick out certain areas to work on, video yourself to see how you progress, and see if you can spot any faults, improvements etc. Watch the practice Videos without physically practicing, eventually the videos will not be needed because you will be able to follow all of the steps on your own.

The order of practice is the following 

1. Punching Drill – Basic punching Drill used in all Kata  
2. Common Basics used in all Kata 
3. Blocking Drill – Blocks used in all Kata
4. Stances – used in all kata
5. Kata Fundamental Drill – Movements used in all kata
6. Kata Fundamental Turning Drill – Movements used in all kata
7. Empi (Elbow) Drill – Elbows used in various kata
8. 4 Basic Blocking Katas – provides a schema, framework for learning more difficult kata at a later stage
9. Suriashi a common movement used in many kata 
10. Directional Drill – Used in all Kata – Helps with Left and Right turns 

The Key to learning Kata is independent practice - follow the steps laid out and I guarantee that all students will improve in their kata practice, use the videos as a reference and to help with practice, use the written notes as a guide. 

1. Punching Drill – Basic punching Drill used in all Kata
Amount of time for practice 5 mins  
Focus on correct Hand position (Hikite)
Focus on the pulling and pushing movement of both arms (Meotode)
Focus on using the double Hips action (Koshi – hips)
Focus on Kime (Tighten) for each Punch, 1 second tighten on impact 
Focus on the Core (Hara) – don’t Lift shoulders - power comes from the hips and Core area
Don’t turn the body on punching – (keep your shoulders square)

 2. Focus on learning the following Key basics, all stepping forwards Right and Left side 
Amount of time for practice 10 mins  
Junzuki Punch – Front hand punch 
Gyakazuki Punch – Back hand Punch 
Nukite – Spear Hand
Kette Junzuki – Kick under the fist
Kette Gyakazuki – Kick under the fist 
Shuto Block – Open hand block 
Jujiuke X Block – Cross the arms block 
Front Kick (kick used in several Kata)
Side Kick (kick used in several Kata)

3. Learn the blocking drill on the spot – 4 blocks each time 
Amount of time for practice 5 mins 
Repeat the Blocks out loud as you practice them in Japanese this will help remember the names of the Blocks 
Jodan Uke - Soto Uke - Uchi Uke - Gedan Barai - Shuto Uke - Kakeuke - Moroteuke - Jujiuke 

4. Learn the following stances, the Japanese and how to do them
Say the stances out loud in Japanese as you practice them, this will help remember the names of the stances
Amount of time for practice 5 mins  
Musubidachi – Attention stance
Heisokudachi – Feet together stance
Junzuki – Fighting stance and front arm punch
Gyakazuki – Reverse fighting stance and punch
Mahanmi no Nekoashi – Side viewing Cat stance
Nekoashi – Sitting on a chair stance – Cat Stance, weight on back leg
Shikodachi – Horse stance
Kokutsudachi – Back Stance
Sagiashi Dachi – One legged stance used in Chinto 
Gyaku Nekoashi – Reverse Cat Stance -weight on the front leg
Yame – Stop -  Feet apart usually in Yoi
Naore –  Finish -  Feet together and bow

5. Learn the kata fundamentals Punching drill
Amount of time for practice 5 mins
1. Shikodach to junzuki
2. Push and pull hands and feet
3. Junzuki float
4. Gyakuzuki float
6. Junzuki middle 1-2
7. Gyakuzuki middle 1-2

6. Learn the Kata fundamentals Turning drill 
Amount of time for practice 5 mins
1.Turning lower block
2.Turning head block
3.Turning outer block
4.Turning inner block

7. Empi (Elbow Drill)
Amount of time for practice 5 mins 
Sonoba (On the spot) – Age (Up) – Ushiro (Back) – Mawashi (Round) – Yoko (Side) With Stances Junzuki - Nekoashi - Shikodachi - Suriashi

8. Basic Blocking Kata
​Amount of time for practice 10 mins
A Gedan Barai Kata
B Jodan Uke Kata
C Soto Uke Kata
D Uchi Uke Kata

Learn the 4 basic Blocking Katas I have introduced: The purpose of these is to make sure that each student has a framework of basic movements that will really help with learning the more difficult katas that follow. 

9. Learn the following Suriashi movement and Drill
Amount of time for practice 5 mins 

Suriashi – a sliding movement with both legs, not a jump but a slide of the body (Very common in kata)
Forward - Back – Left – Right
Forward (Tobi Punch) – Back – Left (R Gyaku Punch)

10. Directional Drill
Amount of time for practice 5 mins 
Start in Yoi
Turn to the Left Right Gyaku
Turn to the Right Left Gyaku
Left leg comes forward Right Gyaku
Turn Right Leg Forwards Left Gyaku
Finish in Yoi – just keep repeating when you are confident doing it one way, the great thing with this drill you can experiment and change the techniques add kicks, etc, I will demonstrate on the video. 

If all steps are practiced in one session, a total time of 1 hours practice time. students can spend a lot longer on each step, the times are minimum to make progress, an extra hours practice per week will help a student progress with their Katas. 

Common Problems with learning a kata 
Students don’t realise that when they learn a kata in their own dojo they are subconsciously taking cues from the room which helps a student remember direction, where they should be etc. So when practicing on their own, may struggle with remembering directional turns etc, I would recommend initially always face the same way when practicing kata, until the order is really learned, then experiment facing in different directions and perform the kata.

Students feel overwhelmed trying to process all of the information required to perform a kata, start panicking, maybe feel stupid, embarrassed. 

Learn the kata in small chunks of movement, 4 at a time, then learn the next 4, then practice all 8 moves, when you have these add the next 4 and so on, initially the next time you practice you may have forgotten the kata, again but eventually with enough practice you will remember the whole kata. 

Common mistakes 
Students turn in the wrong direction
Students don’t know which stance should be used for each move in a kata 
Students don’t know the basic Japanese terms that correspond to blocks, punches and stances 
Students don’t persevere, practice or use the videos on our web site 

Practicing the steps 1 to 10 will definitely help all students 

Try to understand that Karate is a system of martial arts that requires the students to learn basic techniques, Katas, and pair work, they all combine to make a student a martial artist, along with many other aspects of training. 

Last word on Kata, many instructors and martial artists from other styles, boxers, MMA fighters, etc, ridicule Kata as a useless training tool that has nothing to do with fighting, indeed I myself thought it was useless as a young Martial artist practitioner. Training with several World class intelligent, analytical instructors has completely changed my mind over the years.

Kata practice is enormously beneficial for fighting, movement, timing, challenging the brain, etc etc. Practiced On its own without including training of pair work, Free style fighting, contact fighting, it is enjoyable but not condusive to creating a fighter. As part of a system of training it is extremely beneficial in all areas,

Follow the steps improve your kata and enjoy the training.

Sensei Steve Moore 6th Dan