Karate has grown to be one of the most popular kinds of martial arts in the world. This is most likely because it features all the elements that you will want in a martial art. Karate will help you to be physically and mentally fit, it may be a competitive sport and it can offer skills for self defense. Karate which is Japanese for empty hand brings together kicks, punches and strikes in an all-round system that can be learned by men, women and children. As a matter of fact, you can actually get your whole family involved with Karate. If you are new to this and you are curious about what you might expect from a Karate class we’ll have a look at some of the basics in this article.
Possibly one of the most famous forms of martial arts all over the world is Karate. We could just hypothesize as to the reason but probably because it possesses all the elements of a great martial art. It’s great for your physical fitness, you have the opportunity to take part in competitions if you choose to and it provides you with self defense skills that may protect you and your family members. Karate means "empty hand" in Japanese and anybody from all age groups can master kicks, punches and strikes in this all round system. In fact it is a very good martial art for all the family to get involved with. This article will present a general introduction to what you can expect to find in a great Karate class.
There are many variations of Karate where some are concentrated on speed while others are centered on power. A starting point in many classes is warming up with stretches and exercises. Those warm ups help improve our flexibility so that we can execute our kicks and moves without harming ourselves. So, conditioning is important and certain exercises are designed to help you to do the techniques of Karate. You will find that after taking a few Karate class sessions, you will be feeling stronger and more focused than ever.
After getting warmed up, you will start to do several of the specific moves associated with Karate. Posture and the way you place your feet is a very important aspect and to ensure you are getting each part of the move right, you will often practice a certain kick or punch several times. Of course, the teacher will demonstrate the move to you then you do it yourself. With constant repetition, the move that you learn can become habit and can be used in particular strikes without you actually thinking of it.
One other aspect of Karate is what is referred to as "kata" which is simply performing a sequence of different moves in a combination of strikes, kicks and blocks. It’s common to see "kata" being performed at a Karate exhibition and it is taught to students as they move up the grading system. During your lesson, you may have the chance to spar with someone that have the same set of skills as you. You can actually practice with a real person all the techniques you’ve learned up to that point. While sparring sounds dangerous, it is really a light exercise to help you check if you are properly positioned and angled when you do a variety of moves and strikes.
Right at the end of the lesson, you’re going to be stretching to help you relax from practice. It’s fair to say that just about every club will have their own way of doing things but in most cases this gives you an idea of what to expect if you join a Karate club.