Mid 30's Karate Newbie

[Nidan Melbourne]

yes it is totally normal to feel uncoordinated when you first start off.

you just need to practice! the more you practice the better you're going to be

[CredoTe]

First off, welcome to KF! Glad you're making us part of your journey.

As everyone mentioned, yes, it is normal to feel "like an Octopus trying to dance at a disco" (great analogy, BTW ) or like a fish trying to walk the beach.

Practice your moves slowly, at first, to gain coordination, control, technique, targeting, etc. Speed and power will come in good time.

[mal103]

Train!

Train slow, train fast, train hard... enjoy!

A good instructor won't worry about it, maybe even try to improve on their teaching help out.

[cheesefrysamurai]

Welcome!

They said it all.

When i first started i was the same way. I didn't understand how it would ever come together. It didn't seem to make sense. After a lot of practice, things seems to start to come together. The progress in karate, whether kihon, or kata comes from repetition and internalizing, not only the movement, but the rhythm and power of the movements. A type of focus develops which i couldnt have understood before

good luck