Problems with basics :(

[sensei8]

You're human, and in that, the MA is hard, no matter whom we are!! No matter the time spent on the floor, there will be times when you're all thumbs and three left feet. EVERYONE, at one time or another, have felt exactly what you're feeling right now!! I've not meet a MAist that hasn't felt what you're feeling right now, and if there's a MAist that hasn't, well, I've not meet him/her yet.

I've been doing this for 50 years this October, and I still have moments/feelings just like you're feeling right now, and I'm a Kudan. I feel this way even more so since our Dai-Soke passed away in 2010.

I believe that what you're feeling is normal. Why? We can be our worse critic and we don't forgive ourselves that easily, as others do, including ones instructor.

Work through what you're feeling, and in time you'll be right as rain. If not, take a break away from the floor as long as you need so that you can have Mizu No Kokoro and Tsuki No Kokoro, and these maxims are critical to MAists, no matter the situation and no matter the rank.

You'll be fine, but only when you are ready!!

For the items you've listed below, one of the crucial things is TIME! Time on the floor!! Let me address them separately...

1- loose or non-solid/firm stances.

 

2- when doing rotation/turning in kata it ends with my 2 feet on the same line instead of being spaced with nearly shoulder distance.

 

3- fine adjustments needed for the basic blocks (I feel like BB guys in my class are doing it in different ways and each one wants me to do it his way)

1- loose or non-solid/firm stances.

KATA! Work your kata's! Concentrate on your stances. Making sure that your stances aren't too narrow or too wide or too short or too long. Have someone while you're in said stance, try to knock you over in any direction. Do walking drills where you go from one side of the room to the other in one particular stance, and then do same thing while switching from one stance to another, going forward and backward. Swimming pool drills in the shallow end up to your waist, and go from one side to the other is said stance. Have someone tie your belt around your waist, stand behind you while holding either end of your belt, and while you're advancing forward, have that person resist you, but not so much as you can't move forward at all, as you try to walk forward from in one particular stance. This is for a start.

2- when doing rotation/turning in kata it ends with my 2 feet on the same line instead of being spaced with nearly shoulder distance.

You're ending the turn to soon. Each turn, 90, 180, and 270, take more time to complete, and in that, if you're sitting your leading foot down too soon, then you're ending both feet on the same embusen line.

So, for example, from a right forward-leg stance, put your hands on your hips. This gets the hands out of the equation. You already know where your leading/turning/landing foot is suppose to be at the conclusion of said turn, so, don't put that foot down until it's there. Back to your hands on your hips, lift your turning foot as you've been taught, just enough to turn, let the momentum of your turn carry you to that final point. Then do it again until you've done a complete circle. Then switch your lead foot! Do it again! Eventually, it will become automatic in TIME!! Don't rush the turn!! Don't hesitate the turn. Turning is like learning how to crawl, then to walk when you were a baby. In time, you mastered both! Same thing here, in TIME, you'll master all your turns! Give them time!!

3- fine adjustments needed for the basic blocks (I feel like BB guys in my class are doing it in different ways and each one wants me to do it his way)

You're feeling it just right; the BB's ARE doing the blocks differently than you because they've been on the floor much longer than you have. In time, you're blocks will change for the good. Make the blocks/deflections YOURS, even though you're taught one way, you must make every technique YOURS while keeping the core of said block/deflection pure!!

Listen to your CI!! Respect the other BB's, but the CI is the one and only one you should be listening to on the floor. The BB's wanting you to do it THIER way is meaning well, but it's in conflict with your CI and with your MA betterment. Fine line? NO!! Listen to your CI!! Listen to not how they block/deflect, but listen to the intrinsic elements of said block/deflection to the effectiveness at its core!!

I hope this helps. I'm just a question away to help you.

Good luck, hang in there, and train hard!!

[Nidan Melbourne]

Practice! at work for a break practice at school during a break (recess or lunch).

It sounds like you were having a bad night of training, which is normal.

Practice at work is effective for you especially if you are having a long shift. So it gets you more focused on your work and on your karate

[Safroot]

When you move from front stance to front stance does your foot move in a kind of "in-out" pattern? That's how we're taught to do it, and it helps a lot with getting the front stance wide enough. Does it make sense when I say that? Like, you start in a front stance, your back foot has to move in (as well as forward) to get to the other foot, so then it goes out (as well as forward) to get to the next front stance, so that foot makes a sort of arc. Then as soon as the foot is down you anchor the back leg making it nice and straight. We do a lot of front stance practice with our hands behind our back and backs straight, just going from front stance to front stance. Then you can do it backwards too. Does that help at all?

