"It is very important to study and practise kata for every judoka. This was the teaching of Jigoro Kano Shihan. In order to learn judo, you have to understand it in a wider sense which includes studying kata (forms), randori (free practice), kogi (lecture) and mondo (discussion).
Through kata, one doesn’t only learn the techniques but also gains an understanding of the principles that are behind each one of them. For instance, with Nage-no-kata and the Katame-no-kata, grouped in what is called the Randori-no-kata, you learn about the three important elements: kuzushi, tsukuri and kake. There are only 15 techniques in each repetition but through the learning of those 15 movements, you learn how to perform any other judo technique. An example is o-soto-gari, which is a popular technique but not present in the Nage-no-kata. Nevertheless, with what you learn in this kata, you can get the right principles to understand how o-soto-gari works.
With Juno-no-kata, which you have to perform very slowly, you learn how to break the balance of your opponent and how to shift your weight to apply the proper technique.
The main purpose of learning and teaching kata is therefore not to perform in competition. However, having a world championships like this one in Las Vegas is crucial because all those champions who are present here can then spread kata and their values; it is very useful. I come to the event every year and the level is rising regularly.
Usually in Japan, people study kata for dan grading exams but we also want them to understand why it is important. It is necessary to understand that there is a connection between uchi-komi for instance and the true essence of kata. I remember one of my first teachers was blind but he could teach judo through kata and give us the right way.
When I was a competitor, I was mainly focusing on winning and not losing. Later I became a coach and once again, I mainly paid attention to performance. When I became the president of the Kodokan, even though I knew the kata, I truly started to understand their meaning and necessity.
Today we see many people come to the Kodokan to study kata and that is really good. The IJF Academy and this event help to spread the judo values and principles.
When you study kata, you have to go through several steps. First you need to get the form, then to understand the processes of kuzushi - tsukuri - kake. After that you need to repeat over and over again to develop each waza. This is a process that applies throughout judo. You can use the whole kata or divide it into pieces to study one part at a time. It's a very useful pedagogical tool to teach to children too.
If you want to become a judoka in the wider sense of it, you need to study kata. This is the legacy of Jigoro Kano Shihan."