How to Remember Your Kata and Forms in Martial Arts | Improve Your Memory for Belt Tests
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 ส.ค. 2024
- Do you ever worry about forgetting your kata or forms before a belt test? Well, don't! I’ve got three tips to help you remember your kata and ace the test.
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Tip #1: Practice your kata as fast as you can.
You lift weights to isolate your muscles. Going through your kata as fast as you can isolates your brain! Don’t worry about doing everything properly, just see how fast you can speed through the sequence without any stops.
Once you figure out your brain’s maximum speed limit, then go back and practice your forms at the proper pace. I promise-you will suddenly feel like a brainiac.
Tip #2: Practice your forms in different directions.
Back in my Tae Kwon Do days, I always nailed my form... as long as I did them in my home dojang! But when we'd test in a different school, I would freeze! Why?
The problem was that I had learned the form based on EXTERNAL points of reference instead of INTERNAL points of reference. Here's how to fix that...
1) Practice your forms in your home school starting off in every direction.
2) Practice your kata everywhere you can. Practice at home, in the park, in the parking lot-anyplace. Just be careful in the shower.
3) Spin around and count to three... then stop. Wherever you end up, start your kata right from there. That should help!
Tip #3: Practice your forms with your eyes closed.
Closing your eyes will force you to feel your way through the kata, instead of see your way through the kata. You’ll start building sense memories, instead of just intellectual memories.
I would recommend choosing one feeling to focus on at a time. Maybe it’s the sound of your breathing. Or the weight in your feet. Or the pressure in your hands. The big idea is if you give your brain something to focus on, it’s a lot less likely that it’s going to get distracted by noises in the room or the voices in your head.
Two more quick thoughts. First--if you make a mistake performing your kata during a belt test, own it! Don’t allow yourself to get upset. Just keep going or ask for permission to start again.
The truth is if you keep your cool and keep going after a mistake, that might be a better demonstration of who you really are than if you had performed your kata perfectly the first time!
Second thought--if you follow all of these tips and you still can’t remember your kata, you’re just not ready to test yet. And that’s okay!
Remember--the ultimate goal of martial arts is not a new belt, it’s a new you. A better you. So, don’t be in a hurry. Do the work and enjoy the journey.
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Keep fighting for a happy life! :)
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WARNING: The advice and movements shown in this video are for informational and educational purposes only. Consult a doctor before engaging in any exercise or martial arts program.
#belttest #kata #memorytips - กีฬา
You’re spot on. I forgot a form without knowing it until it was too late, because of external memories.😞
I knew I wasn’t the only one! Thanks for sharing!😄
I did karate as a kid. I've remembered the start direction was where I had a little scar on my hand. And when the scar was gone I was unsure the beginning of the kata😳 and couldn't really remember after some time
Thank you for the guidance! Another thing I find helpful is to practice the footwork of kata separately while keeping hands at side.
That’s a great tip, Arlene! Thank you! 👍🏼
I would go to a taekwondo tournament and not even hesitate during the form and then a week before the next tournament someone in my class said they had problems remembering the form at tournaments and guess who made it 1/4 of the way though the form after blanking, this girl. I still got first be cause it was based on who performed the best not the whole form. Thanks Ando!!
They jinxed you! 😄 But you fought through it… way to go! 👊🏼
the best advice my son had was from one of the junior instructors - was to understand what each move in the kata is being used for - then picture being attacked while your doing the move - picture attackers at every turn - this would give more "realism" to your form when you execute. After thinking that way - he did a lot better at placing in competitions.
Imagination is crucial!
Great advice
I am currently learning and studying music... I am gonna apply this lesson as is on my music endeavors. Right down to the closing of the eyes.
Excellent idea, Gavin!
Thank you so much
It will surely help me to do my Kata well on the day of tournament.
Good luck, Cecilia!👍🏼
@@AndoMierzwa thank you
Thank Ando, there is only one Ando, your videos are unique and good
Thank you for the kind words, George! 🙏🏻
i need this im going to test for my blackbelt at 67years
Awesome! Go get it, sir!
