Practicing a kata exactly is one thing, engaging in a real fight is another!

A great master stated this! To anyone who is not a karate-ka, a kata is a series of karate moves, routine if you will, that one practices to improve their karate techniques. A kata is very helpful in training but is it completely necessary in the learning of karate? Simple answer, NO. Longer answer, kata is a routine that you practice to improve the basic movements, footwork, techniques, physical conditioning and self defense applications of the karate-ka. People that practice boxing, MMA, some kick boxers and even some forms of karate frown upon the practice of kata. They say it’s not real. OK, why do push-ups? Why lift weights? Doesn’t boxers shadow box when they don’t have an opponent? Kata is like shadow boxing. In Shotokan karate we have 27 katas. Most schools require that you learn between 8 and 11 katas for a black belt. As you progress the kata that you must learn increases in difficulty. Kata refines your movement without you having to engage in combat. Kata doesn’t get you hurt, unless you’re unlucky that is!
Now, to the statement. “Practicing a kata exactly is one thing, engaging in a real fight is another”. Kata can refine but if you don’t practice against a live opponent it’s difficult to learn the ways that someone will fight you. If you never spar then how do you learn to move and react in response to someone who is trying to out think you. If you never spar then you will not be able to use feints and fakes properly to out fox your opponent. There are so many reasons that one should spar and learn additional fighting moves but kata is still a valuable tool to become a better martial artist.
Very important in the practice of karate is understanding the moves. Each block that we work on has many applications. An onlooker may look on and say that a particular block will never work on the street but they don’t know that even the practice of the traditional formal karate block is much like doing kata. Often you are practicing a series of movements that may be applicable in many different ways. Practicing blocks or kata can not be applied to one techniques or one does not know all of the value that the move can produce.
Kata is on thing but a real fight is another. I’ve said on many occasions that you can’t measure Karazy. In one movie, the actor said I don’t know karate I know karazy. He then got knocked out. You can improve spirit and karazy by doing kata but you have to do the moves like it’s a real fight. You have to kiai with spirit. Not a meek, ya! You have to practice strongly with spirit or the practice is just going through the motions.
I had a student that would not kiai loud and before an upcoming test, I stopped her and said that she could not progress any further until she kiai’d louder. I said I need you to kiai at least 10% stronger. For some reason, something that was so easy to fix was a problem. She quit and went to another school and soon quite that school too. I don’t believe she ever continued after that. If you don’t have spirit. If you don’t practice with energy and enthusiasm a fight is a world of hurt.
I’m just saying.
Practicing a kata exactly is one thing, engaging in a real fight is another!