Kata by Orion
Chapter 1
Lesson 1: Styles and Accepted Kata
The WKF recognizes four main styles of karate: Shotokan, Shito-ryu, Goju-ryu, and Wado-ryu. The majority of kata performed at WKF events falls under one of these four styles; however, they also recognize styles derived from these main four such as Ryuei-ryu or Uechi-ryu and many more.
There is no “best style” for competition karate, but many people end up switching to one of the main four so that they have more kata to choose from since the main four have a much more extensive list of approved kata to choose from. Whatever style you practice, you must make sure that your kihon (basics) are in line with that style and don’t bring in any other styles of karate because this will lead to technical penalties (more on this in later sections).
If you want to learn kata from another style… go for it! Just make sure you are taught by someone qualified and able to receive ongoing coaching from that style if you plan to use the kata in competition
One last thing to mention on styles is that there will often be slight variations between competition/performance kata to traditional kata. If, for example, you go to a seminar and they teach you something different than what your sensei has said in your traditional classes, maybe don’t go picking fights with your sensei over who is right and who is wrong because, in reality, both are right in different ways. In the dojo, always listen to what your sensei says
Below is a list provided by the WKF (World Karate Federation) containing all of the current katas that are accepted into WKF sanctioned kata events.
There are certain kata that are done in multiple styles; for example, suparinpei is both a shito ryu and a goju ryu kata. Both styles of the kata are accepted in competition, but combining multiple styles into a single kata is not. So, if you are performing the goju ryo version of the kata you must make sure that it is goju ryu the entire way through and does not switch to shito ryu at any point.
There are no penalties for doing kata from multiple different styles, so you could perhaps include kata from shotokan and shito ryu, but this is up to the discretion of your sensei and yourself to what you can perform the best
But which kata is the best??
Trick question, they’re all the best. That being said, there are certain ones that perform better in competition than others. For example: Heian Shodan/Pinan Shodan probably shouldn’t be your top choice if you have other kata like Bassai Dai, Unsu, Anan, etc. available to you since the former only use simple techniques and sequences, while the latter use more complex and interesting techniques that allow the athlete to showcase their skills and athleticism.
But there are so many… how do I choose which ones are best for me? Simple, you ask your sensei and learn as many as you can. This step is a little big more ambiguous and will require a lot of trial and error and may change as you grow and learn more about yourself. Some kata favour a larger and more powerful body type while others are built for speed and others still for technique. Each kata is unique and has it’s own strengths and weaknesses. As you learn more, you will most likely find kata that suit you and your own personal style. For starters though… ask your sensei
Lesson 2: The Competition Area
Where am I?
The tatami area is the same in all WKF sanctioned events, but there are other areas that athletes should be aware of. Here you will learn the typical areas in a competition venue and what to do in each space.
The Competition Venue is usually an arena in the city of the event. Occasionally you will have tournaments taking place in smaller venues like gyms or even local dojos, but the majority of WKF events will be in larger venues.
Typically the venue is split into four main sections: spectators, warm up, marshalling, and competition tatamis. Depending on the scale of the competition and size of the venue there may or may not be all four, but there will always at least be the spectator section and the competition tatamis.
Spectators: the seats/space for people watching the competition.
Warm up area: this is where athletes go to warm up before their division has been called. Typically only athletes and coaches are allowed in this space. Often filled with extra mats, but occasionally just an open space.
Marshalling: this is a very important space because it is where the athletes go to wait to be taken to the tatami. Once an athlete’s division has been called, they CANNOT leave the marshalling area!! If you’ve forgotten something, send a coach or another athlete to get it for you. If you leave the area and are not present when they call your name, you will be disqualified, so make sure not to wander off. There is almost always enough space to stay warm and shoot a few key sequences, but often not enough space for full kata. Be courteous of other competitors, they are also required to be in the space so don’t be a mat hog. It’s very probable that you will be brought back to the marshalling area in between rounds and again, do not leave until you are completely eliminated.
Competition tatami:You’ve finally made it to the competition tatami! The mats will be in a 10x10 square with a 9x9 red ring indicating the “in” and “out” of the actual tatami. This mattersless for kata than for kumite, but you need to make sure you start inside the red.
Who are all the people sitting at that table? Mostly the judges, potentially a few other people depending on the scale of the event. There will be 7 judges who will be scoring you (more on that later), at least one software technician who is running the scoring program, potentially some volunteers, and potentially other officials who are collecting kata papers (more on that later) and checking credentials.
Red (AKA) goes first, blue (AO) goes second.
When it is your turn to compete, walk along the competitors’ side, proceed to the middle of the mats outside the ring and then enter. It is not necessary to bow in and out of the ring as there are only two required bows: at the beginning and end of your kata. However, there are a few optional bows: to your competitor before the bout starts, after you receive your scores, and it is good sportsmanship to bow to your competitor after the bout as well.
Chapter 2
Lesson 1: Judges and Scoring
So many numbers…
Here we will go over who all of the judges are and what the numbers they are giving you mean, how to break down scores, and why you may get certain results.
Scoring is done on a 5.0-10.0 scale in increments of 0.1. Above is an example of a seven judge scoring panel, which scores get dropped, and the athlete’s total score. To eliminate bias, the highest and lowest scores are dropped.
0.0 - disqualification (Kikken, Hansoku, Shikkaku)
5.0 - kata was unsatisfactory
6.0 - kata was fine, but lacking certain things
7.0 - good kata, improvement needed
8.0 - very good kata
9.0 - exceeds all expectations
10.0 - perfect score
But WHY did I get that score?