As a tai-chi guy I would also suggest you do the opposite of tip nr 1.... slow your kata/form down as much as you can and focus on the detaljes and feeling in every movement and transition :)
Yes, different speed for a different goal. Speed training is not ideal for technical examination! :)
Thanks for the tips! I have my taekwondo black belt testing coming up later this year, and have to memorize 9 poomsae... I'll take every edge I can get!
Awesome, David! You can do it!
Thank you sensei Ando for the helpful tips. 👍😁
My pleasure, sir! 🙏🏻
Thank you Sensei! I’ll share these tips with my students.
Hope it helped!
I've spent years not practicing forms, just patterned footwork drills and light sparring. Recently I've felt like my mnemonic skills need improvement, so I'm beginning to learn a Baguazhang form I've had my eye on for awhile. This video helps, thanks again sir
Sounds like you’re doing good work. Keep going! 👍🏼
Sensei Ando, I appreciate your advice. The timing of this video is perfect as my daughter learned her very first Kata yesterday. I’ll be able to add more quality to how I’ll approach our next session. I’m so very thankful for the value you’ve added to our many training sessions.
Sorry I missed this, sir. Hope you're both training happily!
This is sensible guidance. Good advice. Thanks. Especially with the doing it blind/blindfolded...
Glad we agree, sir!
@Ando I love your videos .. they are really motivational and hilarious ♥️ love from New Zealand … I’m a mom and have just started my karate. Your videos actually helped me to confirm my decision :)
That makes me so happy, Lily! 😃 Love back to you from the USA. I hope you enjoy your Karate journey! If not, let me know. 😄👍🏼
Great tips Sensei, I like the closed eyes is one, I never did it before, I will give it a try! Thanks!
I visualize the attack that each move is designed to counter, intercept or whatever the action is.. as you said- gives your miind the proper focus- on what they're really for anyway!!
Visualization definitely kicks things up a notch. 👍🏼
Thank you Sensei!🥊🥋
My pleasure, sir! 🙏🏻
Excellent tips
I appreciate your support. Truly! :)
As always Ando, this is not just good advice for martial artists, its also great transferable advice for everyday life.
I think the best advice is true for everything. Thanks, Andres!
Nice going sensei, great advice!
Funny Goatee though😁.
I’ve already shaved it! Thanks! 😄
Thanks Sensei ！！It's really good.
Thank you very much! 🙏🏻
Thanks as usual man. I have my first grading test this week. And with this video i feel more confident than ever
Hope you got it!
My Sifu likes to say, "Practice makes permanent". Do the form/kata so much that it becomes second nature (muscle memory), so you can do it in your sleep, and the sequence will stay with you.
There is definitely no substitute for practice! Thank you!
Love it! Especially the last word, practicing martial art is not for a new belt, it's for a new me!
Amen to that, Thomas! 👍🏼
Another way to practice is painstakingly slow giving us a chance to hone in on the technique. Thank you sensei Ando for all that you do for martial arts
Absolutely! Practice it every way possible for fuller understanding. Thank you for the comment, Arlene!🙏🏻
@@AndoMierzwa We use to video ourselves doing Kata that way the sensei and yourself can pick up on a idiosyncrasy etc
@@PcGameGold A great tool that the old masters never had. Yes!
Thank you for all this wise advice !
Comes at a perfect time !
Hope it helped! :)
These are great tips. Some good ones in the comments to. Personally, I learn the first move (always a series of movies with this stuff right?). Then I learn the second. When I practice I do step one and two and stop. Go back to step one and two and stop. Then add step three and do one, two three. By the time I get to step 10 I've done steps 1-9 MANY times. So basically, I start out slow and just build. I often have someone show me the entire kata and I look for any new movements that I'll need to learn. Sometimes I see a move I'm familiar with, like a chop, but need to put it into the correct position and use for the form. I find, for me, having started TKD in my mid 40's, this really helps.
I'm going to try the "go as fast as you can" way soon. I tend to really analyze at the beginning and it can hold me back. Getting all the moves in sequence then tweaking position, footing, stance, balance, etc seems to work best for me.
Thanks very much for sharing some advice! Happy training!👍🏼
@@AndoMierzwa Thank you Sir!
That was wonderful. Thank you very much 🎉
Thank you very much for the comment, sir!
That's great advice. I've actually always trained like that, and it works.
