Hi guys , I have a shotokan karate comp coming up , and I’m trying to arm myself with knowledge , as well as technique. So I ask you 2 questions . 1) what is your best kumite tip? 2) what is a common mistake people make in kumite?
1) Always mind distance. We all like our personal space, more so in sparring because it implies safety. Many people will try to stay at what they consider their safe distance and use different tricks to try to hit from there, such as lunging, leaning, or turning completely side-on, and will try to retreat to that safe range rather than trade hits at a closer range (and in Karate kumite generally matches get stopped if the fighters get tangled up body to body, unless it's a knockdown/full contact competition). If you can slowly inch your way on purpose inside that personal space, you can try (it is never a guarantee) to put the opponent on the defensive and make him retreat. Anecdotally, I'm five feet tall and my "personal space" is much smaller than normal people's, so this tended to happen automatically when I settled into my "I can sorta maybe hit from here" range and less experienced people started backpedaling, which was hilarious. More experienced regular-size-and-larger people just jabbed and front kicked me to death, which was also hilarious . If the opponent is taller, mind the initial long-range shots and try to unnerve him by staying closer to your punching range. If he's shorter, exploit kizami-zuki and mae-geri and deny him; if he can't get to his effective range, he literally can't do anything, while you can, and if he's pressing in, you literally have free shots against him (and remember that in most kumite rules you only need to land a single one for a stop and reset). 2) Related to the above, overextending to try to hit without being in range to be hit themselves. If you find someone who leans forwards to try to score long-range punches, they'll often take more time to rebalance themselves after the punch than it takes to boop them in the nose if they miss or you parry or evade them (and it often only takes a slight lean back to get back out of range of such punches).
Yes it was , and I must say I really enjoyed it , just missed out on medals for kata and lower grades kumite , but surprisingly got a medal for open grades kumite . That first punch to the face was an eyeopener on what was to come . Hip was no trouble , by the end of the week it was relaxed , however I did come away with a badly bruised finger .
Thank you , I think the other karate club may have took videos , they are yet to be posted . That moment you walk into the dojo and there’s about 80 people there and you know you are doing kata was very nerve racking , but I got through it . I just wish I knew what I did wrong , one of the judges marked me at 5.8 . I should of asked afterwards so I could improve .
Kata is a judgement-based sport. What one person scores low someone else might score higher. Not like kumite really a lot more like dancing.
I think the earlier fights , I followed the tempo which was set by the opponent , and got tired very quickly and was taking some awful shots , however the second tournament I slowed everything right down , and more preparation and concentration went into it
I've done that, and it's usually pretty useless. The judges are looking at lots of contestants and usually jotting down shorthand notes as fast as they can. They are not likely to remember any individual performer, much less be able to tell them what they can improve. A much better idea is to try and have an experienced member of your club (or another club) standing on the sidelines when you compete so they can actually watch your performance and tell you how you did and what they saw that you could improve. The nerve-wracking part is the major reason for competitions, in my opinion. When you get up in front of a bunch of people and judges to compete, the adrenaline kicks in and you will perform from muscle memory. This displays what you've truly got ingrained and can do without thinking. P.S. Well done!
It definitely was , not sure yet . My hands still feel abit bruised from this one , however the well done text I received from my sensei was worth it .
Thank you , I guess il just improve as time goes on , I’m only 9 weeks into training so still a lot more to learn .
