:: Rhythm of Kata (1) :: 21/01/2008

When performing a kata, out of fear of poor performance in basic techniques and lack of confidence, we might experience a disposition to hustle off with the kata. In this way, it will not only adversely affect the postures of the techniques, but also the rhythm of the kata; movements meant to be slow would end up in a hasty manner; gestures that ought to be paused are not allowed to stop firmly. As performed in great haste, the entire kata loses its tempo and depth. It is important to know that both postures and tempo are decisive elements in judging the performance of a kata. Messing up the right tempo over a slight diffidence in postures/movements is most undesirable. To avoid this, sure enough we have to work hard on improving the postures of different techniques; to further boost up our confidence, we should always perform in the right tempo and treat each performance as our own unique performance in our own style.