Kata at The Academy of Traditional Karate

A kata is a prearranged series of kihon (basic techniques) designed around an imaginary confrontation with one or several opponents. During a kata the student visualizes the attack, and uses the moves of the kata to defend themselves with blocks, strikes, throws, and control techniques.

The original masters and founders of karate created the kata as a way to pass along their knowledge to future karateka (karate students). For a time, during the samurai occupation of Okinawa, practice of karate was not allowed. Kata were viewed as permissible as dances, but close examination shows them as the textbooks of karate handed down for centuries from the original masters.

Video Download: Windows users right-click on a video link and select “Save Target as...” Mac users control-click on a video link and select “Download Linked File.” The video files are large and will take some time to download. Once downloaded you can play them in your favorite video player. If you’re using the cross-platform QuickTime Pro you can even play the videos full screen and in slow motion, which is a great way to learn.