FUN KATA PRACTICE

By Jenifer Tull-Gauger

To learn a skill, you need to practice.  To get good at something, you need repetition.  In order to remember and understand techniques and principles, they have to be put into action.

Practicing does not have to be tedious.  Kata practice can be fun!  Here are some ways to enjoy kata:

-See how many you can do during a commercial break.

-Show a kata or two to a grandparent or someone you don’t see daily.

-Make a stuffed animal, doll or action figure do the kata.

-Practice just the hand techniques or footwork.

-Do a naihanchi on a board, curb or line.

-Practice kata standing in a pool.

-Do a form in the sand and see the pattern of footprints.

-Vary the style: eyes closed, slow motion, super fast, crazy kiais, etc. (come up with your own).

-Have someone stand in front of you and say things to try to distract you while you try to ignore them and focus on performing your kata.

-Have someone take a picture of you doing a kata and share it.

Keiko, keiko, keikokoru.  (Practice, practice and practice again.)