karates usefulness for beginners

[aznkarateboi]

ok, im getting started and i checked out a few karate clubs. there are some questions that i would like answered

 

1. why would anyone use a stance in an actual fight?

 

2. why do people set that pulling arm forblocks, making them much slower?

 

3. why dont karate classesfocus more on teaching techniques that would be more useful on the street?

 

4. how do you escape from a headlock?

[BKJ1216]

Question 1:

 

They teach stances because that stance may be the root for a lot of techniques

 

Question 3:

 

Because it's karate. Your suppose to be learning the art of karate, if you want street effective moves take a self defense class.

[ramymensa]

1. why would anyone use a stance in an actual fight?

 

In an actual fight you'd use higher stances in order to move quickly. After some years of karate you'll be able to move fast even in low stances. Low stances are useful when someone attempts to sweep your foot, to build strenght in legs and to develop speed.

 

2. why do people set that pulling arm forblocks, making them much slower?

 

It's not used in real sparring, because the opponent would guess what follows. Still if you are real quick you can do it, cause it adds power. It's about a "couple of forces" it's called like this in my country. It's based on the movement of the hips and so on. Doing it OK offers you the opportunity of doing a good, devastating technique.

 

3. why dont karate classesfocus more on teaching techniques that would be more useful on the street?

 

Because it'sm about Karate not Self Defence classes. BUT in Karate clases you'll learn techniques and they are aplicable in the street. Of course it takes a long time to master them. Those who've done karate for years are really to be feared. They move like lightning, stike hard and really know their stuff. I don't know how it's in your place, but we here have got some really impresive martial artists.

 

4. how do you escape from a headlock? I'm not a native English speaker so I don't know what this reffers to

 

The main thing for you to remember is that Karate training is BORING, REPETITIVE, HARD, and so on. Once you've realised this you can start to take all you can from it. Spend months withoout doing anything but basic drills, conditioning and again repetitions, some katas, and again hundreds of repetition. Many quit, some stay and discover the good stuff. They sense the changes in them, become better, faster, powerful and so on. After many years they are true masters and can pass their knowledge to others and still learn something new. They are looked at with admiration and are really effective.

 

For quick results go elsewhere. For hard work and later results, stay in Karate. I for instance am not dissapointed at all. It's working great. You'll find many others who walked this way

[TJS]

If you want to learn realistic self defense/fighting there are better ways than taking karate.

 

Check out a Krav Maga school if there is one near you.

[omnifinite]

1. I think stances are more about footwork, teaching you how to move and transition rather than how to stand still. If an instructor tells you to fight while rigidly standing in stances find a new instructor .

 

2. I'm not really sure what you mean, but if you mean chambering that's to train you to use your entire body simultaneously, to remind you that what the hand that isn't punching is doing is often just as important as the hand that is, to train you to habitually grab and claw and twist and pull, and various other things. Plus a lot of instructors call things that aren't blocks blocks because they look like blocks and don't know better. Find a new instructor .

 

3. Find a new instructor .

 

4. Not sure how to give a suggestion without seeing it (and I don't know many headlock defenses yet if we're picturing the same lock).

[rb]

Question 1:

 

They teach stances because that stance may be the root for a lot of techniques

 

Question 3:

 

Because it's karate. Your suppose to be learning the art of karate, if you want street effective moves take a self defense class.

 

Last time i checked karate was a martial art. What is the point of learning it if you do not train to use it effectively?

[hobbitbob]

I would caution a beginner against using 'karate' per se in an emergency. It is designed to be learned slowly, so that by the time one developes effcient techniques one is less likely to be tempted to find situations to use them in. My advice for headlocks is avoid people who would put you in one.

[theswarm]

headlocks are easy to get out of

 

what you do is you swing your arm over their shoulder and meet your other hand from the other side grip both hands and roll your body weight towards the person doing the headlock (I'm not sure how much sense i've made this is more something i have to show how to do) you can bring the person to the ground. The alternate way is to bring your arm from behind their body to the front of their face and push their head back. But i prefer the first method.

 

Karate is really useful as a beginner art, i'm not necessarily talking 'self defence. I just think (much like any other art that you could be enthusiastic about - so i think the important thing is it's not necessarily karate...but an art that you can become spirited in) that what it has to offer for your body is great and mind is great.

 

For me I've gained so much flexibility, conditioned my body to be stronger, learned how to react to a count, to something my sensei said in an instant, learnt how to react to a strike or combination of strikes in an instant. Built my confidence etc. I think what I get from karate when I move on, or add on another art will help me alot.

[TJS]

The problem is 90% of people think they want to learn self defense so automaticly they think "karate" and schools sure dont tell them they are not learning effective self defense.

 

like i said There are better ways to learn effective self defense and fighting.

 

headlock-tuck you head in tword their body to avoid the choke and strikes..strike them in the groin eith you right hand and there is a techniqe to crank them back using their nose or hair/forehead etc...thats assuming its a side headlock...but thats just one way...there and billion of ways.

[theswarm]

if it's a nelson you have to back kick to the groin then elbow strike to the head followed by whatever you want i guess

 

although the best tricks with nelsons and bear hugs is don't get in them (drop if you feel them)