Kata

From Wikipedia » Kata:

Kata (型 or 形 literally: "form"?) is a Japanese word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practised either solo or in pairs. The term form is used for the corresponding concept in non-Japanese martial arts in general.

Kata are used in many traditional Japanese arts such as theater forms like kabuki and schools of tea ceremony (chado), but are most commonly known for the presence in the martial arts. Kata are used by most Japanese and Okinawan martial arts, such as aikido, judo, kendo and karate.

Kata originally were teaching and training methods by which successful combat techniques were preserved and passed on. Practicing kata allowed a company of persons to engage in a struggle using a systematic approach, rather than as individuals in a disorderly manner.

The basic goal of kata is to preserve and transmit proven techniques and to practice self-defence. By practicing in a repetitive manner the learner develops the ability to execute those techniques and movements in a natural, reflex-like manner. Systematic practice does not mean permanently rigid. The goal is to internalize the movements and techniques of a kata so they can be executed and adapted under different circumstances, without thought or hesitation. A novice’s actions will look uneven and difficult, while a master’s appear simple and smooth.

Relates to shu ha ri.

Toyota embraced kata and created and embedded Toyota Kata in their culture:

1. What is the target condition?
2. What is the actual condition now?
3. Turn card over and reflect… because you don’t actually know what the result of an experiment will be.
   1. What was your last experiment?
   2. What did you expect?
   3. What actually happened?
   4. What did you learn?
4. What obstacles do you think are between your from reaching the target condition?
5. Which one are you addressing now?
6. What is your next experiment?
7. What do you expect?
8. When can we go and see what you have learned from that experiment?

Use kata as the basic structure for an improvement board, together with the definition of awesome.

Wikipedia » Toyota Kata:

Toyota Kata is a management book by Mike Rother. The book explains the improvement kata, which is a means for making creative work teachable.

Toyota Kata defines management as, “the systematic pursuit of desired conditions by utilizing human capabilities in a concerted way.” Rother proposes that it is not solutions themselves that provide sustained competitive advantage and long-term survival, but the degree to which an organization has mastered an effective routine for developing fitting solutions again and again, along unpredictable paths. This requires teaching the skills behind the solution.

kata and improvement kata resonate with the general structure of a pearl or pattern, the a3 solver, and beyond bullet points.

instant pay-off coaching uses a similar structure when coaching someone in a hurry.