Hey guys...is it completely normal to have soreness without stretching?

I was showing a family member some techniques this week like kicks, punches, stances, etc. I was learning. I noticed after I performed the technique I felt slight soreness in my joints...like my knees, shoulders, and elbows.

Is this my body adjusting?

It's true also that soreness follows class or practice time?

Thanks.

Sounds pretty normal to me. And yes, soreness post activity is pretty normal as well. I wouldn't worry about it unless it drags on fro signifigant time and causes pain instead of mere soreness.

Welcome to physical activity! Any martial arts has plenty of activity, this is for certain! Tallgeese has, as always, hits it right on the head!

Yes, soreness without stretching is normal. Soreness after training is reasonably normal. However, I also wanted mentioned that improper breathing also causes soreness due to the lack of oxygen to the muscles causing the formation of lactic acid. Proper breathing and breathing timing will greatly minimize sore muscles - but it's also something you will learn in time. So considering that fact, it's pretty much just normal in early stages of learning karate. It shouldn't be hapening much in advanced verterans of karate/MA.

- Killer -

Proper breathing and breathing timing will greatly minimize sore muscles - but it's also something you will learn in time.

A question about breathing (since I don't want to start a new thread):

Is kiai just a shout combined with breathing from the abdominal muscles?

My sensei corrected me tonight when I was practicing techniques. He said I was using the kiai simultaneously when I threw a punch, kick or technique and that will cause the wind to get knocked out of me if I don't use it correctly.

Is this correct or should I just breathe through my nose and mouth and just use the kiai at the right time?

I always kihap upon the performance of the specified technique. Its important to bring it from the gut, and not to yell from your throat.

The title of the post attracted me for some reason, might I suggest that you might be doing it wrong.

Soreness in the joints sounds like you maybe over extending to me but it could also be you body adjusting.

Kiai is a by-product of an action, not the actual action. Anotherwise, when you exhale to contract your muscles rapidly, there is no noise of Kiai. However, with the rapid exhalation, and when stopping that exhaling action at your focal (or ending) point, the physical action of stopping or closing the air way of air exhaling actually naturally produces noise that is referred to as Kiai. The faster you exhale and stop, the louder and stronger the kiai noise, the slower, the softer the kiai noise.

- Killer -

Proper breathing and breathing timing will greatly minimize sore muscles - but it's also something you will learn in time.

A question about breathing (since I don't want to start a new thread):

Is kiai just a shout combined with breathing from the abdominal muscles?

My sensei corrected me tonight when I was practicing techniques. He said I was using the kiai simultaneously when I threw a punch, kick or technique and that will cause the wind to get knocked out of me if I don't use it correctly.

Is this correct or should I just breathe through my nose and mouth and just use the kiai at the right time?

I might point out a key difference in this post. There is a big difference between muscle soreness and joint soreness.

While muscle soreness is completely normal. You should NOT be having regular soreness of the joints. If you are, you may have a medical problem or you are doing something wrong.