My personal experience: When I started learning Kata in preparation for my Shodan test my Randori skills improved a lot. Years later I was a Ni Dan and attended a Kata Seminar by a Japanese Hachi Dan who trained under Jigoro Kano's first generation of students. He showed a lot of things that were not being done during the average Kata training. I used the things he taught to improve my best techniques and was able to get throws I never used before during Randori. Anyone who doesn't benefit from Kata, is probably not doing it correctly.
I like the argument that the kata encode a sort of static reference for the center of Judo. When a judoka adapts a throw to his own style, tactics, or body, it can be measured against the standard version in the kata. In this video, you also illustrate how the kata preserves details intact, without the complexity of changes over time due to shiai fashion and fads. The IJF can change the rules of shiai all they want, but if we still practice the kata, we have a chance to remember all the other contexts for Judo, and retain it as a martial art.
I remember back in the mid 90s Bassai Dai was my tournament kata. There’s one move that has you raising both hands to break a double choke hold, followed by you applying a hammer fist to each side of the guys rib cage. And according to the kata, he’s supposed to fall back with you following up with a punch to the solar plexus. Well while I was going to tournaments with that form, one of my in-laws tried to choke me for fun, and because I had been practicing Bassai Dai religiously, I broke his choke hold with the double raising the arms followed with the strike to the sides of the ribs. And he fell back just like the kata description, and I got him with the solar plexus punch. I was astonished from thinking that whoever made the kata knew his stuff.
I am fairly new to Judo, having trained for only a year now, after adding it to my already established Jiu-jitsu training. I personally love the Nage No Kata. I see it as the foundation. I drill it regularly, use it as the core techniques that I am building proficiency in. 15 techniques keeps it small enough for me to keep trying and learning these techniques in Randori, and honestly I am happy with these techniques. If these are the only techniques I ever learned, (it's not, we have already covered Tai Otoshi in class,) it would still be a good arsenal for stand up game.
Every Japanese medalist does. But we don't practice Kata all day ya know. But some ppl feels that its a waste time, which to me is quite suprising. It's like a driver's license learning. Once you get it, it's all about periodic updating like a few times a year. And it's good to know to teach others about the foundametal mechanisms of Judo. From kids age, most skilled cadits are Kata examplorary students in Japan. Best juniors ive seen on mat is also national qualifiers in Kata at Kodokan.
I really appreciate your comments on grips. You don't have to get too fancy with them. Also, kata maybe the way to go as judoka get older. Originally, I disliked it, but after I made shodan, I saw lessons that made my judo easier. Thx
Kata is movement. And I understand it’s importance. Trained in Judo for 13 years. I value the importance of kata for movement. Every technique you practice in Judo, all comes from kata.
I never practice judo, bjj or any grappling/wrestling. I only practiced isshinryu karate do. My sensei always emphasized in kata because of visualization. Obviously we have to learn the techniques. By practicing and understanding the techniques, you can elevate to a kata. Is the only way to practice when you don’t have someone to practice.
Actually in the.UK 90% of Judoka junior and senior do NOT want to compete formally. In my teaching experience Kata is a fundamental way of understanding what ideal Judo can be.. not just crash, bang, wallop. It is a beautiful art.
@@steveevans4299 agreed, I willing to bet you have a connection to a Native Japanese Sensei. UK Judo roots go back to early 1950's. That's the difference. Most american coaches don't have connections to the culture, so they leave out what's deemed unimportant.
American Judo goes back further than 1950s. Capt Allen Smith, first American graduate of the Kodokan, was teaching Judo to Army Infantrymen before and during WWI. President Theodore Roosevelt was training and propagating Judo. He converted a room in the white house into a dojo. In the 1950s the U.S. Army Special Forces were required to earn a shodan in Judo. U.S. Air force bases had Judo dojos where Airmen were encouraged to train Judo. @@KingOfSwords720
One more comment if I may: Kata is an excellent way of training yourself mentally. I think Draeger calls it Mushin. Putting yourself into the appropriate mental space for performance in a fight.
I have to disagree. I've done judo in Japan for... 14 years now. I've spent a total of THREE days doing kata. I did a one day seminar for my shodan, a one day seminar for my 2dan, and a one day seminar for my 3dan. Pretty sure I'll do a one day seminar for my 4th dan as well. Sure, you can learn some things from Kata, but it's not the most effective way. I think they should reinvent kata. When I did Aikido, I remember doing this long kata that had like 30 steps with the staff and it helped me remember all of the individual movements. A lot of kata is time wasting and BS, I think they should focus more on movement because not a lot of movement is actually taught.
