A critical discussion on kata

Kata are the predetermined sequences of movements and concepts utilised by many Koryu systems as a method of education from teacher to student. Specifically, the purpose of kata is to transmit techniques, ideas, philosophies, movements, and various other concepts to do with martial arts as it pertains to its specific system. As elaborated by Koryu Bujutsu: Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan (Armstrong, 2015), kata are “partnered prearranged movement/behavior patterns” and the context through which “the teacher can teach all aspects of combat, from basic movement, to complexes of movement and behavior” (pg24). Therefore, it is safe to conclude that kata have, according to Koryu systems, a crucial function that teach multifaceted concepts regarding martial arts as is relevant to the relevant school/art.

Kata, explained and defined by H.B. Armstrong as they pertain to the warlike eras of feudal Japan, is the most realistic training approach in preparing a student for the traumatic aspects of combat. Armstrong states clearly and specifically that within the context of training an individual for combat, kata (in contrast to free-sparring) are one of if not the best tools to use. Specifically, he states “all combatively functional training systems in all cultures put their emphasis on training with an opponent in as realistic a manner as possible, and that is in prearranged patterns as versus free-exchanges that have been cushioned for safety” (pg26). As a result, according to Armstrong, kata are used due to the fact that they are seen as the best tool for providing as realistic a sense of combat as possible in contrast to free-sparring due to the latter having safety methods in place.

As a point of clarification before these points posited by Armstrong are critiqued, while included in the points of disagreement in this paper, the problematic historicity of the term ‘kata’ within the context of warring feudal Japan will not be mentioned in detail. This is because the author has yet to, in their studies so far, discover the term ‘kata’ being used in any year before 1620AD/CE. Therefore, as far as the author is concerned, using the term ‘kata’ in any era before the Edo period is likely to be anachronistic in nature or, at best, using the term as a form of ‘filling the gaps with frog DNA’ to describe another similar concept found in historically contemporary texts. After all, as Vico states in one of his many axioms in his New Science, when man cannot come to understand something he uses what is present and familiar to him in order to create his own understanding of that thing.

Other than positioning kata at the top of the ivory tower of transmission in Koryu in preparing students of a ryu, Armstrong makes no mention of kata from an education perspective. Specifically, how would kata be defined within the educational framework and, as a result, how does it stand as a learning tool for practical martial arts and enabling its feudal Japanese (and modern) disciples as best as possible to be prepared for combat, as Armstrong defines it? The following sections will use educational research to position kata within education methodology and then proceed to critique its exclusive use within the lens of the aforementioned goal (practical martial art application).

Kata utilise a form of learning known as rote learning which relies heavily on memorisation of content, movements, concepts, and so on. By their very nature, and as defined by Armstrong, kata are predetermined/choreographed sets of movements used to summarise a variety of concepts at once as a method of transmission, which the student is then expected to practice again and again for the purpose of memorisation. Rote learning, as positioned by Main (2023), “involves the memorization of specific information through repetition”; this is echoed by the Oxford Learning Centre (2017) when they state “Rote learning is the memorization of information based on repetition”, and again by the Cambridge Dictionary (2023) by declaring “the process of learning something by repetition”. It is demonstrable, therefore, that kata are a form of rote learning within the context of traditional Japanese martial arts. While rote learning as an educational tool is not inherently negative, solely using it in exclusivity leads to various problems. It is this sole usage of rote learning within kata, at the sacrifice of other teaching methods, that this paper will be critiquing from an educational perspective.

One of the issues of exclusively using rote learning, within the context of rich learning experiences for learners, is that it only offers a surface understanding of key concepts. Memorising and learning are not always mutually inclusive. Through a comparative analysis on rote learning and its effect on tertiary students, pg112 of Ambreen and Nawaz (2017) describe rote learning as “memorizing information without understanding the deeper knowledge”. According to Christie and Afzaal (2005, cited in Ambreen & Nawaz, 2017), exclusively using methods such as rote learning have contributed to low quality education, providing Pakistan as an example. In addition to this point, focusing too much on the retention of knowledge leaves out the other side of the educational coin, i.e. transferring of knowledge to additional contexts. Transferring and application of knowledge to other contexts can be defined as anything that is not perfectly prearranged, like practical work experience or, within the realm of martial arts, sparring. It appears, therefore, that kata (like all rote learning in its exclusive use), offers no more than a surface level of understanding of content.

Another issue of exclusively using rote learning approaches, like kata, can be its educational inefficiency. Many Koryu have students practicing kata over and over again for many years, insisting that only through this amount of time dedicated to constant practice will allow them to reach their full potential within the ryu. Ironically, however, only using rote learning often takes a longer duration for a student to prepare for an assessment than that of a deeper approach (Kember, Pomfret, & Wong, 1995, cited in Ambreen & Nawaz, 2017). Not only this, students who engaged in deeper learning proved to perform more successful in assessment than students who engaged in rote learning (Mayya, Rao, & Ramnarayana, 2004, cited in Ambreen & Nawaz, 2017). In addition to a potential lack of learning efficiency, as well as not allowing for deeper understanding, rote learning can create an incorrect impression or understanding of a concept (Oxford Learning Centre, 2017).

The advantages and disadvantages of kata within Koryu as a teaching strategy, however, explain why it is so commonly used within the Koryu sphere. To establish the methodological context of Koryu, it is crucial to acknowledge that, due to its socio-cultural and historically martial value to the point of being defined as a national treasure, the primary goal of Koryu is to preserve lineage and curricula. The crucial nature of maintaining traditional practice and an inwards facing lens in order to preserve, in regards to Koryu, is explained in detail by Armstrong (2015, 26-9). This is why it is immediately clear that the concept of preservation and maintaining tradition is inherent and crucial for koryu.

The value of preservation that is inherent in Koryu allows one to understand its extensive use of a rote learning approach. According to the Cambridge Dictionary (2023) the term ‘preserve’ is defined as “to keep something a particular quality, feature…to make sure that something is kept”. Note how this definition is not mutually inclusive with: 1) a higher understanding of the content, and 2) teaching martial arts that are practically applicable in combat and/or sparring. This is a crucial identification to make. From this, while it is demonstrable that rote learning does not allow a student a higher understanding of the content they are learning, they are not required to have this level of understanding within a koryu setting. A koryu setting requires preservation which, by its very nature, fosters a learning environment that is almost entirely focused on memorisation and, therefore, rote learning.

While rote learning is effective in preserving a curriculum, it is ineffective at producing martial artists who are able to apply their knowledge to comparatively more spontaneous contexts. As previously defined, if the requirement is simple recall and memory of facts, an environment is created in which rote learning (kata) is a key educational approach. However, as soon as any form of transfer of knowledge is required into other more practical circumstances in an efficient and effective manner – thereby allowing deeper understanding of all concepts – then exclusive use of rote learning is a highly negative educational approach. As a result, the author believes that the argument made by Armstrong, specifically, that kata are the best and most effective means to prepare the student for the rigours of combat, is inherently flawed. His idea that sparring with protective equipment is ‘cushioned for safety’ and, therefore, a poor method of preparing a martial artist for combat is, ironically, contradicted by the fact that kata are predetermined sets of movements to be able to practice the techniques ‘in safety’. 

Written by, Nathanael Chapman

ATCL, BALA, MTeach(Sec)