Total newbie would like to try some Karate. Advice?

Hello guys,

first post here. Nice to meet you.

I am a 27 year old man with a passion for Japanese culture, and lately I've been thinking of picking up a martial art. I am particularly interested in the artistic and philosophical side of it rather than the "agonistic" side, so I was aiming to find a traditional Karate school (Shorei-Kan).

However, I have a couple of serious doubts:

- Is it too late at my age?
- The above question is quite important when considering that my body is not that well trained; I am 179cm tall and weight around 93kg. I have good muscles but definitely more than enough fat in my belly, and considering I NEVER practiced sports in a constant manner I also lack endurance and mobility. Would I need to spend some months in the gym before starting a traditional Karate course, in your opinion?

Thanks a lot for your advice,

- Marco

 

Before starting any training, if you have not exercised regularly for a while, I'd advise you to have a check up with your physician.

At 27 you are still young with enormous potential. You could go to the gym, but the best way to get fit for Karate is to go to a class and train, then practise the solo exercises on your own at home.

All Karate clubs are different, even in the same style and organisation. I'd suggest you have a look at a few near you before deciding which one you'd like to try.

 

Yeah, everyone starts as a beginner dude. A good instructor will push you to your limits, but never beyond them.

 

Not at all. Just go along and get started.

 

Not necessary though. I was 31 and did literally no excersie, save for walking around the university because i was doing my degree then. when i first walked into a karate dojo.

i never checked with my doc. I was healthy and was and am able to handle it. I did handle it.

Been at shotokan well it'll be 3 years in september.

and no 27 is not to old.

 

I'd never advise anyone to go straight into training. No matter how well you feel or look it is always best to have a medical checkup.

 

Too late? I'm 44.

Part of the martial arts is developing your ability to PERFORM martial arts. If you've not done anything very physical then the classes themselves should be fine. You'll find yourself getting much fitter as time goes on. Instead of heading to the gym to do a bunch of things that wont correspond to your martial arts, why not let your martial arts serve as the springboard, and then use the gym later to add to it?

 

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I understand what jwt is saying - I have no health issue, never had, I don't smoke and rarely drink. I'm just out of shape. However it's probably safer to run a medical check.

I know for a fact that under intense workout I experience some dizziness, since this already happened in the past. I believe this is due to my lack of endurance coupled with my not efficient breathing, which cause my brain to cease to function properly.

That's my guess - I suppose I just have to take it easy without going "all out".

I'm going to check with a local Shorei-Kan dojo then, without signing up to a gym first. I suppose I'll have to see how I manage before making a definitive choice, since I fear that even the basic warm ups might destroy me.
But maybe I'm a bit paranoid.

 

what destroys you today will be mildly amusing in a few weeks time. Its about patience. Dont expect anything, just let your body do what it does - which is adapt. You'll be fine.

 

Hi Marco

Please don't take this as a criticism, merely an observation based on experience. When people tell me they're more interested in the 'philosophical' aspects of karate rather than self-defence skill or skill in a sporting arena, it usually means they have romantic ideas about the ritual associated with Japanese martial arts. Conversely they're usually not very interested in hard work. But such philosophical benefits as come from karate come AS A RESULT of hard work and repetition, rather than instead of it.

Now I'm not saying that's where you're at, but I do suggest you think clearly about what you want to achieve from doing karate. If you do want to pursue karate as a japanese tradition then be prepared to embrace the concept of shugyo (austere training).

On the other hand, you don't necessarily have to be so serious about it. You could just give it a go and see if you enjoy it.

Mike

 

Hello Mike,

I understand your point, but please do not misunderstand me - I am interested in the "self defence side" involved, and determined to shed as much sweat as needed. Point is, at the moment I doubt my body would be able to sustain the standard "hard work" which I suppose is normally required, for the simple fact I'm quite out of shape.

In short, the will is strong but the body is weak.

