How Do You Learn A Kata?
Learning to perform a kata in karate or any other martial art requires more than simply memorizing the movements. Each movement must be executed correctly and with energy. You’re fighting an imaginary opponent, but you should look as if you’re actually fighting–and winning. Follow these steps to find out how. Learn in small increments. Have your instructor show you only five or six movements at a time. When you’ve memorized them, ask to see the next five or six. Your instructor will know how to break up the kata in this fashion. Memorize the entire kata. Once you have been shown all the movements, practice the kata all the way through. Don’t worry about whether each movement is correct yet. Count off each movement the same way your instructor would when going through the kata in class. Work on your feet. Put your hands on your hips and go through the kata using only your feet. Check the width of your stances, the length of your steps and where your weight is during each movement. Make
