New to Karate

[P.A.L]

Britnoob

 

1-basics,bisics,basics

 

2-be careful about injuries specially in groin and inner thigh, pulling a muscle happens we over confident by stretching without a proper warm up, if you have any injury let the sensei know about it.

 

3-Stances and basic techniques are the most important.

 

I normally divide a kata to segments , I try to learn each part then I put them together.

 

Goju ryu is a excellent style, although I practice shuri-te but I love it a lot.

[aefibird]

Keep working on your basics, as they're are essential for both kata and kumite (sparring).

 

Keep on going with the stretches and light excercises at home too, as they will help you too.

 

As for what to eat, as long as you eat sensibly then you'll be alright. Get a good balance between protien & carbs along with plenty of fruit and veg. Oh and drink plenty of water too!

[Xerxes]

There are times when you will feel useless, but believe me you have a LONG way to go before you really understand anything.

[Dijita]

Welcome to the forums! You should like it here, almost everyone here is willing to help in some way or another.

 

Ah yes the akwardness... the feeling that you look like a fool that doesn't know anything. I guarantee it will pass, and I guarantee everyone has felt it, so all those higher level belts know exactly how you feel. It will pass, and you will slowly start learning the movements... then you will probably feel the akwardness time and time again as you start to learn completely new things. It's a great feeling when you realize that you are getting better and better.

 

Remember though, that this is the beginning of a very looong journey if you intend to stick with it. I'm a strong believer that it is a life commitment. Even when you someday become a black belt it is again another beginning and there are still countless years ahead of you. So take it one stride at a time and enjoy it.

[Beka]

practice at home!!! always!!! do push ups in the morning! Even just doing 20 when you wake up will help.

 

As for eating, I'm not a nutritionist. I don't advocate low-carb diets (they are bad ideas if you ask me), but when I first started, all I wanted to eat was protein. I couldn't stop thinking about milk and beans and tofu and nuts all day (I'm a vegetarian, so no meat of course), as I was building muscle and my body was telling me to act accordingly. You may or may not notice the same thing. But if you're skinny and unfit, and as you continue to develop, you'll notice you're growing muscle mass. So be sure right now to eat enough protein.

[aefibird]

but when I first started, all I wanted to eat was protein. I couldn't stop thinking about milk and beans and tofu and nuts all day

 

lol, obviously my karate training requires me to have chocolate 'cos I can't stop thinking about white choc and milk choc and mint flavour and orange flavour and, and, and....

Edited June 11, 2004 by aefibird

[Fish]

High Britnoob. I was a total beginner myself 6 months ago. I felt completely useless at first! But I decided to try and do at least some practice every day, if only for a few minutes. If you do that you'll very quickly improve. Try and learn at least one new thing every time you train. I also found a good book on Amazon, called Dynamic Strength by Harry Wong. It has lots of calisthenics. The first section contains a good stretching, warm up routine which I try to do daily on getting up. I've noticed the difference in my condition very quickly. Anyway, persevere, I hope you end up enjoying it as much as I do!

[KTJWmark]

Lots of advice, and most of it based on good stuff about focussing on basics. Truer words are seldom spoken.

 

But one thing to keep in mind as well is to maintain a healthy dose of skepticism as you go along. The martial arts are fraught with guys spouting off on topics they have little experience or education. Be wary of zen-a-holics, people in love with Japan yet who have never lived there, or with unfair club practices (hidden fees, pressure to participate in functions you have neither the time or interest for etc.).

 

Ask yourself a few questions about the instructors as well. Are they "normal"? Can you talk to them like a normal person? Are they truly teaching you a subject in the way a music teacher or sports coach may instruct you? Is your class safe? Are you already sparring? Is it reckless? How do students deal with injuries? Is is "Ok" by your teacher's standards to be injured and not train?

 

Common sense ought to prevail. But sometimes, because the environment is so different to other areas of life in which we have greater commonality, there is room for wrong information, abuse, and at worst, exploitation.

 

Of course you should enjoy your new sport/hobby. And of course it is good to throw yourself into it with great abandon. Just don't abandon your natural good sense of what is right and wrong along the way.

 

Good luck!

 

Mark G

[BritNoob]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I've been away all week so i've only just caught up with them all.

 

Lots of good advice, thank you very much

[BritNoob]

I thought i'd post this here rather than open a new thread.

 

I've always had knees that click nearly every time i bend them but they've never given me too much trouble. However, occasionally the left one is painful if I bend it and put my weight on it and it kind of 'pops' (not painful as such, just irritating)when i straighten the leg, rather than when i bend it which is when they usually click.

 

I was wondering whether anyone else suffers from anything similar and whether it will seriously hinder my training. i don't know if it's due to not being warmed up or a lack of exercise or something like that, as i've been to 4 sessions now and it's never happened when i'm training so maybe the warm up gets rid of it. It never stays for more than a couple days.

 

I know it's said that you should consult your doctor before starting anything like Karate but is that really nessecary(sp?) for someone of my age? I always thought it was kind of a disclaimer just so they couldn't be blamed if you injured yourself because of health problems.