Segmenting Kata Practice

Loren Christensen Sensei's book on speed provided a wonderful idea on kata practice. It is like breaking down the kata into smaller chunks, i.e. segmenting the kata into short combinations you could say. Since kata tends to come in short bursts connected in a chain this can be easy to break up for practice.

In the Isshinryu kata often the chain is in sets of "three" either separate techniques or repetitive techniques utilizing each side of the body, i.e. left, then right and then back to left for the gate to the next set. This mode of practice should be held in abeyance until the kata is well known. You don't want to mix up things by trying to incorporate this into a new kata.

Choose a kata you have down to include bunkai, etc. As you segment the kata you still want to visualize, etc. as you practice. Start with the opening sequence and then practice, practice, practice. Vary the practice as well with different speeds and intensities. Concentrate on proper body alignment and structure, then speed and power, etc. working your way through the segment. Remember to self-talk and visualize as well.

Bringing your focus to a much smaller chunk allows the mind, body and spirit to focus with greater intensity. Like listening to a long lecture most people will lose a certain percentage but when segmenting and focusing with awareness, etc. on small segments or chunks allows you to "simplify" the encoding of the movements, techniques and other factors with greater intensity thus improving your practice, training and encoding for applications.

When I taught kata I would always break it down into chunks. I would require them to practice the chunk until they got the movement along with other physical factors down pretty good. I would then add in bunkai and require the same be repeated while incorporating the bunkai, self-talk and visualizations before allowing them to move into the next segment/chunk. As you can see this all works well for learning in a sequence then polishing by segmentation practice.

Bibliography:
Christensen, Loren W. "Speed Training: How to Develop Your Maximum Speed for Martial Arts." Paladin Press. Boulder. 1996.

p.s. just goes to show how due diligence and open-mindedness can bring about new knowledge and new ways to practice, train and apply our marital arts.