I am preparing for a demonstration next month being sponsored by my friend and senior, Sensei Pat Nakata. It is a memorial demonstration for his student, Robert "Snaggy" Inouye, who passed away last year.
I am going to perform a bo kata and my sons will perform Wankan and Rohai, respectively. We had a practice session last Sunday.
Watching all the participants practicing there various kata, I had a thought. Wouldn't it be interesting if the performers were not told what kata they would perform? They would just go up to the stage and the emcee would announce a kata from their dojo's curriculum. They would have to just do that kata, right then and there.
It would be a little like a pot luck party. You never know what other people will bring.
In our dojo, we practice about 18 kata. In some other dojo I know, they practice over 50 kata -- not including weapons kata. I am pretty sure that some students would have a hard time performing a kata without practicing it in advance.
But shouldn't a student be able to perform the kata he is supposed to already know? Shouldn't an instructor?
I think so.
Respectfully,
Charles C. Goodin