I'm curious, did they actually tell you your standards were too low to pass, or did you just surmise that from all the corrections you got?

I know it can be disheartening, but I can tell from all your posts that you are really passionate and care a lot about karate. In other words, you have the 'heart', and that will get you to your goal. The learning curve might be a bit slower than you would like right now, but I am confident you will get there!!!

Thank you so much for your nice words and advice

No they didn't tell me that but I felt it

Anyway I will keep trying and hopefully don not lose motivation

[Safroot]

Thank you all guys ... you really put me back on track ... will keep trying

[Canadian77]

When you move from front stance to front stance does your foot move in a kind of "in-out" pattern? That's how we're taught to do it, and it helps a lot with getting the front stance wide enough. Does it make sense when I say that? Like, you start in a front stance, your back foot has to move in (as well as forward) to get to the other foot, so then it goes out (as well as forward) to get to the next front stance, so that foot makes a sort of arc. Then as soon as the foot is down you anchor the back leg making it nice and straight. We do a lot of front stance practice with our hands behind our back and backs straight, just going from front stance to front stance. Then you can do it backwards too. Does that help at all?

I'm curious, did they actually tell you your standards were too low to pass, or did you just surmise that from all the corrections you got?

I know it can be disheartening, but I can tell from all your posts that you are really passionate and care a lot about karate. In other words, you have the 'heart', and that will get you to your goal. The learning curve might be a bit slower than you would like right now, but I am confident you will get there!!!

Thank you so much for your nice words and advice

No they didn't tell me that but I felt it

Anyway I will keep trying and hopefully don not lose motivation

Ok, well then from the sounds of it I bet you feel frustrated more because you see how far you still have to go - - but you should have far to go! You are still beginning this journey! I am new to this as well, but I do have experience teaching another precise physical art, and I can tell you that more corrections is often a good sign, not a bad one. It usually means the teacher sees potential in you, and feels you can handle it. If your sensei is giving you many corrections then he feels you have the ability to make these many improvements. He has faith in you that you are up to the challenge! It can feel counter-intuitive, but really it's an encouraging sign! Try to look at it from that perspective. And I also suggest keeping track of this thread. Look at it a year from now, and you will be amazed at how far you have come!

[Safroot]

You're human, and in that, the MA is hard, no matter whom we are!! No matter the time spent on the floor, there will be times when you're all thumbs and three left feet. EVERYONE, at one time or another, have felt exactly what you're feeling right now!! I've not meet a MAist that hasn't felt what you're feeling right now, and if there's a MAist that hasn't, well, I've not meet him/her yet.

I've been doing this for 50 years this October, and I still have moments/feelings just like you're feeling right now, and I'm a Kudan. I feel this way even more so since our Dai-Soke passed away in 2010.

I believe that what you're feeling is normal. Why? We can be our worse critic and we don't forgive ourselves that easily, as others do, including ones instructor.

Work through what you're feeling, and in time you'll be right as rain. If not, take a break away from the floor as long as you need so that you can have Mizu No Kokoro and Tsuki No Kokoro, and these maxims are critical to MAists, no matter the situation and no matter the rank.

You'll be fine, but only when you are ready!!

For the items you've listed below, one of the crucial things is TIME! Time on the floor!! Let me address them separately...

1- loose or non-solid/firm stances.

 

2- when doing rotation/turning in kata it ends with my 2 feet on the same line instead of being spaced with nearly shoulder distance.

 

3- fine adjustments needed for the basic blocks (I feel like BB guys in my class are doing it in different ways and each one wants me to do it his way)

1- loose or non-solid/firm stances.

KATA! Work your kata's! Concentrate on your stances. Making sure that your stances aren't too narrow or too wide or too short or too long. Have someone while you're in said stance, try to knock you over in any direction. Do walking drills where you go from one side of the room to the other in one particular stance, and then do same thing while switching from one stance to another, going forward and backward. Swimming pool drills in the shallow end up to your waist, and go from one side to the other is said stance. Have someone tie your belt around your waist, stand behind you while holding either end of your belt, and while you're advancing forward, have that person resist you, but not so much as you can't move forward at all, as you try to walk forward from in one particular stance. This is for a start.

2- when doing rotation/turning in kata it ends with my 2 feet on the same line instead of being spaced with nearly shoulder distance.

You're ending the turn to soon. Each turn, 90, 180, and 270, take more time to complete, and in that, if you're sitting your leading foot down too soon, then you're ending both feet on the same embusen line.

