Randori

Training method

Randori can be understood literally as “taking or engaging in disorder.” In Japanese martial arts, the term generally refers to practice in which the actions and responses of the participants are less predetermined than they are in kata.

Rather than rehearsing a fixed sequence, practitioners must respond to changing movement, timing, resistance, positioning, and opportunity. The degree of freedom can vary considerably depending on the martial tradition and the purpose of the exercise.

Randori is especially associated with Kodokan Judo, where Jigoro Kano developed it alongside kata as a fundamental method of training. Within defined rules, practitioners can attempt techniques against partners who are actively moving, resisting, attacking, and pursuing their own objectives.

The term is not limited to Judo, however, and its meaning should not automatically be assumed to describe modern competitive sparring. Different Japanese martial traditions may use randori—or related forms of freer practice—with different restrictions, objectives, levels of resistance, and tactical assumptions.

Randori is therefore best understood not as the opposite of kata, but as a complementary method of training. Kata provides a structured framework for transmitting particular techniques and principles; randori creates opportunities to recognize and apply those principles when the situation is less predictable.