ATHLETE RESOURCE
KATA - the art of movement
A deep-dive into the philosophy, practice and techniques of Kata as a training tool in freestyle and beyond.
“The more precisely you can explore a movement away from the water, the more possibilities you have when you get back on it.”
Jacko
What is KATA?
KATA is a way of practising the movements of kayaking when you're away from the water.
But it isn't simply pretending to do a trick on dry land. Done well, KATA lets you explore posture, rotation, timing, energy and how different parts of the body work together — building a clearer picture of what you want the movement to feel like when you're back in your boat.
Explore the movement
Slow it down. Stop and hold positions. Speed it up. Add sound. Talk yourself through a sequence. Experiment with rhythm, intensity and breathing.
The interesting part is what you begin to notice:
Where does the movement begin?
Where is the tension?
How much energy are you using?
What is your whole body doing together?
KATA gives you the freedom to explore these things repeatedly — without needing the feature, the water level or even your boat.
The full resource explores how to use KATA, different rehearsal techniques and ways to build it into your training.