What I meant is that I am not interested in the "sporty" side of Karate - I do not aim to participate in tournaments in order to win - I really don't see it as a sport but indeed as some kind of "physical training" that can be useful in day-to-day life as well, not only for its practical usefulness (which to be honest I don't plan to exploit much) but also for its "state of mind" benefits, if you get what I mean.

That's why I'm looking for a traditional dojo, with a sensei that teaches not only techniques, but what's behind them as well.
I'm not sure if this is actually a reality - maybe this is indeed "romantic" by my part.

 

If it IS romantic then good for you. I think we could all benefit a little from a teacher like that.

I study Hapkido, a korean art somewhat akin to Aikido. We do the joint locks, breaks, throws, etc. We have a lot of ritual ceremony but its all very shallow, superficial. There isnt really any philisophical discussion about what lies behind what we're doing. I chalk it up to the nature of the art I've chosen.

Might I suggest that in addition to Karate you look toward some of the chinese arts as well? My brief brush with Shaolin Kung Fu many moons ago is my only reference point here, but during that time I do recall spending a fair bit of time in each class talking about things like discipline and how to apply what we learned in both a physical way and a spritual way.

Just a thought....

And stop stressing about your physical ability. No one expects you to be Jean Claude Vandamme your first day. Do you think everyone everywhere who joins a martial art is fit to start with? Of course not. We dont expect you to be fit until at LEAST day two.

 

I see.
Well, I guess that the only way to know is to check out this dojo I found and try to understand how things work in there.

To be honest, I chose Karate for my passion for Japan (I got a degree in Japanese Language and Culture some years ago), and out of Judo, Aikido, Kendo, Jiu Jitsu, Sumo (yeah) and Karate I thought that the one I would be more "fit" for would be the last one.

I'm no expert by a long shot, but from what I understand Kung-Fu is generally more fluid and requires more nimble movements, while Karate is "rigid" and "well planted on the ground".
Please forgive me if these definitions are inaccurate - as I said I am no expert.

All in all, I guess that all comes down to how the teacher likes to teach.
Don't have much choice here in Italy tho, at least not near where I live.

 

No worries. I wasn't really sure if I understood your meaning, but I thought it was a point worth bringing up anyway.

As others have said, you really don't need to worry about your present level of fitness. The original purpose of karate-do and other japanese do arts was to forge a strong mind and strong body. You'll note the idea is to forge these attributes, not to assume them as a starting point. As some buddhist or other said "start from where you are, not from where you'd like to be".

To my mind martial arts is a good way to forge these attributes, but its by no means the only way. When people talk about 'character development' they often think about becoming a better (ie. nicer, more spiritually enlightened) person. But I think the founders of the do arts thought of 'better' in a different way, ie. primarily mentally and physically stronger, but also more obedient and willing to subdue one's own ego and put the needs of the collective group before one's own. Joining the army or training for the Olympics would be other good ways to forge such attributes.

I'd advise you not to get too hung up on a particular style or tradition, just find a good teacher who both demonstrates and teaches the right attitude.

Mike

 

Gross generalisations I'm afraid. Better to put any preconceptions you have aside and visit the clubs local to you to see what they're like.

Whereabouts are you?

Mike

 

At the moment I live in Northern Italy, in a small town near a slighly bigger town called Busto Arsizio. I might move to Milan shortly for work tho. Plenty of choices there I think.

Unfortunately it's not sure yet, so I'm searching near both locations.

 

Busto Arsizio is near to Legnano correct? I just recently discovered that some of dads relatives live there.

 

Yeah it's quite close - that's cool!
About 8 years ago I tried Wing Chun in a Busto Arsizio gym...but the warmups there were so intense even from day 1 that I could not keep up, one time I felt sick and almost passed out so I had to quit after just about one month.

Maybe that's why I'm so concerned now about my physical condition

 

Had you eaten? If you're getting dizzy that sounds like blood sugar dip and that can happen if you haven't eated enough prior to exercise. Dehydration can also effect you that way.

 

Interestingly, in my experience, both of those statements are completely inaccurate.