Practice makes perfect. Anyone who has trained with me for any amount of time knows that is not right. Yep! How can that be Shihan? What I mean is that if you practice incorrectly 1000 times its just wrong a thousand times. So when you want to do well at kata make sure you are doing it right. I’ve watched students do a move wrong and correct it only to watch them continue to do it wrong. I’ve studied and studied many other masters books and videos and attended many seminars and trained with many other instructors trying to find the correct ways to do katas and basics. When you practice (omg I said when you practice, thinking someone actually does), well when you practice, make sure you are doing it right. When you are corrected, for gods sake please, please try to put a little mental energy into it. Spend a couple minutes after class and do the moves I’ve or another instructor has fixed and get them down.
I just finished reading a book on kata performance and the author outlines all of the ways to perform better but the most important thing he didn’t stress was to practice. At the beginning of the year I decided to learn the katas that I had not learned and relearn all the katas that I had learned and forgetten. At that time new 15 of the 27 Shotokan katas. There were 10 other katas that I had at one time learned and did not continue training on them and had forgotten them. There were also 2 more that I had never performed before. I started by relearning 3 katas one afternoon and I was off to the races. I didn’t really make that resolution till a few days after the first of the year, after giving it much thought. I was satisfied that I had learned them all on February 24th. I’ve since continued to perform them and made them part of my latest quest. Pushups! Several goals there. Several days ago I did all 27 back to back, again and did 15 pushups in between each one. I also used hand weights while doing most of the moves. That’s over 900 moves with hand weights and 15 pushups in between and then after a 10 minute rest I maxed out and did 86 pushups for a total of 476 pushups and all of the katas in about an hour. Not too shabby. Not done yet!
Part of my motivation is to be ready for the Maryland State Karate Championships this month. Last year, I trained so hard I pulled a hamstring muscle the night before the tournament. I still won but I suffered the whole time. I still love the trill of victory and the agony of the pulled muscle.
NO I don’t want your praise or admiration but you could throw money. No, really I just want you to realize that if you decide to do something that seems difficult, just get started. I’m not a young man anymore but I’m not afraid of a challenge. I wish many times I had the clarity of thought that I have on stuff like this when I was young. I would’ve been undefeatable. So if you want more get it. Ask me how? I don’t know everything but I’ve actually done a lot of competition and training and my fellow instructors have also. I don’t know why people don’t take advantage of the opportunities that are right in front of them.
Practice it might actually help!
Perry Culver – Chief Instructor – Culver Karate Club – Connellsville PA
