How to Do Karate Push Ups

Karate push-ups are a specialty push-up type that are often much more challenging than traditional push-ups. If you're looking for a challenge or need to increase the difficulty of your workout routine, try doing karate push-ups.

EditSteps

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   On your knuckles; Ball your hands into fists, put one let on top of another
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   Diamond; shape your hands like a diamond and put your feet straight out like regular
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   4-Count; This can be done using any variation of a push up. The reason it's called a 4 count is because you do in in slow motion in four steps: 1. You're upright in push up position. 2. 1/3 of the way down and hold for a few seconds 3. Halfway down and hold for a few seconds. 4. Your nose is the closest it can be to the ground without touching it. Hold for a few seconds. Then start from the beginning.
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   Pulse push ups; Hold push up in the middle and pulse your weight. From aside, it might look like your shaking. But what you're really supposed to do is shift the weight by sort of jumping a bit then catching your weight again.

Resource: wikihow.com

How to Practice a Kata

In martial arts, a kata combines individual moves into a sequenced pattern. Practicing a kata will help you to not only learn its steps, but how your body and muscles transition from one movement to the next. The more you practice, the more effective and efficient your movements will become, leading to a more powerful finish.

Method1

EditFocusing on Your Kata

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   Get into the mindset. Focus on yourself in the moment. Turn your attention inward. Tune out all distractions, whether they’re external or internal. Quiet your mind until the kata itself is the only thing you’re thinking about. ^[1]
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   Breathe efficiently. Resist holding your breath. ^[2] Inhale fully for maximum lung capacity. Avoid full exhales since these will leave the body limp and vulnerable. Adjust your rate of breathing as the situation demands, timing it to match your movements. Avoid breathing at a uniform rate throughout the kata. ^[3]
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   Maintain form. Concentrate on your posture, balance, and stability. Pay close attention to your hips, since they will help ground your center of gravity. Prioritize form over speed in the beginning and practice your kata slowly to ensure mastering the form before speeding up your movements.^[4]
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   Focus on how your muscles work in tandem. Pay attention to how the muscles in each part of your body work together in each movement; for example, when delivering a punch with your fist, pay attention to how your legs and torso lead into the punch. Maximize the force of impact by using all interrelated muscles efficiently.^[5]
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   Visualize your opponent. Imagine an opponent of equal height and build to yourself.^[6] Use your imaginary opponent as a point of focus for both impact and penetration.^[7]Pretend that this is a real fight that may prove lethal.
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   Project confidence. Maintain an even speed from start to finish.^[8] When learning a new kata, start slowly to master its pattern, but as you improve and quicken your speed, achieve that speed from your first step forward to intimidate your opponent.

Method2

EditPracticing a Simple Kata

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   Start with a simple kata. If you’re a beginner, try the Taigyoku Shodan, or “First Kata,” which incorporates only three basic moves: the long forward stance, the groin block, and the stomach-level punch. ^[9]
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   Assume the long forward stance. Bring one foot forward with your knee bent directly above your foot to maintain stability. Extend your back leg straight behind you as step forward. As you move from stance to stance, move your body in a lateral line without bouncing up and down, as you would when walking or running. Keep your center of gravity constant to minimize being knocked off balance by your opponent. ^[10]
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   Block your groin. Using the arm on the same side of your body as your forward foot, raise your fist over your opposite shoulder, then sweep it downward, protecting your groin and striking your opponent’s attacking limb. Finish with your blocking arm held straight and pointed downward over your forward leg, with your fist about a fist’s distance directly above your knee.^[11]

