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Ok so what is karate? It is a Japanese marital art evolved from the islands of Okinawa. The story goes that this marital art was developed due to the necessity of the farmers living there to protect themselves from armed bandits wearing amour.
What this means is that karate was an art that was meant for killing and fighting. While today's karate has evolved to become more of a sport, this was where it's roots came from. Knowing that, it is imperative that you know the purpose you are learning karate for. Are you learning it just as a hobby and sport? If so then carry on with your kata movements and get good at tagging opponents in karate tournaments. If you are looking to learn it as a serious form of self-defense, then you must learn it as a marital art and not a sport.
Historically speaking, original early karate tournaments back in Japan were given points for hitting the kill-zones of the body. While it is common sense many karate practitioners gloss over this point and have the mistaken notion that being able to 'fight' well in tournaments equates to actual fighting skills. This is a misnomer and can get you killed.
So with that in mind, let's look at what you can do to get started if you are totally new to karate. One of the best and most cost effective way to learn karate is to buy a karate-book and start learning the katas. Wait a second; don't they say that you can't learn martial arts from a book? While that is partially true. If you are a total beginner, the main concern you should have is to ingrain the karate moves into your body. Concentrate only on getting the movements correctly. Developing the hitting power and timing comes later when you get good at the moves and you already are learning from a good karate school.
To summarize, it is perfectly fine for beginners to learn karate moves at home and familiarize yourself with it. You could even get good at it training karate at home. Eventually though, what you want to do is to transit from that to learning from a competent instructor.
They will be able to show you the finer points in Karate. Remember, regardless of which karate school you enroll in or book you purchase from, it pays to know what you are learning karate for. Having an end-goal in mind is important and can save a lot of wasted time and possible dangerous habits.
What this means is that karate was an art that was meant for killing and fighting. While today's karate has evolved to become more of a sport, this was where it's roots came from. Knowing that, it is imperative that you know the purpose you are learning karate for. Are you learning it just as a hobby and sport? If so then carry on with your kata movements and get good at tagging opponents in karate tournaments. If you are looking to learn it as a serious form of self-defense, then you must learn it as a marital art and not a sport.
Historically speaking, original early karate tournaments back in Japan were given points for hitting the kill-zones of the body. While it is common sense many karate practitioners gloss over this point and have the mistaken notion that being able to 'fight' well in tournaments equates to actual fighting skills. This is a misnomer and can get you killed.
So with that in mind, let's look at what you can do to get started if you are totally new to karate. One of the best and most cost effective way to learn karate is to buy a karate-book and start learning the katas. Wait a second; don't they say that you can't learn martial arts from a book? While that is partially true. If you are a total beginner, the main concern you should have is to ingrain the karate moves into your body. Concentrate only on getting the movements correctly. Developing the hitting power and timing comes later when you get good at the moves and you already are learning from a good karate school.
To summarize, it is perfectly fine for beginners to learn karate moves at home and familiarize yourself with it. You could even get good at it training karate at home. Eventually though, what you want to do is to transit from that to learning from a competent instructor.
They will be able to show you the finer points in Karate. Remember, regardless of which karate school you enroll in or book you purchase from, it pays to know what you are learning karate for. Having an end-goal in mind is important and can save a lot of wasted time and possible dangerous habits.
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