The people who argue about kata not being relevant to real fighting or self-defense totally miss the point – in addition to being ’libraries’ of combative principles, techniques and movements, when practiced correctly they reinforce the fundamentals necessary to fight or defend oneself as effectively as possible in a civilian exchange.
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People who question the usefulness of kata are likely people who think that karate is all about consensual fighting, therefore everything practiced in karate has a purpose to improve your fighting skills. This is fundamentally wrong.
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“I don’t mean to suggest that I have a totally negative opinion about karate-do’s competitive element, it’s just that I feel that it is too shallow. Regardless of whether it is Okinawa, the Japanese mainland, or the world in general, jiu-kimite (free sparring) ignores the principles to which kata apply. Simply put, jiu-kumite should reflect the kata, because kata is the origin of karate-do. If there is no kata, it is not karate-do, just kicking and punching.” – Shōshin Nagamine (1907–1997) Matsubayashi-Ryu
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Some people believe that kata are outdated and useless and should no longer be practiced. But the key to the purpose of kata is the intent in its practice. Those who train in karate that don’t utilize kata so much, will tend to have a very limited understanding of them. If you see kata as only a necessary evil, only there to pass a grade, and not seeing the relevance to the karate you are practicing, then you will never really truly understand your karate in any depth.
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To say that kata is useless is like someone who is illiterate looking at a book and saying it’s just a stack of paper. It may be useless for those who cannot read, but the value within it, is greater than the person can imagine.
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Personally I believe, karate without kata is not karate. Doing the kata intentionally, repeatedly, with understanding…. drills the movements until they are moved from consciousness into the subconscious. Can you become an effective fighter without kata… yes. Can you understand karate, and be an effective karate-ka without kata? No. Absolutely not. If you take away kata, it is karate in name only.
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“Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.” – Bruce Lee
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Photo Credit: World Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate-Do Association: Shōshin Nagamine quote from: Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts Volume 2: Koryu Uchinadi By Patrick McCarthy.