Basics
Basics in the first lesson is primarily for beginners to get control of their bodies with simple techniques and get them roughly right. There is no point in trying to achieve perfection at an early stage as this will just lead to frustration for all involved and therefore, to some extent, you can adopt a “that will do” approach. Where there are more advanced students training you can get them to polish their techniques and/or try some specific combinations as detailed below.
Remember to use language appropriate to the students. Young children won’t understand “simple” phrases such as, “Rotate 180 degrees clockwise”. It is why we demonstrate our techniques before asking students to perform them, as they say, “A picture paints a thousand words.”
When taking a basics lesson you may like to consider all of the following:
- How to make a fist
- Stances
- Blocks
- Strikes
- Kicks
- Simple combinations
Mixed groups of students
When training with a wide range of students it will be very hard to select techniques for everyone to work at (the easy ones for the beginners will be too easy for the advanced students who may get bored, the harder techniques will be too hard for the beginners who may get demoralised when they can’t do them).
Instead of trying to find a suitable technique try giving students different techniques depending on their grade. Unfortunately this will cause confusion for students as they may not pay attention to your instructions so make them clear and they will get very confused when looking around the room. To counter this have the senior grades do multiple techniques but to reduce confusion have them finish with the same technique and side that the beginners are performing (therefore if a beginner looks about at the end of the technique to assure themselves they have done it correctly they will see everyone in the same stance and position).
Some suggested basic techniques for a mixed group of students:
| Basic technique | Advanced techniques |
| From Heiko dachi, alternate Jodan uke | From Heiko dachi, alternate Jodan tsuki, same hand Jodan uke |
| From Heiko dachi, alternate gedan barai | From Heiko dachi, alternate kin geri, same side gedan barai |
| From Heiko dachi, alternate Soto uke | From Heiko dachi, alternate chudan tsuki, same hand Soto uke |
| From Heiko dachi, alternate Uchi uke | From Heiko dachi, alternate kazama tsuki same hand Uchi uke |
| From Heiko dachi, alternate Kazama tsuki | From Heiko dachi, alternate Kazama tsuki, same hand kazama tsuki |
| From Heiko dachi, alternate Uraken uchi | From Heiko dachi, alternate Uraken uchi, same hand uraken uchi |
| All of the more advanced techniques will allow extra practice on hip work and the pull back hand as they all use the same side of the body twice. | |
| From Zen kutsu dachi, alternate Mae geri landing forward | From Zen kutsu dachi, alternate Gyaku tsuki, same side Mae geri landing forward |
| From Zen kutsu dachi, alternate Mawashi geri landing forward | From Zen kutsu dachi, alternate Jodan haisho uchi, same side Mawashi geri landing forward |
Fundamentals
Koshi Kaiten is the Japanese for hip rotation and is fundamental to karate.
“Pull for power” is also fundamental to karate.
Without hip work and pulling for power a student won’t be able to deliver a very powerful technique so as to be able to achieve Ikken Hissatsu.