Tips for beginners learning Karate

They should also not spend the class comparing themselves to others in the class.

“For motivation it may be good to want to achieve something, but students should always bear in mind their own capabilities while striving for a goal.”

Sensei Leo also suggests that no food should be eaten about an hour and a half before you train. However, liquids to hydrate should be taken frequently, during and after class.

The role of sensei in karate

Your Sensei is your karate teacher and guide. He or she should always set the tone and set the example of what needs to be done. As you progress there will always be times of physical and mental discomfort for you, the student.

“As the Sensei I may give you a hard time depending on your personality and how you generally cope with yourself and others. These are tests for the students to see what they are capable of and how they handle tasks and difficult situations,” says Sensei Leo.

“It may be partnering with another difficult student; it may be just simply coping with the amount of push ups or abdominal exercises in the class. It may even be in the form of constantly giving the student critical comments.”

In traditional times the Sensei could not be bothered with students just wanting to learn something quickly and then leaving. Sometime students just wanted to ‘steal’ techniques, or students were not sincere in their pursuit of mastering the art of karate. If the student was really sincere, he would stay on through all the hardships of the training and become a ‘worthy’ one.

Still today, there are Sifu’s and Sensei’s who are aware of this. Thus, Masters will still have certain students who are close to them in the inner circle, and they would be taught in depth. These are called the ‘closed door disciples’ or ‘inner disciples’, and then there are those that are the ‘open door disciples’, and then also the normal students in the classes.

For more information on karate classes and lessons, please contact the expert contributor.