So, for example, from a right forward-leg stance, put your hands on your hips. This gets the hands out of the equation. You already know where your leading/turning/landing foot is suppose to be at the conclusion of said turn, so, don't put that foot down until it's there. Back to your hands on your hips, lift your turning foot as you've been taught, just enough to turn, let the momentum of your turn carry you to that final point. Then do it again until you've done a complete circle. Then switch your lead foot! Do it again! Eventually, it will become automatic in TIME!! Don't rush the turn!! Don't hesitate the turn. Turning is like learning how to crawl, then to walk when you were a baby. In time, you mastered both! Same thing here, in TIME, you'll master all your turns! Give them time!!

3- fine adjustments needed for the basic blocks (I feel like BB guys in my class are doing it in different ways and each one wants me to do it his way)

You're feeling it just right; the BB's ARE doing the blocks differently than you because they've been on the floor much longer than you have. In time, you're blocks will change for the good. Make the blocks/deflections YOURS, even though you're taught one way, you must make every technique YOURS while keeping the core of said block/deflection pure!!

Listen to your CI!! Respect the other BB's, but the CI is the one and only one you should be listening to on the floor. The BB's wanting you to do it THIER way is meaning well, but it's in conflict with your CI and with your MA betterment. Fine line? NO!! Listen to your CI!! Listen to not how they block/deflect, but listen to the intrinsic elements of said block/deflection to the effectiveness at its core!!

I hope this helps. I'm just a question away to help you.

Good luck, hang in there, and train hard!!

Solid post as usual , thanks sensei8 to take time writing this encouraging post

[Safroot]

When you move from front stance to front stance does your foot move in a kind of "in-out" pattern? That's how we're taught to do it, and it helps a lot with getting the front stance wide enough. Does it make sense when I say that? Like, you start in a front stance, your back foot has to move in (as well as forward) to get to the other foot, so then it goes out (as well as forward) to get to the next front stance, so that foot makes a sort of arc. Then as soon as the foot is down you anchor the back leg making it nice and straight. We do a lot of front stance practice with our hands behind our back and backs straight, just going from front stance to front stance. Then you can do it backwards too. Does that help at all?

I'm curious, did they actually tell you your standards were too low to pass, or did you just surmise that from all the corrections you got?

I know it can be disheartening, but I can tell from all your posts that you are really passionate and care a lot about karate. In other words, you have the 'heart', and that will get you to your goal. The learning curve might be a bit slower than you would like right now, but I am confident you will get there!!!

Thank you so much for your nice words and advice

No they didn't tell me that but I felt it

Anyway I will keep trying and hopefully don not lose motivation

Ok, well then from the sounds of it I bet you feel frustrated more because you see how far you still have to go - - but you should have far to go! You are still beginning this journey! I am new to this as well, but I do have experience teaching another precise physical art, and I can tell you that more corrections is often a good sign, not a bad one. It usually means the teacher sees potential in you, and feels you can handle it. If your sensei is giving you many corrections then he feels you have the ability to make these many improvements. He has faith in you that you are up to the challenge! It can feel counter-intuitive, but really it's an encouraging sign! Try to look at it from that perspective. And I also suggest keeping track of this thread. Look at it a year from now, and you will be amazed at how far you have come!

Thank you so much for your very encouraging comment . I guess you are right, I have to look at it from this prespective & keep going on. The problem is getting instruction from a different person each time, sometime 3rd, 2nd or 1st Dan & each one has his /her point of view ?!! For this reason it's a bit frustrating

[Safroot]

Practice! at work for a break practice at school during a break (recess or lunch).

It sounds like you were having a bad night of training, which is normal.

Practice at work is effective for you especially if you are having a long shift. So it gets you more focused on your work and on your karate

Yes, i know that practice is important but unfortunately for me it's bit difficult at work (pharmacy) & due to work shifts, I have very limited time at home (leave home 8 am & back 8:30 pm) mostly spent with family . I will try to do my best to find time to practice

[jaypo]

Feet should move in a semicircular pattern. Bring your rear foot to the center in a semicircle and then to the front in a semicircle. That should solve the "tightrope" problem, as I like to call it. The other thing is to overexagerrate the step out- it may feel like you're stepping too far, but you'll probably end up in the right stance.

I have a cousin that's 50 yrs old and just started training. That's the advice I gave him, and even though it took him a while, it eventually started working for him!

[Safroot]

Feet should move in a semicircular pattern. Bring your rear foot to the center in a semicircle and then to the front in a semicircle. That should solve the "tightrope" problem, as I like to call it. The other thing is to overexagerrate the step out- it may feel like you're stepping too far, but you'll probably end up in the right stance.

I have a cousin that's 50 yrs old and just started training. That's the advice I gave him, and even though it took him a while, it eventually started working for him!

Thanks for your advice, sure i will try it