http://themartialarts-throughtheseeyes.blogspot.com/

Hello all! Its been a while. Thought I would drop this link off. Hope everyone is well!

That was a pretty good read and the author made their points well. Thanks for sharing!

That Article was rather good, it raised several questions within oneself as well as answered several that were until recently unanswered
Thanks for Sharing this with us

Pretty much sums up my thoughts on Kata.. Surprised there isn't some major outrage or argument breaking out here...

I'm just glad I didn't spend 5, 10 or 20 years learning Kata thinking it would make me a good ''fighter'' or give me the skills to defend myself to realize it doesn't.

So you love kata because it's fun?

I love the article but I always use Kata to fight with but is that because my kata is useful for kumite being Ashihara kata but one of my favourites is a few techniques out of Pinan Sandan

I find his view on kata a little limited.
While studying the kata of the style I practice, I have found many ways to apply certain techniques from kata. Kata also helps positioning yourself against an opponent. If you fail to realise that kata is stylised on embusen, then you can't really discover what is going on. Take for example the more 'basic bunkai' of throws on turning points in kata and the ways in which a gedanbarai can be used. (Downward block in my opinion is way to limited to describe this 'low sweeping recieve'.)
The writer does offer nice approach on the matter.

It also teaches defensive and offensive stepping patterns,Pinan, Naifanchi, Chinto, Gojushiho, etc. all teach different concepts. If you're not learning the concepts that might be why you don't see the value in kata.

Solid Post!!!!

I think doing kata is like taking the slow boat to China.
It may be useful when you're sparring in a controlled setting with another karataka, but if you tangle with someone who is proficient at jui-jitsu, or a good boxer who knows how to distance himself properly, or even a smart street fighter, and try to use kata, you're gonna get smoked, and fast.