Development of Kata It   was   a   monk   named   Bodhidharma   who   brought   a   number   of   gymnastic   exercises   to   the   Shaolin. These   exercises   was   for   to   improve   the   health   and   the   power   of   the   body.   Today   we   can   see   these exercises   as   the   roots   of   the   Kata.   Based   on   this   first   methods   of   selfdefence   has   been   found.   On the   research   for   new   and   better   fighting   methods   they   did   watch   and   imitate   the   ways   how   animals prey   and   fight.      The   methods   of   the   animals   has   been   translated   to   a   human   form   and   got   part   of Kata.   From   single   movements   to   groups   of   movements   and   to   a   whole   and   complex   form   the   Kata became the number one for teaching martial arts. For   each   way   of   teachement   of   knowledge   it   needs   a   usable   method.   If   the   goal   is   to   teach   body skills   it   is   necessary   to   show   the   movement.   A   theoretical   explanation   is   not   enough.   Also   it’s important   to   save   this   knowledge   for   the   future.   This   happens   in   the   Martial   Arts,   as   well   as   in other   disciplines   like   dancing   for   example.   It's   not   wrong   to   believe   that   the   monks   of   Shaolin   did see   the   value   of   the   possibilities   to   practise,   to   teach   and   to   hand   down   the   knowledge   of   the Martial Arts in the way of a kind of dancing forms. Another   advantage   was,   that   it   was   possible   to   improve   the   own   skills   without   to   show   too   much   of the   true   fighting   methods   to   spectators.   Also   it   made   it   possible   to   teach   the   Martial   Arts   basicly over   a   time,   which   could   be   used   for   to   learn   more   about   the   students   mentality,   before   teaching the   true   and   dangerous   methods   to   him.   In   this   view   the   Kata   is   an   excellent   method   for   to   hand down the knowledge about the Martial Arts with responsibility. During   hundred   of   years   an   uncountable   number   of   Kata   has   been   found.   Nearly   each   Master   did create   an   own   one.   The   lot   of   them   are   based   on   the   translation   of   animal   fighting   techniques   to the   human   possibilities.   Well   known   ar   ethe   schools   of   White   Crane,   Tiger,   Snake,   Leopard,   Dragon, Eagle   and   praying   Mantis.   But   also   the   movements   of   a   drunken   person   was   analyst   for   to   build   a highily effective fighting method. It   is   known   that   contact   between   Chinese   and   the   Islands   of   the   Ryu   Kyu   Archipel,   which   was independet   from   Japan   in   this   area   did   start   in   the   14th.   century.   Of   course   there   was   an   Art   of figthing   there   called   Tòde.   But   the   chinese   methods   was   more   advanced.   And   the   chinese   handed down   their   knowledge   about   the   Martial   Arts.   But   if   we   compare   the   chinese   Martial   Arts   and   the present   Schools   of   Okinawa   we   can   see   strong   differences.   It   is   for   sure   that   most   of   the   Kata   used in   Okinawa   have   chinese   roots,   but   clear   to   see,   that   this   Kata   have   big   differences   from   the chinese original forms. Each   nation   has   it's   own   typical   properties   in   body   structur,   culture   and   mentality.   And   so   the okinwan   didn’t   take   over   the   chinese   methods   without   to   change   them   in   the   way   of   there   own imagines   of   the   way   of   fighting.   Not   only   the   movements   of   a   Kata   has   been   changed,   but   also   it’s spirit.   So   the   Kata   of   Okinawa   have   not   the   high   speed   of   the   chinese   forms,   were   the   techniques will   be   performed   without   any   break.   On   the   other   hand   okinwan   Kata   have   more   explosivity   in single techniques and have more attention in the way of dynamic performing. As   good   as   in   China   nearly   each   Master   had   his   own   kata.   Masters   of   Okinawa   did   adjust   the   Kata to   theirs   own   meanings.   For   to   do   this   properly   a   Master   has   to   have   a   highly   knowledge   about   the biomechanic   and   the   true   Bunkai   of   the   techniques.   So   a   lot   of   Masters   like   Yasutsune   Itosu   or Kenwa Mabuni did create own Kata later in their life. Today   no   only   at   Okinawa   a   lot   of   versions   of   the   same   Kata   exist.   As   long   as   changes   are   done   on a   way   that   the   positive   effect   for   training   of   the   Kata   isn't   disturbed   and   as   long   as   the   Bunkai   is possible, these changes are good for the vitality of the Kata and the Marital Arts. As   the   people   of   Okinawa   did   learn   the   Martial   Arts   from   Chinese   Master   they   didn't   adjust   the   Art to   their   meanings   immediatly.   This   development   happens   slowly   and   over   a   time   of   generations. Because   of   this   that   Karate   was   made   public   worldwide   not   before   the   middle   of   the   20th.   century we   cannot   see   an   adjustment   of   Karate   to   the   typcial   properties   of   the   people   from   the   different nations   by   now.   But   it   is   to   see   hat   this   has   it's   beginnings.   In   the   way   of   regional   mentality   the Karate   start   to   get   special   interpretation   of   doing   the   Kata.   Some   prefere   a   powerfull   and   strong technique,   others   like   to   practise   more   speed   and   elegance.   These   is   also   a   reason   for   the   fact   that the different schools of Karate has different success. In   the   time   when   the   dogma   that   a   Kata   is   unchangeable   losing   it's   power,   the   development   from the   traditional   Karate   to   a   regional   typical   Karate   will   begin.   Of   course   this   will   include   the   risk   of   a fault   Karate   and   the   lost   of   quality   and   knowledge.   But   my   opinion   is   that   Karate   has   to   adjust   to the praticioner and not the practicioner has to adjust to Karate. On   the   end   it   means   that   it   is   the   way   to   an   individual   Karat.   A   Karate   like   it   was   normal   in   the time when Karate did start it's way in Okinawa.