New to Karate

[BritNoob]

Hi all, this is my first post here

 

I started learning Goju-ryu and Uechi-ryu Karate 2 weeks ago so I'm a complete beginner. I've looked around the interenet for some good forums and this one seems to be busier and more helpful than most i came across. I'd love to find some more experienced martial artists I could share my thoughts with and ask for advice.

 

I'm over-whelmed by how much there is to take in begin with, is it normal to feel so useless at first? I'm 25 and not in the best of shape (I'm not overweight, in fact I'm very skinny but generally unfit) and i only have one 1-hour beginner lesson every week but as I improve I plan on attending the mixed ability classes as well as I already feel i want to train several times a week, once just isn't enough.

 

The beginner class I attend has a mix of yellow, orange and green belts so there is still a big jump in ability. Some of the other students have been going several years. Obviously as I'm so new I haven't learnt much at all in the way of karate, we do a lot of kata's toward the end of the lesson and I just try to pick it up as we go along, but by the end i've forgotten it almost entirely.

 

So really I just wanted to introduce myself, but I'd love to hear all your thoughts on wether it's normal to feel so awkward and useless when you first start.

 

Thanks all

[aes]

In our dojo the things they first teach you seem useless but are key to understanding for later Katas and partially apply to sparring.

 

If you dojo is anything like ours after a short while you should be getting into much better shape as well. In fact that is one of the main reasons I got into Karate.

 

Welcome to the forums, BritNoob

[Killer Miller]

Welcome BritNoob,

 

It's totally normal to feel awkward at first. It will take quite a few months just for muscle memory to kick in to where it will feel routine.

 

Hang in there, you have a LONG way to go...

 

- Killer Miller -

[BritNoob]

Thanks, guys.

 

I am already noticing the benefits of the class in terms of my general fitness. I love the way I feel after class and I've learnt loads of warm up exercises and stretches that I can do during the week to get me in better shape for the next lesson.

[Red J]

Welcome. Practice at home as much as you can. The streching and conditioning will pay off as you will seem to be "passing" some of your counterparts that do not practice. Keep us posted and good luck.

[aefibird]

Hi BritNoob, welcome to KarateForums!

 

Yes, it is normal to feel completely overwhelmed by karate at first. lol, I'm a first dan blackbelt and I still get that feeling!

 

Even if you only remember one thing that your instructor says per lesson, then that's one thing that you didn't know before. Don't worry, you will get the hang of it soon.

 

Keep going with the practice at home too - that will help you to progress faster in your dojo training.

[BritNoob]

Do you have any advice that is useful when starting out?

 

Like what are good things to eat during the week and foods I should avoid?

 

What exercises are good to do at home and how often should i do them? I don't want to pull any muscles or over-do it. I'm pretty sure that during my first lesson i must have pulled a stomach muscle because my stomach was painful and very tight for 2 weeks. I think I must have over done it during an exercise where you grip your partners ankles and then lift your feet up to his head......know the one I mean?

[Ripper]

Do you have any advice that is useful when starting out?

 

Just try to get the basics first and don't try to learn everything too fast (for example all katas in one month). The basics are the foundation that will last the rest of your 'karate-life'.

 

Asking what food to eat sounds a bit too much to me. You are not training for the Olympics or a World Championship.

 

A good exercise at home for a beginner would be to study your first kata piece by piece.

[ESA-Shotokan]

Talking about feeling awkward. I started in karate in 1980 and yet when I joined the ESA this year, I have felt awkward since.

 

That is not a bad thing, just me learning how to do things correctly

[kotegashiNeo]

My advice is to breath britnoob watch closely and breath