Dianna

I have been knocked down by the flu since Thursday night and so there has been no practice and it is killing me. I have to make it to class tomorrow so hopefully since my kids are at school I can rest enough today to have my body heal more. Better but my body can't handle anything right now. Going to be missing weapons tonight.

I do need the mental strength for sure. My mind likes to take over what my body knows and aren't staying in sync.

Doesn't sound mad at all. Thanks for the tip. Gotta try and see if I fall over with my eyes closed lol

Nope, no giving up allowed Can't stop trying.

[quote name="Hawkmoon" almost! Mai Keage - is a stiff leg kick using the whole leg as if one solid piece. The knee does not bend. Take a long stance (formal stance) In my ryu of Karate' date=' Kyokushinkai this stance is called Zen Kutsu Dachi, (other systems may have a different name.) It looks like this: http://www.karatetest.com/kyokushinkai/10thkyu/zen-kutsu-dachi-25.htm The kick, well this is a Yoko Keage: (easier to see the 'stiff leg movement') http://www.karatetest.com/kyokushinkai/7thkyu/sokuto-yoko-keage-72.htm The host site is: https://www.karatetest.com Its a good site as it covers Kyokushin karate the art I study, I use it as a reminder of what this or that is. The important point is the movement from the full formal stance to the high kick, so you were close but its the whole movement rather then to just kick that is important here. [/quote] Thanks for the links. Awesome site!

I do a lot of kicks. Every day through out the day, or I will never get them right. When I do them, for every 10 I do with my right leg, I do(or try to get to 20 with my left since it is not my dominate leg) When you say "still kick/kearge" I am guessing(and totally could be wrong), meaning, just standing and kicking? If so I do that a lot to work on form. If I am not getting in the right number of chambers and feet where they should be doing them them fast, and mix with other movements won't do me any good. Find it harder to do them just standing and slow, I can sure feel it when it is done.

Planks I am doing, but not reserve so will do that. Will have to look up kettlebell swings and burpees. Good to know I am doing them too much. Was what my husband suggested, now I get to tell him he was wrong LOL Thanks for the links, will check them out.

Ok, I have no strength in my abs. We do sit ups where you are flat on the floor and you sit up without bending knees or using arms, I can't even do one. I know come Dec when I belt test those are done, with other exercises that Sensei has everyone do at the start. I have been doing crunches and regular sit ups(only can do with feet under the sofa). What do I need to to do to strengthen my abs? I try to make sure I do this twice a day, some days I only get in once. I do sets of 30 about 3 times. Any advice would be great. I hate being in class when we are warming up and not being able to do the situps. Drives me insane.

Working a lot on flexibility and strengthening my core and then of course balance. I am the type of person who can fall over standing still lol

Just can't come too fast. I have my own goals of where I need to be by then above what I have to do to test.

If it was up to me I would be there with no doubt, but my husband says we can't swing it. Kills me we are having camp at our dojo too and I can't do it. Not much money but no one to watch my kids. I know I could get so much from both.

They had their test, did awesome. I don't test till Dec. Seems so far away but that is fine because I want to do my best, if I don't do my best no reason to do it.

Yeah learned my mistake with that one for sure. They did great. Now to start working toward next test. My husband's usually does pics and vids but his phone died.

Will be interesting to see what happens

My 5 year old twins tested for the first time yesterday. So they now have the Little Dragons white belt that has the purple stripe through it. So proud of them. So mad at myself. Took tons of videos and my finger was over the microphone the whole time LOL

I think we are all hard on ourselves, even when we don't want to be. I know when I got home yesterday morning I was very frustrated with myself. Just stupid stance giving me a hard time. Doesn't help one of my knees is all messed up from a fall the other week. I am 39 and can't believe I am doing this at this age. Figured I would be the oldest one starting, but found that not to be true at all. A lot of white and purple belts my age and older. It's the mileage...lol...that was just said in class yesterday.