Awesome, sir!
This was very helpful. Thank you!
Thank you for watching! 🙏🏻
Thumbs up for sure , your a great teacher . I`d be a beginner , I wish I knew of a Martial Arts learning school near me , but then there's always the cost , no matter the cost it will be worth it down the road . I better make it happen , I`m not getting any younger .
Yes, sir! I’d say training is a great investment!
You’re spot on about doing your forms in different directions. So true.
Maybe you can only learn that the hard way! Thanks for the comment, sir!😄
Thank you for your video. It is really helpful!
Happy to hear that! Keep fighting, Nathan! 👊🏼
Thank you. It was all great advice
Thank you very much!
Great advice
Thank you
Hope it helps! Happy training!
Ando I'm enjoying the journey thanks for coming along
A pleasure to travel together! 🙏🏻
thank you very much for your effort, instructive video
Thank you for the kind words! 🙏🏻
I'm due for karate grading next month. So thanks again for the advice.
Excellent! Go forth and conquer, sir!
Thank you. Helped a lot
Hope so! 👍🏼
I blew my kata in a competition but i kept going and finished in a wrong direction. But obviously i was awarded bronze medal!(i still dont know what really went through judges heads!). That was my first and only kata competition experience!. Right now, I wish there was someone like you to give me these tips prior to my competition. Thank you for these awesome tips sensei.
If you kept going and didn’t fall apart, then I say you get the gold medal for fighting spirit. And that’s what it’s all about! Good job! 👍🏼
Domo. Very helpful.
Thank you for the comment! 🙏🏻
Great advice Sir. My biggest thing is starting one form and then switching to another in the middle of it.
Just keep going and don’t look at the person on the side of you doing their form.. They might be doing the wrong one..
Ha! Right. Eyes on your own paper! 😄
This - was brilliant! Thank you!
My pleasure, sir! Hope it helps!
Now I know what my old school was doing, having us rush. I also use eye closing for confidence, timing, and developing extra visual sensory awareness
Excellent! Keep up the good work! 👍🏼
Great video! My son can apply these tips.
I hope so! Give him a high-five for me!
if you blow it own it. was the tip we gave kids at tournaments . Chance are they might have missed it. Don't do their job for them by showing your mistakes to them. Blind folded was and is a favorite of mine,,, Have done it at tournaments just to block out distractions . Awesome tips thanks.
Great attitude! Keep up the good work!
Super
wise words as always! I'm often asked why do i continue to in Martial Arts or what i get from Martial arts and my answer is always the same "to be better than my former self" ...
Great answer! Agreed!
Thank you sir
Thank you for watching!
Trying to make a comeback ( new style) after 40 years , this is great advice thank you so much . Cheers
Good for you, sir! Happy training!
@@AndoMierzwa I am so impressed that you took the time to respond . Very professional i wish i had the opportunity to work out with you in your club. i would highly recommend your videos they are a great help to me and a heck of an inspiration to AN OLD GUY ha! Thank you OSU
@@billhildreth3936 That means a lot to me, sir. OSU!
The pourpouse is a new you. A better you. Love it.
You got it! Happy training!
The only issue I have with this video besides that it's great all these ideas can be applied too many other areas in life other than martial arts thank you very much
Any good advice should apply to everything! 😄
Great video 👍
Thank you very much!
Get a metronome you can download them for free.
Set a click speed (ie click per move) that is easy.
Do it three times perfectly in a row then add 4 beats and repeat the whole process.
Good tip, sir! Thanks!
Thanks.I will give the exam for orange belt in fu jow pai(tiger kung fu) soon.
Awesome! Good luck! 👍🏼
Thank you very much for this video, it’s a great one! I personally use the method of adding one step and restarting to add another until I get it all!
Also, what do you think of my name? 😉
All hail, the King! 😄
Ando Mierzwa lol thought you’d like it! You’re amazing and I’ve learned a lot from you! I’m sure I will continue to do so too!
@@kingkaratechop3978 Let's both keep learning!
Ando Mierzwa you got it! 😁
Thanks for the cool video ! Now I see you with a beard, I realize my memories of you are very external 😅🧔 ! Don't worry, I can spin and watch the video again, haha... Just kidding. Thanks for your tips and your valuable help 😊.
