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Karate has grown into one of the most popular martial arts with people taking part worldwide. We could only hypothesize as to the reason why but possibly because it has all the elements of a great martial art. Karate can help you to be physically and mentally fit, it can be a competitive sport and it can offer skills for self defense. How To Become A Better MMA Or Mixed Martial Arts Fighter - Tips Provided The word Karate means "empty hand" in Japanese and this system of strikes, kicks and punches is something that any adult or youngster can learn. In fact it is a very good martial art for all the family to get involved with. This article will give you a general overview of what you can expect to find in an excellent Karate class.



Karate has quite a few different forms and some are based on power whereas other styles count more on quickness. Many Karate classes get started with exercises and stretches to warm up. Even though we are all perhaps drawn to being able to do breathtaking kicks and moves, this does require a fair degree of flexibility. It is crucial to be well conditioned and well developed so these warm ups are needed. You'll find that after taking a couple of Karate class sessions, you'll be feeling much stronger and more focused than ever.



As soon as your warm up is complete, you will then begin working on specific Karate techniques. Every single movement, every stance and every feet placement is vital to your success in Karate so you will be doing numerous repetitions of a specific move until it is done properly. You'll usually be shown the move first by your instructor and then you get the chance to do this yourself. The idea behind repetition is that the moves end up being second nature and you begin to channel the power into certain strikes by the way you move your hips and body in general.



One other aspect of Karate is what is called "kata" which is basically performing a sequence of different moves in a combination of strikes, kicks and blocks. If you go to a Karate convention you will often see kata performed and these are all skills you're going to learn as you progress through the grading system. Sometime during your lesson there will also be a chance for some sparring with others of a similar experience to you. You can actually practice with a real person the techniques you've learned up to that period. While sparring seems dangerous, it is actually a light exercise to help you see if you are correctly positioned and angled when you do various moves and strikes.



At the end of the session, there'll be even more stretching and a general cooling off. You should spend some time to see how clubs are operated but overall a lot of classes follow this routine.