Posted by: Aella
New to Karate - 09/30/05 03:38 PM
I have been interested in taking Martial Arts my whole life. When I was very young (around 2nd grade or so) I started a karate class. After a few classes I quit and never went back. Now I am 15 and want to sign up somewhere, but dont know anything about it. I researched a little, and I think I want to take a form of Karate, but dont know which. Also, I dont know what to do to get in shape. I am not overweight, but what excersises/stretches should I do. I went running with my older brother, and made it a little less than a half mile before I needed to take a break. I know that isnt very far, but I havent ran in a long time and we were running almost as fast as I could. I would like to take a style of Karate that uses kicks alot. Also, are there any styles that teach flips and stuff like that? I know that might sound stupid, but I have always wanted to be able to do a flip on the ground.
Again, sorry if any of that sounds stupid, but I dont know the terminology or the styles. Thanks in advance!
Posted by: butterfly
Re: New to Karate - 09/30/05 04:00 PM
Aella,
Welcome to the Forums! Jumps and gymnastics as you note them in some martial arts are not generally associated with the mainstream karate folk.
However there are X-MA stylists in karate and TKD and Wushu players who incorporate these fancy moves in there practice. You might want to look at these styles if that is where your interest takes you.
As far as excercise prior to enrollment. Just sign up and practice...getting in shape usually takes care of itself.
Good luck.
-B
Posted by: Aella
Re: New to Karate - 09/30/05 04:12 PM
Ok thanks. I was wondering if I should just go and get in shape at the class. I understand that MA's are not about "Flash" or "Flair" or whatever you prefer to call it, but flips have always fascinated me for some reason.
Look for a local bboy crew and join up! We do flips all the time
Breakers and gymnasts have some of the coolest looking flips and stuff, in my highly biased opinion
But I guess it really depends on what kind of flips you want to do...
Kip-ups?
Gainers?
Backflips?
Frontflips?
540 rotations?
Aerials?
Handsprings?
Posted by: Neko456
Re: New to Karate - 09/30/05 04:50 PM
I don't discourage anything but what you see in the movies is different then what happens in MA class. After you learn my basic and test time if you want to try the flips and somesaults you can. But when I wake up with ice bag and smelling salt you will agree with me. Those fancy techniuqes are not what you need to work on.
Demostration arts X-mas or Wushu or any of the 95% sport competition arts like Olympic style Taekwon-do are sports based off MAs. They are not effective unless modified in the street, IMO. These sports are fun and explosive maybe impressive to the laymen, but they don't lead to better self defense system, though they may bring lots of trophies.
You can decide on 95% sport, 50% s/d and 50% sport or 80% s/d and 20% sport note you will most like be good at what you practice most. Though I had fun and was successful in tourney competition, my strength still lay s/d.
I had an assistance that like fliping, rolling and high jumping, and one senior student that couldn't help being fancy in a street fight, he was more successful with that stuff on the street, then in his ranks test.
Fancy stuff that takes your EYES OFF your attacker or attackers don't work unless you have a director calling "Cut Now, you are not suppose to hit Jackie Chan for real"! Can U SEE why???