Wait till you see me with an eye patch! 😁🏴☠️
Just what i needed!:)
Happy to hear that!
What happened at 5:25
I think fighters should imitate dancers. In movies, like the final fight in Taken 2, it is like a dance number, done to music.
I think students should choreograph their own fight scenes with a partner, and do a duet dance number, to music, like dance.
ONLY "back in my TKD days" did I ever even feel as if their may be a possibility of "forgetting" or "losing my place" in a form on a rank test. But that's because ONLY TKD instructors have ever pushed me into a rank test based on a date on the calendar and ONLY a TKD instructor has ever suggested charging me a rank test fee. Hmmmmm.....
Because they have a quota to make..hmmmm🤔🙂
@@starwise2005 ...and none of the 3 TKD "Masters" I studied with ever taught bunkai (combat applications) of the forms. It was just a weird form of dance training or low-level gymnastics stringing together some of the basic techniques. In my karate and jujutsu studies, the forms training was the exact opposite: no calendar objectives, focused on perfecting each sequence, and totally immersed in the context of guided imagery in which you visualized the opponents and responded to their attacks. Once the beginner (in a specific kata) became proficient at that, then actual uke(s) would be added to execute prescribed attacks in the dojo. The latter teaching method was especially emphasized in my Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu training. I found those 3 years (which came after many years in TKD and Okinawan karate) had the most profound impact on my actual self-defense skills and philosophy, especially as it relates to conflict resolution of all types.
I am not a martial artist. I am a chess player, Western and Chinese Chess. A recreational tennis player, and a geometry artist.
I think Kata is very much like the Chinese language. (The Karate Nerd also said so.) I'm learning Chinese because Chinese is the root of Vietnamese.
Let take a look a the word "kata" in the original Chinese form.
kata, 型, form.
The glyph is picto-phonetic. The picto (semantic) part is 土 = earth.
土 that is a glyph of a lump of clay on a potter's wheel. Hence the meaning "form."
Without understanding what the form means, I would not be able to remember how to write "kata" 型.
LIkewise, you have to know the meaning of the forms:
Paint the house, paint the fence, sand the floor, wax on wax off
shape the vase, the Karate Kid III
raise shields - Captain Kirk
kick to the pills - Bas Rutten
go back the original Chinese names, Panther steals heart, Monkey grab fruit
names I make up, The Erkia Kane = bitch slap
The Xenia Onatopp = Do-Jime = 胴絞.
You have to understand the kata and give it names. They do that in ballet.
And you do it to music, like a dance.
In The Perfect Weapon is the perfect example of how to do a kata.
Thanks for the lesson! 😁👍🏼
Master ando i practice martial arts at home is doing katas will improve my kicks and punches TKD and boxing nice video btw
Working on your skills in any form is worth it, yes! Thank you for the comment!
@@AndoMierzwa 🥰
Close Your eyes and practice :)
Beard Ando's the best Ando
HA! 😄 I just shaved it. But it will be back... 👍🏼
The Kata is the reason I quit Tekwando I was so close to a black belt I was on blue wich is like 4 belts away from black then I just quit because of a kata 😢😖
I hope you kept going some other way!
Good day. I am a martial artist for more the 20 years. I enjoy doing it. It was a great way to stay in shape but i do have a problem with the "kata's". Don't get me wrong. I am real good at it. I won alot of championships but at the end of the day "kata" isn't helping you defend yourself. I know i will get alot of comments on this. But i have to be honest. Can someone explain me why they do kata and what they believe they get out of it?
That’s like asking someone to explain how jumping rope helps their self-defense. Either you find value in it or you don’t. Do your thing! Thanks for the comment!
ty
Thank you for watching!
something tells me that ugly brown wood paneling gave you some sort of trauma 😂😂😂
But jokes aside, these tips are golden! Thank you Sensei!
True! I had the same paneling in my home growing up. It’s a trigger! 😄
Heart my comment sensei! I'm a fan of you. I always comment. ❤
Excellent guidance! Thank you! Another thing I find helpful is practicing the footwork separately , with arms at side
Thanks for your support, my friend! 🙏🏻
Rap music is best for fight choreography.
