All

Just wondering if anyone has the same mindset as I do.

I always practice my Kata before I go to Bed every night, all 16 kata twice and 4 times for the more senior kata.

This I suppose is not much of an issue but I find that the best place to practice is in the Kitchen! Ok my kitchen is not huge, I can't do any spinning round kicks or head kicks due to the space available but I compensate by changing them to shin or thigh kicks.

So does anyone else practice their Kata in the Kitchen or any other room in the house or is it just me.

thanks

I don't at present, because I have a small condo. I used to practice them at home or in my yard when I had a larger space- my living room. Now I practice them still regularly but I use the dojo before or after I teach.

A funny thing happened years ago when I was a beginner, because I practiced in my house. I used to learn my kata by pains-takingly writing every move down, torturing my instructor in private lessons to go move by move so I could write it all down. Then I would have to take them home to learn them. I'd put my notes on the floor and do the moves as I read them. One day my instructor told me exactly where on the floor I had put my notes. He could tell from my head motions every time I had to think of what the next move was.

My kitchen has the most open available floorspace in my house.
(Outside practice would freak out the neighbors.)
I use a 1" dowel three feet long to practice my jo kata; a 7 count, a 13 count, and a 22 count. The 31 count is still a lesson-in-progress.
Sorry, no Karate :-)

No Probs Iaibear-san, I was in 2 minds which field to put this thread in.

It takes me about 1 hour to do all the kata properly, I get a good sweat on too. so burning calories too.

I have to wait for my Baby Son to wake up for his feed so rather than going asleep then waking up an hour or so later I just do kata whilst I'm waiting.

To add, does anyone find that they tend to do things in a "karate" type way, like opening doors with an empi/hiji tsuki (elbow strike) or doing a kata whilst stood waiting for the kettle to boil? Or prcatice in the Office, Lift or other places

My only problem with doing kata in the kitchen is that my kitchen is cramp that it's impossible to do kata there unless I take out all the stuff and transfer all of it outside. My favorite place is the dojo and if I'm home I practice either in my room or at the yard because it is spacious, relatively.

I practice pieces of kata in the house. Mostly in my room.

Funny... I do exactly the same thing. My kitchen, although small, is usually my place of choice when it comes to form-practice (I'm lucky my favourite taolu doesn't require too much room). Waiting for the kettle to boil? Form practice. Waiting for the microwave to go "ting"? Form practice. Waiting for my tea to be sufficiently infused? Form practice.

For stretching, however, I prefer my bathroom. Its smooth tiles makes it easier to go into the splits, with a piece of rag under each foot so it slides freely.
That's also the place where I get my daily three minutes of horse-stance, as I brush my teeth before going to bed...

Basically, every place at home has been assigned to one particular exercise it tends to lend itself to.

<< Basically, every place at home has been assigned to one particular exercise it tends to lend itself to. >>
When I started Iaido the best place to practice a draw-cut and noto (resheathing) was over my double bed. No curtains, no walls, no audience.

Hey, that's a pretty good idea!

But the footwork (or "kneework", if you do o-mori ryu?) must have been a nightmare... Wasn't it?
I find it tricky to perform batto or atari-to on judo mats already, I can picture what catastrophe it would be on something as soft as a mattress!

No real problem when I discovered I could use the aerobics room at our local gym. It has a 12 foot ceiling, three walls of mirrors and, best of all, a hardwood floor.

Hello:

In the kitchen, in the bathroom, in the car, on a plane, in a train, under water its all good. Anyplace that I can...

In order to practice, all I need is a few feet of space. The entire kata can be done in its smaller parts... too many breakable things to be done without serious caution regardless.

Jeff

Actually there is a way to practice any kata in one spot, by using replacement stepping. An uncommon but very useful practice.

A simple explanation using the crescent stepping to step forward with the left foot.

1. Bring the left rear foot up alongside the supporting right foot.
2. Shift your weight to the left foot.
3. Step back with the right foot and you are in a left front stance.

So you've stepped forward but remain in the same place.

The rest is work to figure out how to do all the stepping in the kata. While slightly different from the original you are still working the original kata.

Added value, if your attacker is coming in faster than expected, replacement stepping allows you to continue your defense but not moving forward, so they're moving into the defense.

Just a thought.

Boxers and Kickboxers Thai boxers have been changing stance for years.

A quick switch of the feet does the same thing. I know that with kata it is quite formal with the stances moving forward precisely etc but could we look at it as the steps as actual a change of stance without moving forward with a moving of the attacker's arms etc to get a good strike zone etc?

Stepping in kata can also mean a disturbance of balance on the opponent. Yose-ashi won't give that same idea, unless you are aware of this during practice. The mind plays a big part in training.

However, training shouldn't always be a copy of the last training done. So trying different thing, focussing on different aspects could broaden your horizon, but deepen your understanding.

Coming back to training in a small space: improvise. change stance, direction try it all.

Totally Agree, In Kata, I always believe that a step forward could also symbolise a step back etc.

Or maybe a change in hanmi done with a slight twist of the hips

The two ways of hanmi that I know of: of the hips, of the shoulders. (The first one most often done combined with the shoulders.)
Both have their application in deflection. Good point Iaibear!

A good example of Ken's input could be found in Naihanchi no kata. The haishu-uchi -> empi-uchi (near the start of the kata), depending on distancing could be oi-dachi or tai-dachi; kiba-dachi/zenkutsu-dachi/kokutsu-dachi. (Could also be dependant on how much you hold on to: no first attack in karate ;-) just kidding.)

WAS IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM AT MY APARTMENTS A FEW MONTHS AGO WAITING TO PUT MY CLOTHES IN A DRYER. BORED.... THEN IT CAME TO ME. I STARTED WORKING MY WAY UP THROUGH MY KATAS. IT WAS A GREAT LITTLE WORK OUT.YOU KNOW THE TYPE: DO A KATA, DO 20 PUSHUPS, DO A KATA, 20 PUSH UPS......ON AND ON.
THIS WENT ON UNTILL THE NEIGHBOR CAME IN TO DO HIS LAUNDRY. BY THEN I WAS WORKING UP A SWEAT. WE HAD A GOOD LAUGH ABOUT MY CHOICE OF WORK OUT AREA. IT WAS ALL COOL AND I THINK THAT THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT MY NEIGHBOR MIGHT JOIN MY GOJU RYU CLASS.
THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF WORKOUTS, BUT I HAVE FOUND THAT FOR ME IF I GOT THE SPACE AND SOME TIME,FULL POWER GOJU KATA WITH PUSHUPS/ CRUNCHES GOES A LONG WAY TO KEEPING THIS OLD BODY FIT BETWEEN CLASSES.
KEEP HUMBLE AND TRUST YOUR SENSEI
MARK

OMG CAPS LOCK LOL

You got me! The tenderfoot poster has been exposed. Some day I will learn to type.

Mark