I gladly await the first fool who puts his big mouth to use at a local tournament by agreeing to judge kata, then refusing because it's all a fraud. I'd pay to see that.
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Kata competition doesn't cause any of the woes you ascribe to it, so long as good, "live" training methods are also used. People can go and gawk at an engine, and that doesn't make the engine less effective. Even if that gawking occasionally leads the owner to add bits of chrome that aren't really necessary to the effective function of the engine, that won't be a problem, so long as the original purpose of the engine is still fulfilled by proper maintenance, etc.But that's exactly my point.
Forms are a training tool. They exist to help us develop into capable martial artists. They are not to be judged just as you don't win a boxing match by shadow boxing.
It's this wooly b.s. that enables so much of what dropbear and Martial D would call fantasy martial arts. Instead of adopting a simple direct understanding of hit or be hit fighting and self defence the arts are cluttered with baggage like this. Perfection of form as an end in it's self; martial arts as character building; mastery requiring 30 years of study... all of these things are fabricated romanticism unrelated to any but the most modern arts (that I'm aware of- I'm sure someone will correct me). All just ways of people saving embarrassment from getting beaten up. And rather than challenging those people to live up to the perfection of character rhetoric; to take their beating and use it as fuel for improvement, we allow the proliferation of myth and magic and interpretive dance
Kata competition is the sickness in the soul of karate that corrupts the very nature of the art. We must cut it out and burn the very memory of it!
Oh, and the martial arts as character building - that's actually far more useful in most people's lives than the fighting use. In fact, it often makes the fighting less likely to happen.But that's exactly my point.
Forms are a training tool. They exist to help us develop into capable martial artists. They are not to be judged just as you don't win a boxing match by shadow boxing.
It's this wooly b.s. that enables so much of what dropbear and Martial D would call fantasy martial arts. Instead of adopting a simple direct understanding of hit or be hit fighting and self defence the arts are cluttered with baggage like this. Perfection of form as an end in it's self; martial arts as character building; mastery requiring 30 years of study... all of these things are fabricated romanticism unrelated to any but the most modern arts (that I'm aware of- I'm sure someone will correct me). All just ways of people saving embarrassment from getting beaten up. And rather than challenging those people to live up to the perfection of character rhetoric; to take their beating and use it as fuel for improvement, we allow the proliferation of myth and magic and interpretive dance
Kata competition is the sickness in the soul of karate that corrupts the very nature of the art. We must cut it out and burn the very memory of it!
I don't mind the acrobatics, but to me they belong in an acrobatics competition or a dance competition.I don't agree with that but I would like kata to be proper kata with no added tricks, bells or whistles. I would like the kata to be recognisable and not something done to look like film choreography, though perhaps a class for a scripted fight might make a good competition!
Only if the judging rules favor that. The problem is the criteria, not the competition, itself.Kata is fine but the competitions make people turn their kata into ridiculous movements that break every rule of their martial art
IMO, kata for competitions shouldn't be a different thing, though. You should bring your best kata, and just let it be judged. If there are small adjustments that could be made, okay, but why bother?And that just causes more confusion. People who enter competitions will see some places wanting really low stances and some wanting really high stances and that'll just mess up their training because they won't be training their form consistently. I believe karate competitions are a waste of time because the competitions strip away what the style is teaching. Karate was made for self defence so it includes groin shots, knees elbows, eye gouges, throat strikes but then all those are illegal moves in competitions so you spend years training the student to do those moves then tell them they can't use them if they want to win a trophy.
Point fighting and kata tournaments have given karate such a bad name. People think that all karate people do is tap fighting because that's all that's seen in competition, they think the forms are stupid gymnastics and over the top movements because that's what's seen in tournaments. If katate wants to be taken seriously again I believe it should seriously update it's Tournament rules and get rid of the rubbish it is today or stop them completely.
Yup. OP asked what judges are looking for, and it instantly turned into "there shouldn't be kata competition" and "competitive karate gives us all a bad name."Same old thing. Kata sucks, punching air sucks, kumite sucks, point sparring sucks, only real unscripted all out brawling teaches anything. Yawn. Go away, troll.
Who's worrying this is a discussion page about martial arts. I do disagree and I'm gonna say I do. im not telling anyone what to do. i think its a waste of time so i'm going to say that because that's the whole point of the forum, what do you want me to talk about? My holidays?Headhunter,
You are entitled to your opinion.
For the most part, I don't understand why some people worry so much about what other people are doing.
If you aren't into competition that's fine but why the need to disparage people who do.
You don't like the formats of the competitions don't go to them or start your own organization and do it how you feel it should be.
I have judged at them before this guy entered a traditional forms category then started going back flips and cartwheels and breakdancing with the odd punch and kick thrown in, no stances no anything that really resembled martial arts. Everyone else gave him top score, I gave him a 0. Never got asked back, funny thatI gladly await the first fool who puts his big mouth to use at a local tournament by agreeing to judge kata, then refusing because it's all a fraud. I'd pay to see that.
Someone's triggered. Point fighting does suck.. Ooh look I punched 5 feet away from him give me a point wooo I'm a world champion.Same old thing. Kata sucks, punching air sucks, kumite sucks, point sparring sucks, only real unscripted all out brawling teaches anything. Yawn. Go away, troll.
You're just upset that your kid doeÅ it and people are saying he's wasting his time. You seem to talk a lot for a guy who's martial art experience is driving his kid to karate class. I love how you always say "we" enter tournaments...nah mate you don't enter them your kid does. Are you one of those parents who takes credit for every bit of success he has and say it was all down to youSorry, I just don't think these people are ruining Karate.
(Kata and weapons forms video starts at 49 second mark.)
Its a good group of people that train hard and have dedicated a lot of their lives to karate and shouldn't be disrespected just because you don't like competition.
A technique involves:You can't judge form or technique without an opponent?
Thats absurd.
Something that we used to do was practice the forms on the body. E.g if the first move is a step back with an inward block then we get someone to step in with the required punch. That way you work on your balance and your rotation and the timing of your block in relation to the body.A technique involves:
1. opportunity,
2. timing,
3. angle,
4. power,
5. balance.
Without opponent, opportunity, timing, and angle will have no reference point. Even the power, punching into the thin air is different from punching on an object. Also the solo balance is different from the balance during contact.
For example, you may maintain good balance when throwing a side kick into the thin air. But when a 300 lb guy runs toward you and tries to take your head off, can your side kick be able to knock him down and still remain balance yourself?
A technique involves:
1. opportunity,
2. timing,
3. angle,
4. power,
5. balance.
Without opponent, opportunity, timing, and angle will have no reference point. Even the power, punching into the thin air is different from punching on an object. Also the solo balance is different from the balance during contact.
For example, you may maintain good balance when throwing a side kick into the thin air. But when a 300 lb guy runs toward you and tries to take your head off, can your side kick be able to knock him down and still remain balance yourself?
I don't mind the acrobatics, but to me they belong in an acrobatics competition or a dance competition.
If that's directed at me I'm very disappointed.Same old thing. Kata sucks, punching air sucks, kumite sucks, point sparring sucks, only real unscripted all out brawling teaches anything. Yawn. Go away, troll.
Sorry, I just don't think these people are ruining Karate.
(Kata and weapons forms video starts at 49 second mark.)
Its a good group of people that train hard and have dedicated a lot of their lives to karate and shouldn't be disrespected just because you don't like competition.