Tips for the skittish Karateka

[Hart]

Do any fellow karateka have tips for an individual who wants to desperately improve as a fighter and overall martial artist despite a jittery personality?

[Leopard claw]

Find a good dojo, sensei, style you like and train, train, train as offen as you can. And have fun too!

[lordtariel]

My advice, and this might seem a little strange, is to get hit. Once you get over the fear of being hit, it's a little easier to relax and go for it. This isn't to say you should be taking full force hits right off the bat, but medium contact isn't going to be too bad.

[ps1]

My advice, and this might seem a little strange, is to get hit. Once you get over the fear of being hit, it's a little easier to relax and go for it. This isn't to say you should be taking full force hits right off the bat, but medium contact isn't going to be too bad.

Good advice if your fear is of being hit. One good way of doing this is to find a confined area and wear boxing gloves (they have more padding). Just go at it. It's important to know that to "fight" and not expect to get hit is as absurd as thinking you can swim without getting wet. Make sure to start with someone who knows what they're doing. Ask your instructor to help you out until you get used to it.

[AikiGuy]

Yes, I agree. If you are worried about taking shots, you will get used to it after doing it a few times. (Please specify if this is not the part you are concerned about. I can't really tell by your post.) I would add that you should load up on protective gear too. It's amazing how much more relaxed I am if I have my full-head gear with cage as opposed to the standard top-of-the-head-and-ears helmet. I also wear shin, and knee pads when I go into contact sparring. None of these are required at my school but we get to choose our own gear. A few places suggest everyone having the same type of gear but hopefully yours lets you select your own. BTW, it is WELL worth it to get a helmet with full-face coverage, and possibly a cage or shield too even though it about doubles the cost of the headgear alone. I know a few people who broke their noses or lost teeth in sparring. I never did that but I did get a black eye once. A month later, I bought my new, improved gear (lol). Even the full-face models without a cage/shield are a whole lot better. Okay I'll stop now since I'm starting to sound like a sales person.

[bushido_man96]

My advice, and this might seem a little strange, is to get hit. Once you get over the fear of being hit, it's a little easier to relax and go for it. This isn't to say you should be taking full force hits right off the bat, but medium contact isn't going to be too bad.

This is a good point. One way to get into the groove of it is to have the person hold a kicking shield for other students to kick in class. Don't make them hold it the whole time, but let them rotate in and out. They won't be taking the kick directly, but they will be taking the impact, which will help them come to grips more with being struck. On the plus side, while holding the shield, they can't avoid the contact!

[bushido_man96]

My advice, and this might seem a little strange, is to get hit. Once you get over the fear of being hit, it's a little easier to relax and go for it. This isn't to say you should be taking full force hits right off the bat, but medium contact isn't going to be too bad.

Good advice if your fear is of being hit. One good way of doing this is to find a confined area and wear boxing gloves (they have more padding). Just go at it. It's important to know that to "fight" and not expect to get hit is as absurd as thinking you can swim without getting wet. Make sure to start with someone who knows what they're doing. Ask your instructor to help you out until you get used to it.

This is one of the many reasons that I wished I could have taken up boxing. It is a realization that you come to very quickly in this sport. I respect and admire boxers for their toughness.