Agreed! Agreed again! There's much more to it than solo repetition of the kata. The student can then take the kata away and improve their gross motor skills through practicing it solo whilst visualizing fighting applications. This leads on to playing with alternative bunkai options, practice against resisting parterns and finally understanding in both a mental and physical sense the underlying principles. I shall just accept that we differ on that then. I can see kata as a mnemonic, but I would put it as a secondary role. Viva la difference! Mike
What ever way you look at it, it is better than the "we do it because it is tradition" approach of the 80's.