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So you have decided to learn karate from home and thinking about how to go about it. Then you heard that learning this ancient art requires you to perform a set of pre-scripted marital movements called katas. You may wonder hey why should i learn this stuff? It's just a bunch of movements that is choreographed right?
Well not exactly. You see, while the karate katas you need to practice may just seem like a bunch of stimulated punches, blocks and kicks, they in fact train your body in subtle ways you might not imagine. Over many repetitions, the kata movements become ingrained in your muscle memory. What this means is that now your body will react accordingly to an attack based on the katas you have 'downloaded'.
You will naturally perform the movements from the katas when attacked. Of course, it goes without saying that you want to learn effective martial movements which achieves the goal of protecting yourself. But for beginners who are interested in learning karate, memorizing and ingraining these katas into your body is a great way to get started. It will prepare you for more advanced training with qualified teachers who can show you the applications and more subtle adjustments involved.
So here's what you can do to get started: Buy yourself a book on karate. It should have clear illustrations on all the different katas to perform. Start with the basic movements and stances first. For a month practice nothing but that. This is important as it sets up your neurology for more advanced movements. Once you have the basic katas down and can perform them without thought, move on to another set of katas that are more advanced. Now the key here is gradual and incremental learning.
You should not overload your sense and learning capability. Rushing to learn all the katas before your body has absorbed them is a sure-fire way to get confused. And we all know the old adage How you train is how you react. Confusion is the last thing you want when you are attacked without warning on the streets.
Once you have reached a proficient level for your katas, you should then consider further training with a qualified karate instructor. He or she should preferably have some real-world experience in fighting and be able to impart more subtle applications of the various katas. Follow this formula and your ability to master karate will skyrocket.
Well not exactly. You see, while the karate katas you need to practice may just seem like a bunch of stimulated punches, blocks and kicks, they in fact train your body in subtle ways you might not imagine. Over many repetitions, the kata movements become ingrained in your muscle memory. What this means is that now your body will react accordingly to an attack based on the katas you have 'downloaded'.
You will naturally perform the movements from the katas when attacked. Of course, it goes without saying that you want to learn effective martial movements which achieves the goal of protecting yourself. But for beginners who are interested in learning karate, memorizing and ingraining these katas into your body is a great way to get started. It will prepare you for more advanced training with qualified teachers who can show you the applications and more subtle adjustments involved.
So here's what you can do to get started: Buy yourself a book on karate. It should have clear illustrations on all the different katas to perform. Start with the basic movements and stances first. For a month practice nothing but that. This is important as it sets up your neurology for more advanced movements. Once you have the basic katas down and can perform them without thought, move on to another set of katas that are more advanced. Now the key here is gradual and incremental learning.
You should not overload your sense and learning capability. Rushing to learn all the katas before your body has absorbed them is a sure-fire way to get confused. And we all know the old adage How you train is how you react. Confusion is the last thing you want when you are attacked without warning on the streets.
Once you have reached a proficient level for your katas, you should then consider further training with a qualified karate instructor. He or she should preferably have some real-world experience in fighting and be able to impart more subtle applications of the various katas. Follow this formula and your ability to master karate will skyrocket.
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