There is a lot of controversy today about the use of kata in Martial Arts. Some believe that it helps for muscle memory, which others think it's a waste of training time. I suppose it really depends on what arts you're learning. In Judo you really just need to practice the throws with a partner and get used to reacting with them. In Aikido it's basically the same. But in systems such as Karate and Tae Kwon Do, Kata is very necessary for students to get used to those body movements. I mean, sure you could just practice the movements with a partner over and over. But in Kata you are able to do it daily without a partner, and it can be fun to do a Kata, while just a repetitive movement gets boring fast.
In the Kouryou Kai we have more than one reason for Kata. We firstly use it for the muscle memory that most people argue is the purpose of Kata. It does help a great deal. After doing Kata so much, I've reacted in ways I hadn't even practiced reaction in. Another reason for Kata is similar to Taiji Chuan, where you learn to get the flow of energy and apply it to those movements. Another reason is to learn the state of no-mind. You must become entirely in the moment. It is easier to do this with movements in Kata than it is while sitting.
Thus we have, as in most things, a 3-fold reason. And when there are 3 good reasons, we therefor should be doing it. And so we have Kata for the various levels of body movement. Once used to certain movements, you learn more advanced ones. So we usually begin with a very basic "Block & Punch" Kata that is quite similar to the first Kata taught in most Karate systems. But if a person comes along who is already used to those movements, why begin like that? We'll begin people where they seem ready. If not yet ready for kicks, we start with knee attacks to get used to the first movement of a kick. So to us, a Kata is not static. We throw in whatever a person is ready for. And we teach them to cultivate energy as they do this.
I am giving a link to where you can find Kata videos. There aren't many places you can find Kata online, but most Kata are lame, anyway. If you want good books, you'll have to do your own research.
