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Recently Ive been involved in several kata discussions, mainly involving Karateka. Trying not to steal threads I invited a few of them to the JKD forum to defend there stance on the issue. Since they have failed to do so then I will bring the conversation to them myself.

My first jab at it is that I dont think that kata are useful for anything other repetition of technique in which case there are far more valuable ways to do this. Also I believe that the mystery should be left out of it. There is too much interpretation for the student. Self defense should be taught in a more direct manner so that the benifits of such training can be yeilded quickly by the student.

Its just a jab. Ive got more. I want to remind everyone before the topic takes off, dont get personal. Lets have a intelligent discussion on the issue.

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Recently I trained with a JKDist we stole and recruited into our style, I loved his close-in stuff.

But a lot of it was like what Mc Carthy teaches and I myself have found in kata.

Different transmission methods, that's all. Kata works for me. I couldn't get checking thigh kicks right until I practiced Ashihara's "Suzuki Kihon" for a while - it even showed me some self defence stuff I am now well trained in now, but didn't practice at all before. There is stuff I've learnt from kata I've never had to practice that often, even kata I haven't done many times and I can't apply the technique on the spot without thinking.

Two man drills used by CMA, MMA and TMA are so close to kata that it casts doubt on firm opposition to kata. All you need is realism in the drills and they are gold. Practice the most important concepts for repetition to learn a technique or self defence sequence or as a repository of techniques and you've got a kata there fella.

More importantly: Just shut up and train.