You will do it all wrong...and that is perfect. The goal of home training is not to only do it if you can do it perfectly, it is to simply polish your rough movements and build the synaptic responses so that, over time, your slow, rough, choppy, uncoordinated moves will become smooth, fluid, and quick. As for spending a lot of money, you can buy a very decent punching bag from ebay or craigslist for under $100 - he shouldn't raise a fuss about something cheap like that. Bottom line: don't worry about "perfect" (it won't be). Don't worry about getting it wrong (it will be). Just worry about putting your heart into each movement and you will do fine. Sensei said at home we are perfect, then he makes the adjustments he needs to when we are in class. Hubby is good at trading on Craigslist, so I actually just sent him pictures of the bag I want to see what he can trade for.

I walk around the house c-stepping because for some reason my feet don't want to work the right way and me trying to move without making noise, not easy, I can't sneak up on anyone...no ninja here LOL Lol... Yeah, as you get more into your MA journey, you'll find yourself breaking out in sporadic block, check, strike, etc combos going around the house doing your normal day routine. What's even funnier, IMHO, is when you will be at the supermarket or the like, you'll be looking at items or whatever, and, all of a sudden, your arms break out into block, check, strike combos seemingly of their own mind...lol... and, then, people around you look at you like you're hallucinating or something...lol... It's happened to me too many times...lol... Belt testing is today(not for me, not enough classes and not ready, so have to to wait till Dec). I was happy with myself when they had the white belts aside to go over what they needed for testing today and I knew it all and that made me realize I am actually learning something and the practicing is paying off. I was walking around last night doing cat stance. LOL My balance is horrible but working on it. My boys ask why I am always doing blocks around the house. Shoot, not like I can get them to stop(they belt test today!!), we have to keep them from doing blocks and kicks in stores and everywhere else. Cracks me up.

Yeah I have it just once a week. Missed this week because of stuff with the kids at school. Can't wait till next Monday. I hope I pick it up quickly. Trying not to be too hard on myself with any of it be it weapons or karate. Just a baby when it comes to this.

I walk around the house c-stepping because for some reason my feet don't want to work the right way and me trying to move without making noise, not easy, I can't sneak up on anyone...no ninja here LOL

Considered separate in our school too. The beginners class just started again because it was taken off the schedule because of lost interests, so giving it ago again. Advanced, not sure what belt you have to be, is a pretty decent size class.

Totally addicted and I just started. My husband will point out if I mention anything regarding karate that I am addicted. He doesn't get it. With each class, with each new technique learned, you want more. I have karate 3 days a week and weapons once a week. Part of my addiction comes from the fact that I walk out of there each time feeling like I have learned something new, have improved on at least one thing, have more self-confidence(and typically I have zero). It has does wonders for the way I see myself. I use to to think I couldn't do much of anything, and you quickly learn you can do a lot more than your mind or body ever thought. I train at East Coast Karate in Rhode Island with Sensei David Ahrens http://www.eastcoastkarate.net/about-us/kyoshi-david-ahrens/ I train at home daily. Some days I can get about two hours in which would be warm up, stretching, blocking, punching, kicking, working on kata and practicing bo. Waiting for my husband to hang my punching bag so I can use that when at home.

Totally addicted and I just started. My husband will point out if I mention anything regarding karate that I am addicted. He doesn't get it. With each class, with each new technique learned, you want more. I have karate 3 days a week and weapons once a week. Part of my addiction comes from the fact that I walk out of there each time feeling like I have learned something new, have improved on at least one thing, have more self-confidence(and typically I have zero). It has does wonders for the way I see myself. I use to to think I couldn't do much of anything, and you quickly learn you can do a lot more than your mind or body ever thought. I train at East Coast Karate in Rhode Island with Sensei David Ahrens http://www.eastcoastkarate.net/about-us/kyoshi-david-ahrens/ I train at home daily. Some days I can get about two hours in which would be warm up, stretching, blocking, punching, kicking, working on kata and practicing bo. Waiting for my husband to hang my punching bag so I can use that when at home.

Great ideas everyone. Thank you. I will have to start trying some of these ideas today.

Thanks for the link. Looks like some great videos. Yeah I want my kicks better, higher. I have been reading up what I can, I don't want to hurt myself. Right now things are slowed down a bit because I fell down the stairs and jacked up my left knee so my left leg with everything is a bit slowed down right now. .