I've Got the Power
Mamma Say Knock You Out
Beat It
Something with a good beat.
etc.
What i like to do is ask my sensei to send me a video of the kata i want then i watch it
a couple of times and once i think i got it i play the video and do the kata then when
im really confident i do it and when i know im wrong i watch the video again .
It really helped me at first it was hard cuz i was a beginner and i didint use this method
yet so i spent like a couple of months to learn hand 1 kata for yellow belt, then i used this
method and learned a kata by heart in like 4 days (well i had my grading in a week so i
had to practice every day) and the next one i learned in 1 day , so thats a lot of improvement.
But i just think that you remmber things easier if u love to do it so its even easier to remmber, for me at least .
Was this even helpful?
Yes, Karina- that was helpful. We all learn from each other! Happy training!
thanks because I could bearly remember basic form one 😭
Hang in there!
Wish You a happy Life 👍
A happy life to you, my friend! 🙏🏻
Howdy!
Howdy back at you!
1:05 Ok Sir, I see you are sober. Drive safe.
You stay safe, too!
Can i use kata forms for real life fight
You can certainly use movements, principles, and ideas from forms.
man, i've been a white belt (Pencak Silat) for 4 years, cuz i just won't/hate the basic forms (which we call jurus), they ever rank me because i never show up to the belt test 😂😂 everyone i started with is basically a freaking black belt now or at least red belt two stripes
Well, it’s your journey, so do what makes sense for you. Still, respecting the process your teachers have laid out for you is worth considering. 🙏🏻
@@AndoMierzwa absolutely right, 👍
@@AndoMierzwa i know i'm totally wrong btw, i basically looked for this video to take advice on memorizing the forms, have a belt test next month. i'm going to take this one for sure, thanks for the video man, you're one of the best 🙏 love from Egypt
@@NinjaFlutePlayer Cool. Good luck on the test! Love back from the USA!
I would've said practice!
I say that, too! :-)
Here's how I remember my kata I practice it
👍🏼
He is wearing red like eagle fang karate from cobra kai
Oops! 😄
@@AndoMierzwa I think you meant cool lol
@@RandomGuy041 Yes... coooool. :)
Keep your beard
Thanks for the vote! 😁
Second!
Thank you for watching! 🥈
COOL BEARD!
Ha! Thanks. One more day... 😄
@@AndoMierzwa it makes u look more badass
@@MrQuackism Scaring kids is what I'm after. :)
I always practice kata with my eyes closed
Recite the alphabet bad analogy, there is only one alphabet I have 52 Kata's to remember and mine and most of my friends students etc, you start one Kata and go into another Kata's moves, at 58 I only practice 4 now + tai chi.
I like the idea of choosing fewer forms, but going deeper! Four is enough. 😁
Do u read these comments?ando
Yes, I try!
Haha....Now i am happy....Love from pakistan
@@yazdankhan5845 Love from the USA!
I think more important thing is to know what kata really means... Why would I know how kata goes?
It’s a lot more than exercise, for sure.
@@AndoMierzwa exactly
I want a yellow belt.
Go for it!
Can you be my instructor?
I’d be honored. I need to start an online streaming school! 😁
Ando Mierzwa
Sounds excellent.
your beard needs to be LONGER
Bad news even at the age of 70 years old I still haven't managed to remember my alphabet, same goes for my left or right, it is called dyslexia. Then again a do have a B,Sc (hons) Science degree so I know I am not stupid.
You found a way to use what you’ve got the best you can. That’s what fighting spirit is all about! Thank you for the comment, sir!
Imagine if someone failed saying the abc really fast.... 😂
I guess I’d better make a video about saying the alphabet! 😄
@@AndoMierzwa I'm down if u r 😂 😂
Tip 1take sleep meds
Tip 2 face a dog
Tip 3 practice how to not get sick
Tip 4 lol fff
First !
Please like my comment
Liked! 👍🏼
Well done! 😁🥇
If I practice at work people will be like 🤔
That’s what bathrooms are for! 😄
"Wake up soaked in sweat. Or whatever" wtf?
Just a silly joke. 😁
The person that hasn't felt those things-- or SAYS they don't-- is a liar.. PERIOD.