Contents
The five contested kata (IJF programme)
Nage-no-kata (forms of throwing) · Katame-no-kata (forms of control) · Ju-no-kata (forms of gentleness) · Kime-no-kata (forms of decision) · Kodokan Goshin-jutsu (modern self-defence). Koshiki-no-kata and Itsutsu-no-kata are not on the IJF programme. The weapons of Kime-no-kata and Goshin-jutsu are wood, never metal — and the Kime-no-kata sword carries a tsuba. The kata competition surface is 8×8 m.
The judging system (IJF criteria, January 2025 edition)
| Mechanism | The rule |
|---|---|
| The panel | Five judges; per technique, the highest and lowest marks are dropped — three remain |
| The mark | Per technique: maximum 10, minimum 1 when there is no omission or major mistake; a judge may adjust by ±0.5 |
| The zero | Only for a forgotten technique or a major mistake — and if the judges agree, the pair's total is halved, once only (not again for a further error of the same kind) |
| Mistake classes | Major (F) · big (B) · medium (M) · small (S) — from an omitted technique to an imperfection |
| Also scored | The opening and closing ceremonies; in Nage-no-kata, right and left are evaluated together (one mark); Katame-no-kata concludes at the kyoshi posture |
| The spirit | Behaviour contrary to the spirit of judo disqualifies |
Kata « match analysis » is deduction control: marks are lost quietly in the transitions, the ma-ai (distance) and the ceremony as much as in the techniques — that is where the repetition goes.
The France Judo programme by category (2025/2026)
| Category | Kata required | Minimum grade |
|---|---|---|
| Minimes | Nage-no-kata — 3 series | orange belt |
| Cadets | Nage-no-kata — 3 series | green belt |
| Juniors | Full Nage-no-kata + full Katame-no-kata + Ju-no-kata 1st & 2nd series | blue belt |
| Seniors | All five kata, complete | black belt (≥ 18) |
Judged by three judges minimum in FIJ notation, on 8×8 m. This programme is also the backbone of the dan examination's kata requirements — see The belt-by-belt programme.
How to train a kata
| Mechanism | What it is |
|---|---|
| Segmentation | One technique or one series at a time — form is repaired at the segment, not the whole |
| Role work | Uke and tori are two jobs: uke's committed attack is what makes tori's technique judgeable — a soft uke empties the kata |
| Criteria-focused repetition | Repeating against the published points: correct kuzushi-tsukuri-kake, correct ma-ai, correct reishiki, efficiency, realism, fluidity |
Never route a kata through the shiai tracker: kata is judged on criteria and deductions, not counted in ippon — two registers, two models.
FAQ
At what age to start kata?
Does uke's role count in the mark?
Do two omissions halve the total twice?
Sources
IJF Kata Commission — Kata Competition, Criteria for the evaluation, January 2025 edition (the five-judge panel, the 1–10 scale, the zero-and-halving rule, mistake classes, wooden weapons) and « How to Judge Kata » (ijf.org); France Judo — Textes Officiels 2025/2026 (the kata programme by category, minimum grades, the 8×8 m surface, three judges minimum). Paak judo corpus, files 01 §6 (kata), 03 (pedagogy) and 04 (deduction control) — verified September 2026.