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Daily Kicks
The Importance of Kata
Julie Haskins Yodan, Renshi
Kata is a culmination of training in Shotokan. It gives the student an opportunity to practice the individual techniques they are learning in class. A student proficient in Kata can perform at full speed and full power and the Kata should resemble a fight. The continual practice of Kata presets your nervous system to react in a real situation with an attacker.
The practice of Kata enables the student to develop a clear mind as if the body is performing the movements in the Kata without conscious thought. This mental state is known as "Mushin" or "no mind". Mushin allows a quick response without a delay from thinking. At the highest levels, the Karate student can enter into the Mushin mental state at will. Mushin also causes the body to relax, which automatically increases the speed of the response to an attack.
Finally, Kata helps the student to breathe properly keeping the muscles and nervous sytem oxygenated. Breathing should be done with an emphasis on the diaphragm: expanding the abdomem with the breath in and contracting the abdomen to expel the breath is the proper way to breathe. Most of us have to learn this skill and way of breathing. It is an important skill to master because breathing in this manner helps to relax the body making it more powerful and quicker in response time.
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