need help with kata's

[Pugtm]

Is there a website online that helps you by explaining the kata's and telling you their movements. I want to practice them at home but keep forgetting parts or entire kata's. Video demo's would also be a big help.

[Ignatz]

You have been doing kendo for what? 5 months? I recall that you live in Dallas so you have a very good dojo there and they will teach you the kata. At this very, very early stage, self teaching will only lead to bad habits.
Kind of like using an apostrophe improperly.

[Kaoru]

Hi Ignatz-san,

Since he's posted in the Iaido forum, I'm assuming he's asking for Iai kata help. I don't know which Ryu he studies... I forgot!

Kendo kata vids can be found on the KW magazine site, if it's kendo kata, Pug-san.

And, Ignatz-san is right. If you haven't learned a kata yet, don't try to teach it to yourself. (in case you have been trying to.)

But, I think he may mean the Iai kata he's learning and wants a reminder. Or, could be kendo kata.(But it's likely Iai.) Some dojos teach kendo kata right off to beginners.

Kaoru

[Pugtm]

bad bad. Ok im an idiot. Forget to say i learned(not well enough) up to kata 10. I'm just a little unsure on 6-10 because right now we are on accelerated learning mode in preparation for a hachi dan sensei who is coming from japan for a taikai here. So basically i am very rushed and need to practice at home. But i have constantly been forgetting steps so just video showing all the steps would help a lot. Don't know what Ryu except it's the one done by the IKF. I found info for testing it on auskf website but no actual guides on how to do them. Again thanks. Kendo kata i am also learning but at a way slower pace so i don't have much of a problem. hmmm might just learn the next one on my own anyways and surprise my sensei. I know i shouldn't but i am reeeeaaly tempted. Thanks again Kaoru-dono and ignatz-san.

[verissimus]

I make notes after class, just to see how much I remember. If I forget, I ask.

[Kaoru]

bad bad. Ok im an idiot. Forget to say i learned(not well enough) up to kata 10. I'm just a little unsure on 6-10 because right now we are on accelerated learning mode in preparation for a hachi dan sensei who is coming from japan for a taikai here. So basically i am very rushed and need to practice at home. But i have constantly been forgetting steps so just video showing all the steps would help a lot. Don't know what Ryu except it's the one done by the IKF.

Oh. Then that's the Seitei Gata Iaido.(You are talking about Iaido kata, right?) I think there are 12 kata in all, if I remember right.(Too tired to run downstairs to look in my Kendo journal.)

Don't worry about trying to get everything perfect for so many kata. If I was you, I'd work on the ones you, as a beginner, are expected to know, and do those well. It's overkill for a 5 month beginner to try to know every kata. Talk to your sensei and ask him what kata he'd like you to know well, and then work on those. You will spread yourself too thin if you try to learn all the advanced kata before you are ready. You should have an idea of them and how they go, though, and do as best as you can. You could find Seitei videos to watch just as a review.

I found info for testing it on auskf website but no actual guides on how to do them. Again thanks. Kendo kata i am also learning but at a way slower pace so i don't have much of a problem. hmmm might just learn the next one on my own anyways and surprise my sensei. I know i shouldn't but i am reeeeaaly tempted.

Don't you dare!! You'd only cause yourself problems that will have to be unlearned and fixed. I know it's tempting, but seriously, don't. Videos are way too 2 dimensional to be useful for teaching yourself kata or anything else. You'd miss out on too many important little details.

So, please save yourself the trouble and don't, ok?

Thanks again Kaoru-dono and ignatz-san.

You're welcome!

Kaoru

P.S. I hope I gave ok advice... Sorry if it's off... I'm getting tired. Think I should go to bed. If anyone wants to correct me, please do!

[chidokan]

do a search on youtube (be warned there are some truly awful examples, the good stuff is rare) and you should find examples to jog the memory. at 5 months you are fortunately not in a position to spot the truly horrible mistakes and are just looking at gross movement. I advise the practise against Kaoru's thoughts. Your sensei is more than capable of cleaning up a week or less worth of bad habits and the hachidan will kill them totally....
You should ALWAYS practise between lessons to reinforce what you have been doing, read notes etc....
This is also important. Take notes while the visitor is there, you will never remember it all. I filled in a notebook on my last trip to see my sensei....and try and make it so you understand it later. You will see what I mean when you try and refer back in a month or so...

As an aside for youtube, do a general search on iai and sword arts in general. there is stuff by some leading lights in iai on there and you may spot a koryu you would like to learn....

[mark]

I found Taylor sensei's series very useful.
http://sdksupplies.netfirms.com/cat_video.htm

[Mr.Tvola]

If you are talking about Seitei Iai, try this, there are all 12 katas.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_lis...7FF1CB0&page=1

AFAIK the best seitei video on YT.

BTW I see nothing wrong with using the video as a reference (as a supplement to the "real training").

[Ignatz]

. . .BTW I see nothing wrong with using the video as a reference (as a supplement to the "real training"). . .

Neither do I but I think you should first learn kata (and I think he is talking about the AJKF Iaido kata) from your teacher/dojo and then use video as a reference. At an early stage it is very easy to blow off the classes and stay home with your video thinking it is "just as good".
It is not.

[Manuka]

I am having some difficulties reconciling Pugtm's note on learning up to kata 10, with Ignatz noting the Pugtm having being doing kendo for 5 months.

I did first Iaido kata - Mae for six months before any other kata, and probably should have been doing it for longer. Got to walk before you run. Still a long long way to go with Mae.

[Pugtm]

Neither do I but I think you should first learn kata (and I think he is talking about the AJKF Iaido kata) from your teacher/dojo and then use video as a reference. At an early stage it is very easy to blow off the classes and stay home with your video thinking it is "just as good".
It is not.

im not blowing off classes i just need a reference to pratctice at home. and yes i know im progressing a little quickly but it's my sensei who's doing it. He wants all of us to know all twelve by the time the Hachi Dan sensei arrives in a couple weeks. so i really need to practice to make sure i learned them all.

Don't you dare!! You'd only cause yourself problems that will have to be unlearned and fixed. I know it's tempting, but seriously, don't. Videos are way too 2 dimensional to be useful for teaching yourself kata or anything else. You'd miss out on too many important little details.

So, please save yourself the trouble and don't, ok?

yeah yeah ok thanks kaoru dono.
and there are 12 + an additional set of i think 12 that comes after you master the first twelve.

[Oroshi]

I am having some difficulties reconciling Pugtm's note on learning up to kata 10, with Ignatz noting the Pugtm having being doing kendo for 5 months.

I did first Iaido kata - Mae for six months before any other kata, and probably should have been doing it for longer. Got to walk before you run. Still a long long way to go with Mae.

I had learnt all of seitei, shoden and chuden (which is definitely not the same as being able to do them! ) after training in iaido for about six months. I think it really depends on what your sensei thinks is best. That said, one decent mae is far, far more impressive than 12 poor kata.

If watching a video helps refresh the memory of what you've been taught in the dojo, I think that's fine. Attempting to learn from a video, on the other hand, is totally counterproductive.

[Oroshi]

and there are 12 + an additional set of i think 12 that comes after you master the first twelve.

I know it's just phrasing, but I doubt even the hachidan sensei giving the seminar would say he has 'mastered' those kata.

[Mr.Tvola]

Neither do I but I think you should first learn kata (and I think he is talking about the AJKF Iaido kata) from your teacher/dojo and then use video as a reference.

Sure, of course.