Do we as MA's actually feel that if we don't perform a kata a certain way that it is to be judged as bad? I have witnessed serious upset folks who make some trivial mistake in a performance yet the overall kata was pretty good. Is this maybe because kata training is so involved as to tournament competitive judgement toward perfection of form, etc.?
One of the best I have seen is a black belt who performed a kata, hit a freeze, simply said "pardon me" and then started over again. I could tell he just hit a moment we all experience in practice where our brains simply stop, blank, nothing and not even encoding appears. This is good fundamental training so the only question I would have posed is, "Why didn't you just go on? Why stop, apologize, and start over? If a true fight and you freeze it is more important to break it and keep acting appropriately - after all the goal is to not get hurt and your threat is going to keep right on attacking.
Maybe, just maybe the over emphasis on kata perfection, kata tournament competition, and reliance of kata perfection in form, pretty, for promotions has further diluted its true purpose?
Mistakes, flubs, freezes, etc. are all normal. It happens to everyone all the time. It is how you handle it that counts. If it ain't pretty yet it works and you don't get hurt - that seems a better way don't you think?
I do like to instruct novices to get good form, i.e. body alignment, proper posture, etc., but if it does not achieve a very specific form it in the end only matters if it diminishes the actual function - in fights/combat.
All the rest must remain in proper perspective, yes?
"The Author, it must be remembered, writes from his own standpoint!"
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