What to Expect at Karate: A Beginner's Guide

Submitted by staff on Sun, 08/16/2009 at 10:02pm.

If you are starting karate for the first time, you may be a little nervous. What should I expect? Will I feel dumb? How long until I feel comfortable at the dojo? Don't worry. Read this guide and you'll be a karate pro-- in your head, anyway.

You may wonder if your physical stamina needs to be at a certain level before starting karate. There's no pressure! A beginner's karate class won't expect you to be able to run marathons. You should be aware that it will be a workout, and it will be tough, but you will build the right muscles quickly, so you'll feel right up there with the best of 'em.

When you go to karate for the first time, you might not know what to wear. The first class should be stress-free, so wear some comfortable exercise clothes. Once you decide your level of karate commitment, you can decide if you want to purchase a karate Gi-- the traditional karate uniform. Also, you go barefoot at karate, so don't worry about your footwear.

When you first start out a new skill, you have visions of becoming a master. Then, once you start, you quickly realize how much there is to learn and how much you don't know. So how quickly will you be able to put your karate skills to good use? The answer is really up to you. The more you practice, the better you'll get. But with each lesson, you will build on the previous lesson, so you are slowly building a storage of karate knowledge and skills. You'll be surprised by how quickly it starts to come together.

And lastly, if you are just considering starting karate, you might be worrying if you are too old to start. Rest assured, you are never to old to start karate! Though you may not have the flexibility or speed you had in your young years, it is never too late to start. Karate is an open art, one that takes wisdom of years to master. You will be able to apply your life experiences to your interpretation of your karate. Open up to something new and have a go.

So don't be scared! Karate is fun, exciting, challenging, and envigorating. Dominate that fear at the dojo!