   • As you prepare to block, pull your other arm back as you prepare to block, until it’s even with your floating ribs and ready to strike if needed. Also pull your hips back at a 45º angle, facing away from your forward foot and drawing your vitals farther out of reach from your opponent.^[12]
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   Deliver a stomach-level punch. Advance toward your opponent with the long forward stance, keeping your upper body absolutely still until your forward foot is about to touch down. Square your hips and shoulders to fully face your opponent. Strike from the same side as your forward foot, aiming for the solar plexus. Pull your other arm back until your fist is even with your floating ribs, ready to deliver a second strike if needed.^[13]
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   Practice 20 counts in each kata. ^[14] Perform a 360º sweep of the immediate area. Turn your head 90º to face a new direction along your shoulder. Rotate your body from the hips to maintain stability.^[15]

Method3

EditExpanding Your Practice with Challenges

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   Learn new kata patterns. Explore different styles of martial arts, each of which includes multiple kata. Once you’ve mastered one, learn another. Widen your skill-set with more techniques and combinations.
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   Be ambidextrous. Practice both sides of your body an even number of times. Perform the kata with your favored side and then your weaker side (the left side for right-handed people; the right side for left-handed people).^[16]
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   Visualize yourself. Picture your own movements within each kata as well as your imaginary opponent’s. Imagine yourself from your own first-person point-of-view, as opposed to an external, third-person POV. Project a mental image for your body to fulfill in action. Practice this while physically practicing katas or while doing something else entirely.^[17]

   • It may also be helpful to practice in front of a full length mirror.
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   Practice with external distractions. Once you’ve mastered a kata while alone in a controlled environment, seek out or create a less controlled environment. Sharpen your ability to focus on your kata while other elements try to call attention to themselves. Perform your kata in front of other people, in noisy areas, and/or in less than ideal weather, such as heavy rain, snow, heat, etc.^[18]
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   Mess yourself up beforehand. Practice rebounding from internal distractions. Stub your toe, spin around until you’re dizzy, or work yourself up into a rage over something that’s been bothering you lately. Then perform your kata in this less than ideal mindset, which will resemble your mental state in an actual fight much more closely than always practicing with a calm mind will.^[19]

Resource: wikihow.com

How to Become a Karate Teacher

Becoming a karate teacher is a great career goal, especially if you love karate. Depending where you are at in your karate practice, becoming a karate teacher may take some time. But with patience and hard work, you can become a karate teacher and start passing on your love of karate to the next generation.

Part1

EditMastering Karate

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   Find a master teacher. Depending on where you live, there may be many karate teachers or very few near you. In rural areas, it may be difficult to find someone proficient enough in this martial art to sufficiently guide you. If you live in a highly populated area, you may have to pick a good teacher from among many. The most important part of this process is to find a teacher that works well to motivate your development and who is capable of teaching you advanced skills.

   • A karate teacher can be called “senpai”, “sensei”, “renshi”, “shihan”, “kyoshi”, or “hanshi”.
   • Senpai is used for anyone who is your senior. Sensei gets used for any teacher.
   • Renshi is a title that is independent of rank, and is commonly used to refer to teachers.^[1]
   • Shihan designates an expert teacher, but has little meaning outside of its organizational meaning.^[2]
   • Kyoshi is used for a person in the 7th and 8th dan.
   • Hanshi refers to a master teacher, one who instructs instructors. This title means they have attained the 9th or 10th dan. ^[3]
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   Advance through the ranks. You'll never make it as a karate teacher if you haven't mastered your skill. Anyone can buy a black belt and pretend. It is another thing altogether to earn it. Karate practitioners are considered to be proficient once they've earned a black belt. This is called the 1st dan. It requires a person to be 15 years old and have undergone three years of training.

   • Kyus are the lower levels in karate. These represent students who have not yet attained the first dan. A person who holds a kyu rank is called a mudansha. Kyu rank color belts start with white and end with brown.
   • Dans are the levels of mastery. There are ten. However, only the first 8 are attainable without recognition from an international governing body (there are many, and they correspond to the style of karate you choose). A person who holds the dan rank is called a yudansha. This is commonly what people mean when they say, “I have a black belt in karate.”^[4]
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   Practice. You must continually work to hone your skills. If you do not practice, you will not be very good. No one will want to learn karate from a teacher that performs poorly. By practicing regularly, you make sure your skills are sharp for your students.^[5]
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   Pick a style of karate. There are some differences between the major styles of karate, however the major difference is the location where they were practiced. Each one is named after a city. There is no way to determine which style of karate is best for any individual. In order to figure out which one you like best, try them all.

