Zen-Shin intends to start our kata and kumite training for competitions. They’ll be held every Saturday from 3:00-4:30, alternating between Kata and Kumite each week.
In these workshops, we will delve further into our karate training from a sport perspective. For kata, this means less understanding of the kata application is required, as we will be putting the emphasis on what makes a great performance.
Competing in karate turns a practitioner into a fully fledged athlete. Training kata is an intense workout, with the added difficulty of perfecting each move to the smallest detail. Kata performance are graded on power and accuracy of each technique.
Performers of kata understand and control their body extremely well. They express their athleticism, understanding, and personality through the execution of the techniques. Each kata performer has meticulously thought about the depth of stance, tempo and strength of each move.
In our or first class, we will be going through Gojushiho Sho, and looking at examples from Karate tournaments to gain inspiration. Here is the winner from the Male Kata in the EKF Championships Croatia 2021
What I love about performing kata is the story that goes behind the performance. Long and slow, short and fast rhythm of the combination create excitement and suspense. Acrobatic jumps serve as our crescendo, as we land graceful to the rapture of applause.
For students that intend to learn kata to compete, they can expect to see an improvement in their focus. It takes pure dedication and practice to be able to focus your mind on the target, in that competitive environment.
Check out the dates of the upcoming Kata and Kumite workshops below.
