7 ways to improve your karate fast

When it comes to learning karate, everyone wants to train and improve as quickly as possible. Whilst training often is a good way to get better, it only covers a part of your improvement. In brief, there’s a big difference between training with quality over quantity. This is what this article will focus on, improving your karate as efficiently as possible. There are several ways to do this that can also be applied to other martial arts. However, for the sake of this particular article we shall be looking exclusively at karate.

Have you ever seen someone improve quicker than others? Or perhaps they barely train yet still have good skills. Whilst said individuals may improve subconsciously without much thought, this article will look at ways to extract the best ways to improve quickly. With this said, hopefully after reading you will have gained a higher consciousness when it comes to optimal training.

Training Kata whenever you can

Of course, you will have to make sure your kata is good enough to train alone before doing so. There’s nothing worse than training on your own and doing moves wrong. Because of this, it may be best to ask a black belt or your sensei before attempting kata on your own. If your technique is good enough, then you can proceed.

Once your skills are adequate, the idea is to train kata as much as you can. Whether it’s for 10 minutes before work or for 30 minutes at home when you can’t get to the dojo. The point is to drill moves as much as possible. This may sound monotonous but it definitely gets results. By doing kata, you will improve your muscle memory and naturally become more fluid at karate. As the saying goes ‘drillers make killers’ and this is true with kata. Kata can be done to enhance your best moves or to focus on your weaker techniques. Regardless, by training in your spare time, it will only translate positively in the dojo.

Improving your strength and conditioning

For those who do competition karate, this tip is particularly relevant. The point of strength and conditioning is to make you athletic, and therefore more of an athlete as a result. To do this, you can also rely on using your spare time efficiently. This can also be done at home or in a regular gym, but exercises such as body weights and cardio exercises will all improve your body.

Of course, most forms of karate will also improve your strength and conditioning. If you combine this with extra-curricular training then your body will only become even stronger. This will make your strikes harder, cardio better, and also lessen injuries. One of the main reasons that people lack progress is due to having time off with injuries. However, if you build your body through training then you won’t get injured as much. Everything will become stronger and so you will have more time to train as a result.

Being open-minded

One issue that can ruin your training is being too close-minded. This is not ideal and can really hold you back if you become too stubborn. For instance, you may excel at the gyaku zuki punch. However, if you become too dependent on it then eventually you will become predictable. This will mean those who train correctly will eventually realize this and adapt to your predictable style during kumite. A good counter to this is to use different moves and be open-minded. This may hurt your ego in the short term as your technique will be lacking with newer moves. Nonetheless, the idea is to grow and improve your karate, not to ‘win’ during sparring.

Being open-minded doesn’t just mean incorporating new moves either. It can mean looking at legal techniques from other martial arts away from karate too. Not only this, but even cross-training at other dojos can also be a very quick way to progress. If you do shotokan for example, you could also look at training taekwondo or wado-ryu. The chances are, in looking outwards as opposed to inwards, you will probably learn a few things and grow as a result. There is nothing wrong with trying to broaden your horizons and expand your skill-set.

If possible, train kumite too

We’ve already discussed the benefits of kata, but now we’ll look at how kumite can help too. Kumite involves training against resisting opponents. This is a good way to test your skills in a pressured environment and to train against different people. For instance, if you only spar against one person then your moves may both become stale. However, if you train against many different types, then this will only improve your offense and defense against other types.

Further, kumite helps keep your expectations realistic and ego in check. Basically, you may think you’re a star until you get destroyed by a superior opponent. There’s nothing wrong with this and you should use the process to learn. Instead of sulking, ask your training partner after for tips and hints. This will only add to your game and improve you in the long-run. For those looking at competing, kumite in the dojo is essential for clear reasons.

Training at the dojo as much as possible

This may be an obvious one, but maximizing your training will also quickly improve your skill. Imagine you have a clone who trains twice a week but you train six times per week. With all other things equal, the reality is that you would be far superior to your clone. There are many shortcuts you can take to improve, but sometimes nothing beats honest, hard training.

With this said, if you have spare time then train at your dojo as much as possible. Even on days, you don’t feel like it, training gets results and it’s that simple. If you ask any world champion about how they train, you can guarantee they will put the hours in. Unless you’re some kind of super prodigy, this may be the best way to improve your karate.

Training properly in the dojo

Some people have a very casual way of training. This is fine if you’re ok with it, but otherwise, you’re doing yourself an injustice. Instead of doing small talk, you should instead drill. Instead of daydreaming, you should look and listen to the demonstration. This may sound like harsh advice but it works. Again, looking at world champions, they will all use this process.

It’s quite a serious way of training and may lack the fun that socializing brings, but you can do that in the changing rooms. Instead, make sure you get as many reps in as possible. On a similar note, it’s also important to drill both sides. Everyone will have a ‘good’ side such as punching with your right hand. However, you should also train your left side too. Arguably, this is even more important as it’s your weak spot. If you plan on improving, you will need to remove the weaknesses of your game.

Learning via the internet

In the modern age, the internet can be a great tool to learn from. In particular, video websites such as Youtube offer some great instructionals. The benefit of this is that it’s all free. For instance, UFC fighter Stephen ‘Wonderboy‘ Thompson has a popular Youtube channel that shows a fantastic array of Kenpo techniques for free. If you are short of time, then watching these videos can be very beneficial to your learning.

Remember to treat this like you would learning in the dojo. You’re unlikely to retain anything if you watch it once with little attention. Instead, try to watch videos several times over and look at various parts of the video with intent. A good way to combine this with physical training is to use these moves on a partner.

If possible, you should learn a move with a training partner whilst watching the video. This means you’re less likely to make mistakes and you can also learn together. Of course, nothing beats training at a gym. However, in the modern era, watching videos online is one of the closest things. Not only this but you can also find some unorthodox, rare techniques here that may not be as easily available elsewhere.

Final Thoughts

In summary, there are a number of ways to improve your karate that you may not have thought of. From training similar arts to watching videos you can improve your skills quickly. Of course, training in the dojo in person is optimal. However, if you combine this with the aforementioned ideas then your progress will improve massively. Remember, karate is all about internal improvement and you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. Due to this, your intentions for improving should be honest. However, you may feel underwhelmed if you want to improve for competitive reasons. In conclusion, there are many ways to quickly improve and you can pick what methods best suit you.

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