   • Shuri-te is from Shuri in Okinawa.
   • Naha-te is from Naha in Okinawa.
   • Tomari-te is from Tomari in Okinawa.
   • Shotokan is practiced more commonly on mainland Japan.

Part2

EditGaining Relevant Experience

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   Win championships. This will earn you notoriety and titles. There are two major components of typical karate exhibitions: kata and kumitejiai. By competing in one or both of these categories, you will enhance your skills and standing within the community. Find out about championships by contacting dojos in your area.^[6]

   • Kata means forms, and is an individual demonstration of karate moves.
   • Kumitejiai is a sparring match. In it two practitioners compete for points.
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   Join an industry association. This can provide you with resources. Seminars and networking, as well as membership information and benefits can aid your quest to become a karate teacher. One downside to many of these organizations is membership fees. However, these are often offset by perks. There are four major styles of karate, each with their own international governing body.

   • Shotokan is the most common style, with two organizations and nearly 1,000 branches. The Japan Karate Association and Shotokan Karate International are the major groups of this style.
   • Wado Ryu's governing body is the JKF Wado Kai.^[7]
   • JKF Shito Kai represents the Shito Ryu style.^[8]
   • The international organization for the Goju Ryu style is the International Karate-do Goju Kai.^[9]
   • The Kyokushin style is organized through the International Karate Organization and Karate-do Daido Juko.^[10]
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   Assist a karate teacher. There is no better way to learn how to teach than by learning from another teacher. Apprentice, assist, or student teach under a master you respect. This will help you gain valuable experience working with students, as well as expert advice with any complications or troubles you might encounter. You will have to take initiative and contact these teachers yourself, calling, e-mailing and visiting dojos.
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   Develop as an educator. Before and during your work as a teacher, you will need to develop your skills as a teacher. Teaching draws upon a wide variety of skills, not just combat abilities. You can be the greatest fighter in the history of the world, but if you can't interact well with students, then you won't make a very good teacher.

   • Learn how to communicate with students of all ages. As a karate teacher, it is likely that you will have students who are children and some adult students as well. When speaking with your young students, you will need to put things into simpler terms to help them understand and try to hold their interest by being a little silly sometimes. With your adult students, you will need to develop a friendly rapport and offer direct, yet considerate feedback to help them learn.
   • Practice patience when working with students. Most students will try and fail many times before they succeed, so being a teacher requires a lot of patience. Even if you feel frustrated with your students, try not to let it show.
   • Work on encouraging your students. Students need encouragement to stay motivated enough to stick with karate. Compliment your students when they do a good job and encourage them to keep trying when things get tough.

Part3

EditGetting Students

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   Join a dojo or club. An easy way to get into teaching is to work at a dojo that is established. Make contacts in your area to see if any school has an opening or is willing to rent their space for your lessons. By allying yourself with an established dojo, you may be able to draw upon their experience, as well as their established client base.
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   Offer private lessons. You don't need a dojo to teach other people karate. You can give lessons in your home, in your students' homes, or in the park. Place a listing online, in the newspaper, or put up fliers to inform potential students about your classes.
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   Start a dojo or club. If you have the financial means, you can open your own dojo. This may take some saving, taking out a loan, or building it yourself. This is a lot of work, but at some point, every successful dojo began with very little and worked their way up.

   • Be sure to get registered with your local or national karate organizations.
   • Be careful, as this can be a major investment of time and money.
   • Consider your class demographic. For example, if you are not good with children, think about targeting your classes at adults.^[11]

Resource: wikihow.com