On Fri, 10 Apr 1998, dokushinsha@juno.com (K Yee) wrote:

What exactly is a kata?  Here's what I THINK it is.  "A warm-up exercise
to loosen the muscles.  It's a set of basic moves intended to be repeated
over and over."  Err, obviously, I'm missing a lot of information.  I'm
pretty sure all katas aren't basic, ne?  And are they really only a
warm-up exercise, similar to stretching?  Arigatou.

	Not by a longshot.  Well, some of the modern Kata that were 
invented for use in public schools would qualify, but the more traditional 
forms are something else.  Essentially the classical Kata are textbooks 
for the style.  Every collection of movements in a Kata are a combination 
of techniques that could be applied in a real life combat situation.  If 
you study a good Kata move by move, you will find an entire effective 
style condensed into a collection of moves.
	I took a little Karate a while ago and my sensei said one of the 
reasons for Kata is because everyone is different and uses different moves 
prefering some to others, so if a Martial art were taught soely by 
techniques, over time various sensei would drop certain techniques they 
didn't use and they'd be forgoten.  With Kata however, all the styles 
basic techniques are learned and passed on with each generation of 
students.

doKuSHInsHA

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