Why Are Basics So Important In Martial Arts

Do I have to practice this again?  I know how to do it already. Why can I not learn the next punch and the next form?  Do I still have to do the things that WHITE BELTS do?!?

Have you ever felt annoyed with your instructor for having you drill basics when you already know them? You are not alone. Basics again? is a common question asked by martial arts students. In fact, you could probably handle some of the more advanced techniques but slow down grasshopper; your sensei has good reasons for drilling on basics.

After all, who doesn't remember the classic scene in the movie The Karate Kid where Mr. Miyagi has Daniel-san wax on and wax off for hours on end to the point of frustration? Daniel-san is made to polish cars and paint fences until he cannot take it any more. At this point Mr. Miyagi steps in to enlighten Daniel-san as to the value of what the young apprentice has just been practicing. Suddenly Daniel-san understands the value of basic training and fundamentals!

Think about building a house.  If we had all four walls already measured out and put together and we rested one wall against the other securing each in place we could make other people think that our house was secure.  Until the first strong wind came!  Suddenly the house is blown down and nothing is left.  What do we do?  We leave and move somewhere else and try to rebuild.

This whole scenario is much like the Karate student who neglects basics and thinks they know it all.  They stay with one club for a while and then they move on to another club, looking for the latest "silver bullet" technique.

So what should we do with our house?  First, it is essential to lay the foundations; then build the walls, add the roof, paint it, furnish it, make the outside look good and then live in it. Sometimes we live in our house before any of the inside and outside necessities are done!

In the same way martial arts practice must begin with basics.  With basics, we lay the foundations of our practice.  Through consistent practice and hard work, we add the roof so that we have a more sturdy structure for our house (our martial arts).  Then we paint the house and furnish it (we make our martial arts look good).  Then we make the outside of the house look good (we further polish our martial arts and iron out the inevitable kinks).

Finally, we live in our house and begin to appreciate its beauty and its value in our lives (now we are able to enjoy and apply our knowledge that we have gained through our training).

Hopefully we live in our house for a long time and we gradually feel more and more at home and more and more comfortable with our surroundings (now we are beginning to have a deeper understanding of martial arts and its application to our lives).

I hope that you live in your house for many years to come, or if you move, I hope that you appreciate the time and effort it takes to build a house.  Building your martial arts practice is the same!  It takes a lot of time and a lot of effort and a lot of practice of basics to make it strong!

Good luck and best wishes on your journey in martial arts.

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What is Sport Karate?

In today's terminology, Sport Karate (or Sport Martial Arts) is the application of competitive martial arts in a sporting environment, and has been around for a few decades.

The two main categories/divisions of competition are Fighting and Forms, with this article focusing on the Fighting category. Part 2 will focus on the Forms category.

Within those two categories, there are various areas of competition ñ such as weapon forms, musical forms, team forms, team fighting, continuous fighting, and many more divisions (depending what sanction an athlete competes in). Sport Martial Arts is quickly evolving as competitors continue to push the envelope of what people are physically capable of doing. This not only has increased the level of competition, but also allows martial art athletes to be more innovative in their traditional and competitive training.

Fighting

MA athletes that compete in fighting have implemented new fighting techniques and moves that were previously only seen in boxing and other arts, along with training habits of professional mainstream sports players. This has heighten the level of fighting, and made the sport more exciting to watch and be apart of.

All of the various divisions at a Sport Karate tournament are broken up into age categories and levels of martial art experience to even out the competition. Age groups vary from event-to-event, but experience is usually the same. Less then 1 year is considered a beginner, 2 - 3 years is intermediate, 3 or more years is advanced and Black Belts are segregated from all other under belts (non-black belts).

Fighting division can be pictured as tennis matches, except they are not as lengthy. Matches are usually 2 to 3 minutes long and the winner is determined by either total points scored (first one to 5) or whoever is ahead in points when time runs out. Ties are sent into sudden death overtime ñ first person to score, wins. Keep in mind these rules do not apply to every Sport Karate sanction.

Typical matches are single elimination with no opportunity to fight again unless a competitor makes it to the quarterfinals (the loser, will compete for 3rd and 4th place). Winners of their respected division, as in Forms, sometimes have the opportunity to compete for an Overall Grand Champion against other division winners.

Will I get hurt? Well, you are fighting another person, so chances are youíll end up with a bruise or two at the end of a match. But Sport Martial Arts wouldnít have gained the popularity it currently has if athletes kept on getting injured. Almost all sanctions require the athletes to wear protective gear to prevent injury and judges are always close by to monitor the match. Think of a sanction as a league, there are different types and different levels. Be sure you know what the rules of a particular sanction are before you join to ensure it is the type of competition youíre looking for.

To see part 2 of this article, go to www.experiencemartialarts.com, click on "Learn More" and look in the "Sport Martial Arts" section.

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What is Martial Arts Really All About?

This question seems innocent and easy to answer. But the truth is that it is not an easy question to answer at all, because it must be answered on so many different levels. What is martial arts really all about?

Is it about learning some punches, kicks and blocks? Is it about memorizing endless forms? Is it about self-defense? Is it about health and fitness? How about making friends and socializing? And what about all of those buzzwords such as self-discipline, self-confidence, self-control, self-esteem?