You did 31 no kata?😂 I’m learning things about you, but to be fair kata movement and how to set up things are incredibly important, they should taught extensively, it’s a shame they’re only seen as prerequisites.
Yeah that's it, 31 no kata. Maybe it's a cultural thing as well. In Japan most judoka are already beyond kata being useful by the time they hit junior high school or high school. I can see its benefits for beginners@@Chadi
I feel like you circle back to kata torwards the end once you understand what works. Gsp still does . So why not. I feel like it's a meathead thing to not be the best but discredit what everyone before has done
Kata is valuable, but not because it makes you better at grappling. Practicing kata helps to preserve the technical history and progression of Judo, but we shouldn't pretend like it does anything else.
Typical comments: Kata is a waste of time and nothing but dancing. Me: Is that so? my channel has "Kata Applications in MMA" videos for actual evidences. WATCH those. If you cannot even figure out the logic behind things like Hikite (pull hand) and Yama Tsuki/ the U- punch, you SUCK at Bunkai or interpretation for form applications.
Kata/Poomse/TaiChi/Bunga/Drill...the same thing in different language, is important because it is the memory or record, something that is not found or cannot be translated in books. How ancient people keep this knowledge? To draw and write everything in books is hard, time consuming and expensive. They created this what being called "kata". That is how it is preserved. Today we have the photo, printing and video technology, but what if all these gone out of reasons? So, a martial art trainer who never care about "kata", forget many kata forms, only teach sparring to future generations, how much knowledge being lost because of "kata" is lost?
Traditionnal katas was a purge in every martial arts, sorry for the contradiction but it is my real opinion about that. In traditionnal aikijutsu or taijutsu in Watanabe Ryu, the kata never use to me. And it is probably the same in judo... Besides in Modern Brazilian Juijitsu the kata are dissapered (i don't know for traditionnal BJJ) and it is good news ! With katas you lost precious time for sparrings, for fighting or other exercice and techniques more interesting. In BJJ we have drills and this is so better than traditionnal katas. But i respect other opinions and Chadi for this video, but this is my opinion 🖐
It seems like many do not understand the sole purpose of them, have you ever trained them properly before talking about them? You can’t be a teenager and give marital advice to people, same here. I’ve trained with many retired athletes and when they start teaching, many of them refer to the kata as a base and the fundamentals found in them and work them, and they regret not focusing on them sooner. Sparring balls to the walls is fine but it doesn’t mean you’re progressing if you do not understand the fundamentals. And it can delay your game for years. No, they absolutely have a place and value to teach til this day. We all do drills, uchikomi etc and you can still lack fundamental knowledge.
@@Chadi Good answer but i have another ^_^ In my part i have 10 years old of traditionnal jujutsu japanase (with 6 years for striking and 4 years in judo). I am good in kata because i am serious in my practice but with my long expérience of old traditionnal jujutsu and judo, i said the randori and répétition of techniques are most efficient for evolve in competences. Whatever, the competitor are not the Best teacher or pedagogy methods, sorry but in my opinion this arguments are invalid for the respect i can have for your good job in this channel Chadi 🖐 Besides, in first jujutsu traditionnal japanase the KUMI-UCHI (judo and wrestling, knife in ground fighting, armor) i think they not lost time with katas...
Anyone who doesn't understand the purpose and use of kata will disregard it as useless. That's natural. Of course there's a time and place for it and it certainly should not be a priority over drilling, conditioning and sparring, but it's there for a reason.
@@honigdachs. The reason like the defeat of old Master of traditionnal jujutsu japanase when they loose againts the first competitor of Kodokan because they do only kata and any sparring / randori you mean ? With this story, it convince me to abandon kata. Then i have Brown belt of judo i think to stop this sport if i must do others katas, i will have no more patience for Black Belt, i am sure... ✋
I love the channel Chadi, but I have to disagree. Kata is a waste of time. Do olympic athletes do it? no. Just look at the most competitive aspects of any sport and you'll see what is effective and what is a waste of time. Kata has gone the way of the dodo bird in terms of competition and real application.
This shows a great lack of understanding of what Judo is and needs to remember it is. We cannot abandon or dismiss the various Kata and the lessons they teach all Judoka and Coaches/Sensei. Chadi does a brilliant job of explaining why.
@@steveevans4299 Undestanding, mister i have 10 years old of jujutsu and 4 for judo and i have win against Black belt and Brown belt in judo (a lot of them brown). So i have don't need lesson now...
Some kata is ok & judo kata is not so as extreme as in say Shotokan Karate, too much in my opinion. Tomiki Aikido would be interesting but sadly no one does it here in Germany
