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Beginners Guide
When can I join?
Beginners and other new members are welcome to join the club at any time during the year.
All you have to do is turn up at a beginners' training session and get started.
What do I wear to my first class?
It is wise to wear something loose e.g. track-suit bottoms and a T-shirt.
Do not wear anything that has a zip or anything jagged which might injure yourself or someone else while training.
How to Tie Your Belt
Or watch the video...here
Class Etiquette
- Remove shoes and socks upon entering the dojo. Shoes are NEVER worn on the training floor.
- Bow upon entering or leaving the dojo floor. This is to show respect for the facilities used in the practice of karate.
- Students always line up for class in order of grade. For beginners, this means that you will stay on the side closest to the door.
- There should be no talking between students while class is in session. Questions may be asked at an appropriate time.
- Always follow the instructions given by the instructor. If you are unfamiliar with the movements, try to copy the person next to you or a senior.
- Never refer to an instructor by name while in the dojo. Always use the term "Sensei".
- At NO time will horseplay be tolerated. Karate is a discipline of both mind and body, and as such demands full concentration and serious effort on the part of the student. Horseplay can only lead to loss of knowledge and possible injury to oneself or one's partner.
- Jewellery should not be worn while training. Watches, rings, earrings, necklaces, etc. often get in the way and can cause otherwise avoidable injuries.
- Good hygiene should be followed. Finger- and toenails should be kept short to prevent injury while training and hands and feet should be clean. Uniforms are to be kept clean and in good repair.
- Keep the dojo clean. Clothing should be neatly placed along the wall of the dojo. Make sure that any rubbish is properly disposed.
- As a safety precaution, chewing gum is not allowed in class.
GradingTo progress in karate you will be tested every 3 months or so.
This test is called a grading and consists of an examination of your kihon (basic techniques),
Kumite (sparring techniques and sequences), and a Kata (technique pattern).
What is Kata?
Kata are patterns of techniques that we perform , and as we do so we imagine defending against an imaginary opponent as we execute each movement.
Kata is a method of practising applications for particular self defence scenarios.
What is Kihon?Kihon means the basics, perfecting the punch, the block, the kick, the stance, working on the body rotation and propulsion dynamic, using the major muscle groups, and so forth.
What is Kumite?Kumite means sparring, and the focus of kumite is to practice using the techniques we learn from kata.
Kumite may take the form of fixed step sparring i.e. 5 steps forward and punch, 5 steps back and block, or free sparring.
Basic TerminologyIt is sometimes difficult to find the terminology used in class in the lists linked to above. So, to help you get started, we provide a list of the more basic terminology below.
This is the terminology you are likely to encounter up to your first grading.
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| Yoi | Ready |
| Hajime | Begin |
| Yame | Stop |
| Mawatte | Turn around |
| Heian Shodan | The name of the kata for the first belt. |
| Kiai | A shout delivered for the purpose of focusing all of one's energy into a single movement. One translation of Kiai is "the expression of vital spirit". It is often translated as "spirit shout". |
| Jodan | Head level |
| Chudan | Mid-level |
| Gedan | Lower-level |
Punches |
| Choku Tsuki | Straight punch |
| Oi Tsuki | Lunge punch |
| Gyaku Tsuki | Reverse punch |
Kicks |
| Mae Geri | Front snap kick |
| Yoko-Geri | Side kick |
| Yoko-Geri-Keage | Side snap kick |
| Yoko-Geri-Kekomi | Side thrust kick |
Blocks |
| Gedan Barai | Low level block |
| Age-Uke | Rising block; basic block to a jodan (face) attack |
| Soto-uke | Outside forewarm block; block for a punch to the stomach/mid-level (from the outside in) |
| Ude-uke | Inside forearm block; block for a punch to the stomach/mid-level (from the inside out) |
| Shuto-uke | Knife hand block |
Stances |
| Zenkutsu-Dachi | Front stance; the most basic karate stance |
| Kokutsu-Dachi | Back stance; used for, amongst other things, knife hand blocks |
| Kiba-Dachi | Horse straddle stance; used for, amongst other things, beginners learning to do Yoko-Geri |
Counting in Japanese
It may be useful to understand the numbers below as each technique is timed with a count spoken in Japanese by your instructor.
Don't worry if you can't remember the Japanese, you'll learn it anyway just by attending class. You can also
listen to these numbers to learn how they are pronounced.
| Ichi | one |
| Ni | two |
| San | three |
| Shi | four |
| Go | five |
| Roku | six |
| Shichi | seven |
| Hachi | eight |
| Ku | nine |
| Ju | ten |
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Jump to...
Where can I join?
What do I wear to my first class?
How to Tie Your Belt
Class Etiquette
Grading
What is Kata?
What is Kihon?
What is Kumite?
Basic Terminology
General Terminology
Counting in Japanese
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