Can someone really learn karate at home? When considering starting karate, getting as much up front information on the subject, is a must. With some online tutorials, you will be able to understand what to expect if you attend a karate club. Follow this link for some free Karate for beginners videos.
But if you have some video instruction, I only recommend using them at the same time you attend classes conducted by a qualified karate instructor and the moves you practice, will be basics (kihon) or forms (kata).
Hundreds and thousands of years! Karate has developed into a very technical art, it is now a million miles away from the original karate, which was all about survival. There are thousands of karate for beginners classes starting every day, where people, young and old start to learn karate for the first time.
Karate classes usually start with a warm up, followed by a full body stretch. This alone is great for health and well being, keeping the body soft and supple is a fantastic thing, especially in your later years.
Next will come basic karate moves (kihon), blocking, punching, kicking, etc. These are practiced on the spot, or stepping forward, back and even at different angles in the many varied karate stances (dachi). These are the techniques you will be able to practice at home and get an idea of what karatedo (the way of karate) is all about.
So karate class training has the warm up and stretch, basics (kihon), next comes sparring (kumite). Kumite or sparring can mean many things in a karate dojo. Eg, A simple wrist lock and escape, will be called sparring (kumite) in karate classes. Many people here the word kumite and start panicking, but karate kumite is usually practiced in a very controlled way!
Practice of karate moves, sparring and forms, usually follows the karate warm up and stretch. There are hundreds of karate kata, ranging from 20 moves up to kata with hundreds of moves, the karate kata is the martial arts version of the gymnastics floor display.
To explain kata fully will need an article all on it's own, but to me kata is the most important element of karatedo. They say, kumite is the spirit of karate, but kata is the soul! And i also believe this to be true.
So if you are practicing karate moves at home, trying to get a feel for karate, I wish you luck and urge you to attend a karate for beginners class as soon as possible. Give it a go, you never know, karate may just be what you are looking for! Ossu Learn Karate At Home
