page_title: Kata
section_title: Karate
hierarchical_section_title: Kata / Japanese martial arts / Karate
caption_attribution_description: English: "Hiki-otoshi" is one of Koshiki-no-kata, which is a kata in Judo. Left&#160;: Kanō Jigorō Right&#160;: Yoshitsugu Yamashita 日本語: 柔道の古式の形の1つ、"曳き落とし" 左&#160;: 嘉納治五郎 右&#160;: 山下義韶
context_page_description: Kata is a Japanese word meaning literally "form" referring to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements made to be practised alone, and also within groups and in unison when training. It is practised in Japanese martial arts as a way to memorize and perfect the movements being executed. Korean martial arts with Japanese influence use the derived term hyeong and also the term pumsae.
  Kata are also used in many traditional Japanese arts such as theatre forms like kabuki and schools of tea ceremony, but are most commonly known in the martial arts. Kata are used by most Japanese and Okinawan martial arts, such as iaido, judo, kendo, kenpo, and karate.
context_section_description: The most popular image associated with kata is that of a karate practitioner performing a series of punches and kicks in the air. The kata are executed as a specified series of approximately 20 to 70 moves, generally with stepping and turning, while attempting to maintain perfect form. There are perhaps 100 kata across the various forms of karate, each with many minor variations. The number of moves in a kata may be referred to in the name of the kata, e.g., Gojū Shiho, which means "54 steps." The practitioner is generally counselled to visualize the enemy attacks, and his responses, as actually occurring, and karateka are often told to "read" a kata, to explain the imagined events. Kata can contain techniques beyond the superficially obvious ones. The study of the meaning of the movements is referred to as the bunkai, meaning analysis, of the kata.
  One explanation of the use of kata is as a reference guide for a set of moves. Not to be used following that "set" pattern but to keep the movements "filed". After learning these kata, this set of learned skills can then be used in a sparring scenario (particularly without points). The main objective here is to try out different combinations of techniques in a safe environment to ultimately find out how to defeat your opponent.
  Recently, with the spread of Extreme Martial arts or XMA, a style of kata called CMX kata has formed. These kata are performed in tournaments and include gymnastics related elements, such as backflips, cartwheels, and splits. These kata can also be performed with weapons such as the Bo staff.
caption: Koshiki-no-kata by Kano(l) and Yamashita(r)
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