Karate is an awesome endeavor that can be learned at any age! Start your training with these essential tips on karate for beginners.

Karate for beginners

This martial arts style became known as karate, Japanese for 'empty hands,' and today it is among the most famous martial arts in the world.

Perhaps you want to learn karate, but don't know where to start. Maybe you've already begun but could use a little extra advice. Either way, we're here to help. We'll offer some great advice on karate for beginners in the paragraphs below.

1. Understand Karate

It's about peace, not conflict. Conflict should be avoided at all costs, but karate will help with the conflicts that can't be avoided.

Watch a ton of video and read articles like this one to know what it is all about. Karate history can go pretty deep, and researching the history of the art will definitely help you understand why certain techniques are performed in a certain way.

Of course, it's also best to understand how a certain karate class works before joining it. Every group has a different dynamic, and every teacher has a different approach. It may be best to observe a class before deciding if it's right for you.

2. Be respectful

If peace is the first cornerstone of karate, respect is the second. Respect is one of the key factors in avoiding conflict. It is the difference between a difference of opinion or a friendly debate and an argument.

This will be evident during your first day in the martial arts dojo. You will be expected to address your teacher as Sir, Ma'am, or Sensei. Most instructors in schools go by either sir or mam and it's just a polite and respectful salutation for them.

Secondly, what what do you call a martial arts school? Well they're not called schools, they're called dojos or dojang. Which basically means training hall. So when you hear those words you'll understand that that just means a place where people gather for martial arts training

Next is the bow. For Americans, sometimes they feel like the bow is almost like they're bowing down to somebody in submission.

When in fact that's not what it means it at all in martial arts. It's a two-way sign of respect. You will notice in classes when you bow, the instructors are bowing to you as well. 

It's basically just a sign of respect. For most schools, you bow when you enter the training hall and when you leave. not absolutely necessary the first time you walk in the door to a school to inquire about lessons but definitely something you should know once you get started. Be respectful and polite

3. Be open to learning

You know a lot of people come in with preconceived notions of what martial arts are all about, based on what they've seen from TV.  Don't be that guy who when the Sensei tells them how to do something, they reply with "oh I know I know I know" and then the next thing you know they're doing it wrong.

You may know what you're doing this week, but there's always more to learn. Karate is something that should always demand your 110%.

4. Expect to work hard

Karate is different from any other class or school. In some ways, it's more like a sport.

It's not about knowing answers, because there's no right answer to anything. It's about improvement. Even if you're good at something, you can always get better at it.

Bruce Lee once said "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." In other words, there's no such thing as too much practice.

One great tip about karate for beginners is to stretch. Karate is just like any other physical activity in that it helps to warm up first.

Stretching before and after any kind of workout offers a whole host of benefits for the body.

For karate, in particular, it's best to use stretches that require a wider range of movement. Not only will this prepare your whole body for physical activity, but it can also help prevent injuries.

Keep in mind, that injuries are going to happen occasionally, and there's nothing anyone can do to change that. However, the less often it happens, the better your experience is going to be.

5. It never ends

We've already mentioned that martial arts are about more than just learning to hit things. It's a philosophy, and it's a philosophy that carries far beyond the walls of the dojo.

You may find that the discipline, respect, and personal knowledge you gain begins to affect other aspects of your life, most likely for the better. You may find that you concentrate harder on work and other tasks you have to do.

This kind of encompasses everything. Once you start to become good at the martial arts it's important that you help others and give back.

I truly truly believe in the fact that teaching martial arts helps kids learn life skills. Changing people's lives in a positive manner through the martial arts is really one of the best ways that you can give back. 

Karate For Beginners: Advice For Starting Out

Karate, for beginners, can be confusing, but the biggest thing to remember is that it's a philosophy above all else., a lifestyle, even.

Sure, learning to fight is some of it, but through that process, you learn discipline. You learn that there are going to be issues and conflicts in the world, but at the end of the day, all you can do is your best, and live your life in the best possible way.

If you want to learn more about karate and other martial arts, especially in the Las Vegas area, please visit our site. We can start by telling you about the differences between Kung Fu and karate.