purpose 5. Kata also serves to heighten mental control.Through the thorough study and practice of formal techniques, oriented so as to be of practical use, the judoist is able to gain confidence in meeting a wide variety of imposed situations; confidence will generate self-control. Too often kata is thought to be nothing more than a stiff exercise in etiquette, a formality with little evidence of individual imagination or original thought. Yet even the most anti-kata judoists will not deny that there is a beauty of movement displayed by the control of power in the effortless style of the kata expert, which belies the fact that kata is a mental and physical performance much harder to learn than the less precise and harsher movements of randori. It is difficult to present a physical explanation of kata and to point out its practical applications. But it is even more difficult to explain kata in terms of its spirit and mental processes involved; such discussions border on the realms of psychology and philosophy. However, a brief introduction to such aspects is important for a better understanding of kata.