Some of us have already done our research on this topic to find out what martial arts is all about and we have found many different but complimentary answers. Conventional martial arts wisdom tells us that practicing martial arts is about perfecting our character, being truthful and honest, never giving up, building strong spirit, trying our best at all times, adhering to strict discipline and etiquette, following the path or the Way, and reaching our potential in life.

I can guarantee that if I put this question to a room full of students, all of the above answers will be volunteered and probably several others. The point of the introduction to this article is that martial arts is about all of the above and none of the above. It all depends on who you are talking to. The problem is that the difference between most people's words and actions can be significant.

For example, saying that martial arts is about focus and discipline and then demonstrating weak technique and bad manners while being easily distracted tells me that someone isn't really being honest. Saying that martial arts is about health and fitness and then chowing down on junk food after class might be equally questionable in terms of an honest practice.

So what is martial arts really all about? I'd say it's all about YOU and it's all about what YOU make of it. You can make it a fun and challenging hobby and family activity by participating with other family members. You can make it a really worthwhile physical activity by training hard and improving your health and fitness. You can also make it an incredibly tedious and frustrating pursuit that becomes potentially harmful to both your self-confidence and your character by not trying to do your very best, and feeling like you are no good compared to everyone else in your class.

Or, you can make it a lifelong goal to try to capitalize on the strengths that you were born with and gradually improve your weaknesses through the honest and fully committed practice of karate.

Perfection of character doesn't mean that you never make a mistake. Trying to be truthful and honest doesn't mean that you never catch yourself being hypocritical at times. Nor does trying your best mean that you're never tired.

What is most important from all of this is your self-awareness. Through the template and practice of karate we should be able to constantly polish the stone that holds all of our skills, so that we can clearly see our own reflection in all its beauty and even all of its ugliness.

Gradually through consistent effort, practice and knowledge of ourselves that we develop through our practice, we can tip the balance of our life's scale to positive nourishment and self-improvement. This inevitably leads toward helping others and finding our own place in this world. Martial arts, although not complete in and of itself, holds many keys that lead us towards this goal.

Good luck and best wishes on your journey in the martial arts.

Looking for martial arts themed gift ideas for a birthday, holiday, belt rank promotion test or black belt test? Martial Arts Gifts by Lora Severson Photography specializes in personalized t-shirts, apparel, bags, ornaments, cards and keepsake gifts for your martial artist. Gifts suitable for all martial arts including karate, taekwondo, kung fu, judo and ju jitsu. All belt rank colors are represented.

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Is Your Child Ready To Become A Karate Kid?

Beginner level Karate Kids seem to be getting younger and younger nowadays. What is the right age to start the martial arts? Is your little one ready to become a karate kid?

As karate has become more popular over the years, kids of a younger age are getting started in the martial arts. There has of course been a strong influence from the Ninja Turtles and the Power Rangers but also with the ever expanding commercial karate schools, specialized programs for the little kids are becoming more and more popular. Programs with names such as Tiny Tigers, Little Ninjas or Little Dragons abound in most martial arts schools. So at what age are kids being accepted into these programs?

It seems that the age of 3 to 4 years old is the youngest age for kids to be accepted into a martial arts program. This basically coincides with the age that a child can begin pre-school and this is no coincidence. So if your child is around 4 years old then he or she will probably be accepted into your local martial arts school. However there are other factors that you should be aware of.

- Is this the first time your child has been involved in a group activity? If so be prepared for some initial nervousness and unwillingness to get out on the floor without you.

- Have you already taken your child to your local martial arts school to watch a class? If not, then do so as this is a great opportunity to pre-frame your child so he or she knows what is expected and what a karate school and karate class looks like.

- Do you have realistic expectations for your child? Karate for a 4-year old should be about coordination, focus and fun. It is not about self-defense or hard core discipline at this age. These aspects will be gradually introduced over time as they get older.

- Can your child stay focused for about a half-hour at a time? Most young kids have very short attention spans and consequently when teaching karate to a 4-year old an instructor needs to use a series of short but focused drills that flow from one to the other. Be sure to find an instructor who uses this type of method so that your child will maintain interest for the whole duration of the class.

- Can your child follow one or two-step instructions? Your child needs to be able to follow basic directions in order to function in the karate class.

If your child does not do this at home then it may be a sign that he or she will also struggle at first in the karate class. On the other hand a karate class may be the ideal place to help your child learn the value of structure and basic discipline.

All of the above points are just some ideas that you should ask yourself when thinking about enrolling your young child in a martial arts class. The bottom line is you probably won't know all of the answers unless you give it a go but at the very least you should have some ideas of what to expect and how you can help your child make a successful transition into a fun and very valuable activity.

Good luck and best wishes on your journey in karate.

Looking for custom Martial Arts T-Shirts, Cards or Gifts for your child? Martial Arts Gifts by Lora Severson Photography sells a wide variety of customizable apparel, bags, ornaments and more for your martial artist. A personalized martial arts gift is perfect for a birthday, holiday, belt rank promotion test or black belt test. Gifts suitable for all martial arts including karate, taekwondo, kung fu, judo or ju jitsu. All belt rank colors represented.

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