Muay Thai vs. Kickboxing

Different martial arts might really have different definitions of katas. That "pomsae" mostly looks just series of hits, it looks like the idea of that kata is to condition oneself. When compared to our Bujinkan katas, all of our katas are performed against an opponent/s. Strange that even in Capoeira we do "katas" or more like just series of certain motions which katas technically are, these are done both either alone or with an playmate. I believe fundamental reason of katas is to teach the certain techniques, certain ways of moving, certain ways to act or something and "pack" it to the kata so it is easy to exchange with other practicers which might come far away. With katas it is just easy to write the sequences down and then let the others perform it the way they ought to perform it.

In Capoeira our instructor has learned the series of motions("katas") from other parts of Finland and also from Brazilian teachers. When they are written down and experienced the correct way, he can then teach them forward to us. In Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu we have a wide traditional variety of different techniques which have only survived the last hundreds of years because someone has made the series of techniques and motions into katas which most of them have travelled untouched to the present days. The katas don't really work in combat ALONE but when you add, or cut down some parts, or just pick the essential technique from the kata, they become very useful.