Hi,

I assume you're discussing how to announce the kata for competition. [By Announce I'm referring to both the words and the choice of opening movements involved.]

First you must find out if the tournament or group involved has a preference as to what competitors do. Likewise some schools train their students in a specific form of announcement, perhaps as a trademark of their students.

I've seen people win who don't announce their kata at all and let their actual performance do the speaking. I've seen people just announce the name of their kata. Some go into more detail and more elaborate choice of openings.

Personally I don't think the manner one does it makes any difference as long as the announcement doesn't overshadow the kata itself.

Victot Smith
Bushi No Te Isshinryu

I've seen people win who don't announce their kata at all and let their actual performance do the speaking. I've seen people just announce the name of their kata. Some go into more detail and more elaborate choice of openings.

I've seen ppl anounce the wrong kata & win. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/confused.gif[/IMG]

i think it is proper to do so after the bow. When you assume shizentai (yohi) is a a type of kamae wich indicates that you have started the fight.

according to the WKF, competitors should bow, announce the kata name then take up the prescribed stance

In my school we enter the ring, approach and pay respects to the judges. Then we state our name, our school name and the kata we will perform, and ask permission to begin. When it is given, we take an appropriate number of steps backward, never turning our backs to the judges, give our salutation as the opening to the kata, and begin. We end with the same salutation, and either wait at attention for the scores or back out of the ring, depending on how each tournament is being run. (Sometimes they score each person separately, and sometimes they allow 3 preformances, and then give scores to those three, and so on.)

And the winner is........Sunspots!!!!!!!!!!!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by sunspots:
In my school we enter the ring, approach and pay respects to the judges. Then we state our name, our school name and the kata we will perform, and ask permission to begin. When it is given, we take an appropriate number of steps backward, never turning our backs to the judges, give our salutation as the opening to the kata, and begin. We end with the same salutation, and either wait at attention for the scores or back out of the ring, depending on how each tournament is being run. (Sometimes they score each person separately, and sometimes they allow 3 preformances, and then give scores to those three, and so on.) [/QUOTE]

When I'm judging kata at competitions, all I want to hear from the contestant is what kata they are going to do.

Things that realy put me off before the performance even begins (in no particular order of hatred) are:

(And all of these have happened.)

1. The guy telling me his name. (I don't want to know it.

2. The guy telling me which school he represents. (I couldn't care less)

3. The guy telling me the complete history of his style and the kata's numerous origins according to him and asking me to confirm I accept his historical protocols before he will perform.

4. A guy creeping around the full perimeter of the arena with his back straight and legs bent as if he was about to lay an egg.

5. A series of deep breathing exercises that make him sound like an ageing astmatic, working himself into a frenzy before he's even told me the kata he's going to do.

6. If he kneels down and starts taking off his gi top and then spends 5 minutes with some pseudo-ritualistic folding exercise, I know the performance is going to be crap. Once he's finished folding the gi and laying it to one side, I'm so bored I pay no more attention.

7. If the guy walks to within 6 inches of my face, looks past me, and then yells his kata name out at 120 decibels, I'm just as likely to smack him as give him a low score.

8. People who speak what must be a whole paragraph of Japanese. (At least it's meant to be) When this happened I asked the guy if he could translate what he had just said into english (Hey, I don't understand Japanese) at which point he said he didn't know Japanese and didn't know whatr he had said. While the guy was waiting in the middle of the arena I asked for his instructor who came over, and when asked for a translation, he couldn't provide it either. He also confessed that it wasn't Japanese but just sounded good so he taught it [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]

So, if I'm ever judging you in a Kata competition, I expect the following;

1. Bow and walk onto the arena from the opposite side of the head judge. (You don't have to bow to the guy who's just performed before you.

2. Walk to where you want to start your kata from.

3. Bow

4. Announce clearly the kata you intend to perform. (I don't mind if 4 & 5 are swapped in order)

5. Go into the appropriate ready stance (Yoi)

6. Perform your kata.

7. Return to attention and bow.

8. Wait for your score and then back out of the arena.

Simple really.

JohnL

John, We were always tought that it was proper ettiquete in any MA when gretting another MA to introduce yourself, your Dojo and your intension. Your intention of course in the tournament would be the Kata.I do agree that all the other stuff is BS, your post made me LOL, I too have judged many tournaments and can relate, thier are some real characters in the tournament circle.

My dojo teaches the following (www.streetdefense.com)

1. If holding a weapon have free hand pointing out to the side (in a spear form).

2. While standing ask the judges permission to enter the ring or mat (whatever ur using)

3. When permission is givin, bow

4. Walk up to the judges stand 3 feet from the judges.

5. Get into horse stance while holding your weapon of choice out for the judges.

6. State your name, your dojo and the kata you are performing.

7. Ask permission to begin Kata, Bow and step back

8. Begin Kata

On some occasions, I have also presented my weapon to the juudges for inspection, as the rules have required it. (Safety thing, they want to make sure things are not falling apart, having loose grips, etc.) In this case I take a step forward if needed, be sure my blade is facing away from the judges, and drop to one knee to present it. When it is returned, I proceed as usual to begin the form.

Hi keyboardsamurai:

Interesting to hear what you do. I don't neccesarily agree with it but there's more than one way of skinning a cat.

One thing I always do when hearing these kind of things is to question them, so;

1. If holding a weapon have free hand pointing out to the side (in a spear form).

Why?

2. While standing ask the judges permission to enter the ring or mat (whatever ur using)

Why ask permission. They've called your name and obviously want you there.

3. When permission is givin, bow

See 2 above.

4. Walk up to the judges stand 3 feet from the judges.

If there are 3 judges facing you, this means that you are now only addressing the one in the middle (Unless you're moving your head from side to side, which looks really wierd)

5. Get into horse stance while holding your weapon of choice out for the judges.

Why get into a horse stance? It doesn't signify anything and would appear to be irrelevat.

What are you holding the weapon out to the judges for.

6. State your name, your dojo and the kata you are performing.

They know your name (They called you to the square) they don't care which dojo you come from, Kata name (Great)


7. Ask permission to begin Kata, Bow and step back.

Too much asking of permission going on here. If they didn't want you to do the kata, they wouldn't have called you into the square.

8. Begin Kata

Fine

It's just that people seem to accept this kind of thing without question, generally because sensei says so. I just wonder why.

JohnL