So I had this idea awhile ago, Bad Weather Kata. It just started raining so I grabbed the tripod and headed out. My mind was on the kata yet being struck by lightning ⚡️ was present too. Hope you’re entertained 👊🏼😀
Full Moon Kata Got this idea last month after taking pictures at night. Shot this in my backyard around midnight. Yes, it’s my dog barking. The dogs are keeping watch for Florida’s elusive Skunk Ape, aka Bigfoot. You never know what’s going to wander through the yard along a dark canal.
Here’s the much anticipated Kata Kan. In our high tech world, here’s some low tech fun.
It’s about as cheap as you can get, a coffee can with a duct tape label.
The basic idea of the Kata Kan is to pull random katas or training routines out and then perform them.
I found that I used to perform katas in a series, I also avoided some katas because I didn’t enjoy them, or I would stand there thinking, “what kata do I feel like today?”
So this takes the choice of kata out of my hands.
The little pile next to the Kan are squares of paper I’ve written kata names and training routines on.
In my Kan there are 20 katas, including a couple of weapons katas, strike sets, kick sets, and blocking sets. Recently, I added single techniques such as: head block and knife hand strike, etc.
On average, I’ve been doing 8 katas a day. I have about 40 “kata” items in the Kan. So there’s a wide variety of training I can randomly draw from the Kan.
The pros here:
It varies your training.
This could help cure one’s Kata Anxiety, if there is such a thing.
For your students, this can be a fun way to practice kata.
Here some Kata Kan Games or Exercises, if you like that label better.
The amount and type of kata in the Kan is up to the instructor.
Plus, you don’t have limit yourself to just katas, any training routines can be used, strike sets, kicking sets, blocking sets, calisthenics, etc.
The Games
1. Someone selects a Kata from the Kan, performs the kata, then returns Kata slip into Kan. Next person selects a Kata.
2. Select a Kata from the Kan, perform, select another kata. Keep doing this until the Kan is empty. This could be done for one person or a number of students.
3. Let each student reach into the Kan to select a Kata they will perform, or they select a Kata for someone else to perform.
Naihanchi ShoDan Kata recorded almost a year ago at sunrise on the beach in Delray. I have a vacation coming up in a few weeks I think it is time for another beach workout.
South Florida Samurai Magazine 