The judges are scoring on these criteria:
1. Stances - depth, alignment of feet and knees, position of hips
2. Techniques - punches, kicks, blocks done correctly
3. Transitional movements - moving between stances and techniques is done well and without extraneous movements
4. Timing - sequence timings, finishing moves with connection, slow v. fast
5. Correct breathing - not holding breath, but also not making extra noises (no “pa” “ka” “ba” or barking using vocal chords) just relax your throat and breath through your abs
6. Focus (KIME) - kata face, intensity and connection to the moves
7. Conformance: Consistence in the performance of the KIHON - are you doing moves like you should be for your style?
8. Strength - movements strong?
9. Speed - movements fast, this is not referring to the timing of the kata
10. Balance - don’t fall over or wobble
Lesson 2: Fouls and Disqualifications
Fouls/Deductions:
1. Announcing the kata before, instead of after, the bow.
2. Minor loss of balance (wobble).
3. Performing a movement in an incorrect or incomplete manner such as failure to fully execute a block or punching off target.
4. Asynchronous movements, such as delivering a technique before the body transition is completed.
5. Theatrics such as stamping the feet, slapping the chest, arms, or Karategi, or inappropriate exhalation, must be considered very serious fouls by the Judges in their evaluation of the performance of the Kata – on the same level as one would penalize a temporary loss of balance.
6. Belt coming loose to the extent that it is coming off the hips during the performance.
7. Time wasting, including prolonged marching, excessive bowing, or prolonged pause before
starting the performance, including using more than 35 seconds from the name of the Competitor is announced on the monitor until the first technique of the kata.
Disqualifications:
1. Not announcing the kata, announcing the wrong kata – or performing another kata than pre-announced to the official table.
2. Failing to bow at the beginning and completion of the Kata performance.
3. Not starting the Kata facing the Judges.
4. A distinct pause or stop in the performance.
5. Omitting or adding movements - or otherwise substantially change the performance from its original form.
6. Having to take a corrective step to recover from a total loss of balance or have a fall.
7. Belt falling off during the performance.
8. Failure to follow the instructions of the Chief Judge or other misconduct (SHIKKAKU)
Lesson 3: Brackets, Flags, Repêchage
There are a few different ways that tournaments may be run including 1v1, Round Robin, seeded pools, double elimination, and repêchage. Your coaches will know what to do for each case, but you should also be aware of the different systems.
1v1/Brackets
Sometimes there will be bracket style tournaments which will have you facing a single opponent at a time. In this scenario the winner of the bout goes onto the next round and faces their next opponent.
In single elimination, one loss means that an athlete is out. In double elimination, each athlete has to lose twice to be completely out of the competition. In rechêchage an athlete has the
chance to come back and fight for bronze if the person they lost to makes it to finals
Round Robin
In smaller divisions or senior divisions, round robin is used. In this situation, each competitor goes against the other in 1v1 style matches. the top competitors of the pool then move onto the
next round. For example: 1 person wins 3 times, 1 person loses 3 times, 1 person wins twice and loses once - the two who had the most wins will move on, the other is eliminated.
Seeded Pools
This is the most complicated system in the WKF kata universe, but also the most fair. Essentially, the top ranked competitors are sprinkled throughout the pools and only points are used. All that this does is ensure that the top 2 ranked competitors are not in the same pool.
The top scoring competitors from each pool move onto the next round and there are no 1v1 bouts to ensure fairness.
In this case, everyone in pool 1 is red (AKA) and everyone in pool 2 is blue (AO).
Lesson 4: Kata Papers
Why am I being handed this slip of paper?
In WKF sanctioned competition, and some others, the use of papers denoting the kata that will be performed are used. Here’s why and how to fill them out.
Kata papers are used to ensure that the judges table knows what kata the athlete is performing. Here is an example of what the sheet may look like (image below)
It is usually on coaches to fill out the forms, sign, and hand it over to the officials, but it is just as important for athletes to know how.
Category: The category you are registered in. Must be written as on the competition’s website and your credentials.
Athlete name: The name that you are registered under in the division, first and last. You will get the paper back in between rounds, so you only need to write one kata down at a time. Once the paper is submitted to the officials there can be no more changes made as it will have been uploaded into the system.
Number: If you remember way back in the first unit we saw the list of kata. Each approved kata has a number beside it which is used by the officials’ table to input into the system. Make sure the number matches to kata you will be doing as the officials don’t check, they just input the number.
Signature: Usually from the coach, but sometimes from the athlete, just confirming that everything is written down correctly and agreed to
Chapter 3
Lesson 1: Behaviour
How to act, who to listen to
In competition there will often be a million people telling you different things. Here are the basics of how to act and who to listen to above all others.
When you’re competing you’re representing more than just yourself - you’re representing your coaches, your team, your dojo, and sometimes even your country. It is essential that you hold yourself with dignity and treat others with respect both on and off the competition mats. A few general rules to follow are:
use respectful language which means don’t swear on the mats, no crass talk at competitions
treat others well - don’t degrade people based on their performances, keep honour about your comportment and uplift those around you.
listen to those in charge - listen to coaches, officials, marshals, and tournament volunteers. They’re the ones making this possible for you.
restrain yourself - tournaments can be exciting, but they are not the place for excessive running, fighting in the stands, throwing things, etc. If you wouldn’t do it in a school assembly, don’t do it at a tournament.
have fun and support your teammates - you’re there to participate in and celebrate your sport, so make sure you enjoy it and help others as well. Cheer for your team, not just your friends, help out where you can.