If you want help with learning a kata you could have a look on the unnoffical gkr site https://www.gkrkarate.org I believe and they have footwork charts taking you through each step of the kata there is also information on things like tournaments and useful tips and hints. hope this helps
also a great one is throwing a football in the air and do a jump turn hell kick!! (can't remember what the kick is called) but I tried it once not expecting to hit the ball but i did!! it went well far but hit someones window!! luckily it didn't break:)
I will only be asked to do Taikyoko shodan, Taikyoko nidan and saifa which is the same as what I had to do for my last grading but last time I only had to know the pattern of saifa this time it has to be to a good standard,
shoes!! I'd either take them off for him to smell....big distraction or use them to put on my hands for a chance of blocking, and hope it doesn't rain or i'll have wet feet!!
Just go through all the basics and advanced techniques then kata then lastly spar against a few senseis one after the other, I'm looking forward to it:)
When I spar I'm always moving around, changing my legs round and guard sometimes in some sort of forward cat stance so its easy to whip out a front kick with speed towards an incoming attack. just how I fight not saying its right or anything:)
Also what may make a difference to ability carrying on from the last post, If someone has done a previous style before for a few years. just thought I'd throw in extra