Zen-Shin Martial Arts Association

176 Soho Hill, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B19 1AL.


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Kata Workshop 3rd July


On Saturday 3rd July 2021 we held our third Kata workshop at Zen-Shin Martial Arts Academy on Soho Hill.

In the class we finished off learning the last section to our kata, Gojushiho Sho. We spent the remaining time trying to put everything together, and remembering the whole kata.

When working on a kata with competition i mind, it is essential that we quickly reach a state of familiarity with the kata we are performing. During the two week gap between each Kata workshop, I regularly practice small sections of the kata, trying to reinforce all the movements and timing I am working on. With repetition comes a calming sense of confidence when moving into the next technique.

Some people may have experienced a time when they were up to perform a kata of which they thought they knew. Half way through the kata, your mind goes blank, and the next moves escapes you. Everybody in class watches you as your brain short-circuits and they witness the wave of horror wash over your face.

To avoid this unbearable situation, it is important that we practice our kata regularly so we become confident in our own relative position in the kata when it is time to perform. Performing the kata regularly in front of an audience will accelerate this process.

There were times in the workshop where I noticed some students going in the wrong direction, or mixing up turns or techniques. It told me straight away that they had not been putting in the work outside the dojo. When I go out on the tatami for my next competition, I intend to win, and I understand that takes hard work and dedication from now, in preparation to my performance.

On the contrary, I have also noticed some students that have been practicing regularly, and I can see the improvement they are making each week. 

I hope all those that take what they are doing seriously, endeavour to follow the same attitude to achieve your goals.

I look forward to the next workshop, where we will go over the kata, and consolidate our learning to help us perform it.

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