My personal experience: When I started learning Kata in preparation for my Shodan test my Randori skills improved a lot. Years later I was a Ni Dan and attended a Kata Seminar by a Japanese Hachi Dan who trained under Jigoro Kano's first generation of students. He showed a lot of things that were not being done during the average Kata training. I used the things he taught to improve my best techniques and was able to get throws I never used before during Randori. Anyone who doesn't benefit from Kata, is probably not doing it correctly.

I like the argument that the kata encode a sort of static reference for the center of Judo. When a judoka adapts a throw to his own style, tactics, or body, it can be measured against the standard version in the kata. In this video, you also illustrate how the kata preserves details intact, without the complexity of changes over time due to shiai fashion and fads. The IJF can change the rules of shiai all they want, but if we still practice the kata, we have a chance to remember all the other contexts for Judo, and retain it as a martial art.

I remember back in the mid 90s Bassai Dai was my tournament kata. There’s one move that has you raising both hands to break a double choke hold, followed by you applying a hammer fist to each side of the guys rib cage. And according to the kata, he’s supposed to fall back with you following up with a punch to the solar plexus. Well while I was going to tournaments with that form, one of my in-laws tried to choke me for fun, and because I had been practicing Bassai Dai religiously, I broke his choke hold with the double raising the arms followed with the strike to the sides of the ribs. And he fell back just like the kata description, and I got him with the solar plexus punch. I was astonished from thinking that whoever made the kata knew his stuff.

It’s a repository of knowledge. A library of techniques of Judo. I think people forget that

I am fairly new to Judo, having trained for only a year now, after adding it to my already established Jiu-jitsu training. I personally love the Nage No Kata. I see it as the foundation. I drill it regularly, use it as the core techniques that I am building proficiency in. 15 techniques keeps it small enough for me to keep trying and learning these techniques in Randori, and honestly I am happy with these techniques. If these are the only techniques I ever learned, (it's not, we have already covered Tai Otoshi in class,) it would still be a good arsenal for stand up game.

Great tutorial. Much appreciated. I've learned that if I can't do it slowly and repetitively I can't do it at all.

Every Japanese medalist does. But we don't practice Kata all day ya know. But some ppl feels that its a waste time, which to me is quite suprising. It's like a driver's license learning. Once you get it, it's all about periodic updating like a few times a year. And it's good to know to teach others about the foundametal mechanisms of Judo. From kids age, most skilled cadits are Kata examplorary students in Japan. Best juniors ive seen on mat is also national qualifiers in Kata at Kodokan.

Chadi your videos and conversations you have had with others encouraged me to start cross training judo along

I really appreciate your comments on grips. You don't have to get too fancy with them. Also, kata maybe the way to go as judoka get older. Originally, I disliked it, but after I made shodan, I saw lessons that made my judo easier. Thx

wonderful!!! Very well done!

I never practice judo, bjj or any grappling/wrestling. I only practiced isshinryu karate do. My sensei always emphasized in kata because of visualization. Obviously we have to learn the techniques. By practicing and understanding the techniques, you can elevate to a kata. Is the only way to practice when you don’t have someone to practice.

Kata is movement. And I understand it’s importance. Trained in Judo for 13 years. I value the importance of kata for movement. Every technique you practice in Judo, all comes from kata.

I wear thick jackets all the time in winter

Needless to say; the beauty is really something else in this kata!

Preach brother!

Unfortunately, all we ever used to do in DanZan Ryu was kata then randori but always starting on our butts back to back or on our knees facing each other with no real grappling training. Left so much lacking. Great techniques but no real “sparing” and no competitions (except kata competitions on the west coast, I’m on the east coast and was young and poor so no flights out there for that for me..)

I feel like you circle back to kata torwards the end once you understand what works. Gsp still does . So why not. I feel like it's a meathead thing to not be the best but discredit what everyone before has done

Some kata is ok & judo kata is not so as extreme as in say Shotokan Karate, too much in my opinion. Tomiki Aikido would be interesting but sadly no one does it here in Germany

Chadi, Your words fall on deaf ears. Most people only want to sport and compete. Kata practice doesn't require ego, therefore most aren't interested.

I have to disagree. I've done judo in Japan for... 14 years now. I've spent a total of THREE days doing kata. I did a one day seminar for my shodan, a one day seminar for my 2dan, and a one day seminar for my 3dan. Pretty sure I'll do a one day seminar for my 4th dan as well. Sure, you can learn some things from Kata, but it's not the most effective way. I think they should reinvent kata. When I did Aikido, I remember doing this long kata that had like 30 steps with the staff and it helped me remember all of the individual movements. A lot of kata is time wasting and BS, I think they should focus more on movement because not a lot of movement is actually taught.

Typical comments: Kata is a waste of time and nothing but dancing. Me: Is that so? my channel has "Kata Applications in MMA" videos for actual evidences. WATCH those. If you cannot even figure out the logic behind things like Hikite (pull hand) and Yama Tsuki/ the U- punch, you SUCK at Bunkai or interpretation for form applications.

Kata/Poomse/TaiChi/Bunga/Drill...the same thing in different language, is important because it is the memory or record, something that is not found or cannot be translated in books. How ancient people keep this knowledge? To draw and write everything in books is hard, time consuming and expensive. They created this what being called "kata". That is how it is preserved. Today we have the photo, printing and video technology, but what if all these gone out of reasons? So, a martial art trainer who never care about "kata", forget many kata forms, only teach sparring to future generations, how much knowledge being lost because of "kata" is lost?

Kata is valuable, but not because it makes you better at grappling. Practicing kata helps to preserve the technical history and progression of Judo, but we shouldn't pretend like it does anything else.

The study of Kata can be an intellectual one as well... not many Judokas and BJJ guys are intellectuals lol.

Traditionnal katas was a purge in every martial arts, sorry for the contradiction but it is my real opinion about that. In traditionnal aikijutsu or taijutsu in Watanabe Ryu, the kata never use to me. And it is probably the same in judo... Besides in Modern Brazilian Juijitsu the kata are dissapered (i don't know for traditionnal BJJ) and it is good news ! With katas you lost precious time for sparrings, for fighting or other exercice and techniques more interesting. In BJJ we have drills and this is so better than traditionnal katas. But i respect other opinions and Chadi for this video, but this is my opinion 🖐

I love the channel Chadi, but I have to disagree. Kata is a waste of time. Do olympic athletes do it? no. Just look at the most competitive aspects of any sport and you'll see what is effective and what is a waste of time. Kata has gone the way of the dodo bird in terms of competition and real application.