Special Katas

Martial Artists practice katas like dancers practice dance steps, memorizing and perfecting a series of moves until they become instinctively fast and accurate. These special routines are practiced over and over again until they are perfected. The drawback of any kata is that it lacks flexibility and is only set up to do one thing well. Attack-oriented katas ignore the character's defenses and defense-oriented katas usually allow no attacks.

Each kata is developed based on a specific martial art form and can only be used with that one form. Kata's must always be performed for an entire melee round. Characters cannot slip in or out of a kata during a single melee round. There is no problem changing from one kata to another at the start of a new melee round.

*Katas noted with an asterisk are style specific and may only be taken if the style permits.