Who "owns" a kata? The question was spurred by a..."debate" Sensei and I were having about creative kata. Sensei is a traditionalist who has little patience for creative kata. Whereas I feel, in competition, tweaking a kata's performance is perfectly acceptable.In fact, doing so, in a thoughtful manner, could even deepen your understanding of a kata's bunkai because you're no longer just asking yourself "why did was this move chosen?" You begin to ask, "why was this move chosen over this other move?" or "Why do we show this move going front and backward...what happens if it's performed on an angle?"

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