Kata (Forms)

Kata are the forms of judo, pre-arranged sequences of techniques performed by two partners in a fixed order, with no resistance, in their ideal shape. Judoinfo.com lists kata simply as "forms".

Japanese name: kata, "forms". Judoinfo.com lists nage no kata (forms of throwing), katame no kata (forms of grappling), kime no kata (forms of decision), ju no kata (forms of gentleness) and randori no kata (forms of free practice techniques).
In judo: kata is examined for dan grades in most federations, and the Kodokan performs the kata at its annual Kagami Biraki ceremony.
Pairing: kata and randori are the two halves of judo practice; one shows the ideal, the other tests it.

What are the kata?

Nage no kata shows fifteen throws, three from each of the five throwing groups, performed to both sides. Uchi mata appears in it, as the uchi mata page on judoinfo.com notes. Katame no kata shows the grappling techniques: pins, chokes and joint locks. Together these two are the randori no kata, the forms of the techniques used in free practice.

Kime no kata shows self-defence against armed and unarmed attack. Ju no kata shows the principle of giving way with slow, unresisted movements. The Kodokan also preserves older forms, including koshiki no kata and itsutsu no kata, and all of them are performed at the Kodokan Kagami Biraki ceremony each January.

Why study kata?

Randori teaches timing against resistance, and it also lets bad habits hide behind strength. Kata removes the resistance, so every part of a throw is visible: the balance break, the entry, the finish, and the fall. Judoinfo.com notes that understanding the correct position of uke is part of mastering the action of tori, and in kata uke's role is as precise as tori's.

Learn the order of techniques first, without worrying about quality.
Walk through each technique slowly with a partner, checking the grips and the direction of kuzushi against the Kodokan definition.
Add the formal elements: the bows, the distance, the walking pattern.
Perform it at speed, both sides, without stopping.
Film it and compare it with the official Kodokan performance.

Kata practice generates notes: which technique, which side, which correction. A training journal built for grapplers keeps them in one place; our grappling training journals collection has them.