How do you improve your techniques?

[nzproud]

How do you improve your techniques? Combination of techniques?
I thought this thread may help beginners.

I think asking sensei / sempai to look at your techniques is great, so he/she can tell you how you doing the technique wrong. Does this combination work in kumite? etc..

Another way to look at your technique is to see yourself against the mirror and check your form. I sometimes film myself doing techniques and this way you can really see what your movements are like. Do this over and over until you correct your form as desired.. this may take a few days and months(years?).

If you are training for your first fight then work on one combination 1.2.3 (punch punch low kick), practice the combination many times.

Just my 2 cents.

[Shokei Marcsui]

I've been told to practice kihon, often and at a high frequency.

With kicks, perform it slowly. Knee Up, Leg Extension, Pull leg back in, down. Break down the mechanics of it.

Also, walking to the refrigerator from the couch in kokuso dachi during commercial breaks if I want something.

[Olrac]

I take showers while standing in kiba dachi

[kakatootoshi]

A correct form to start with is important so pay attention in each lesson. And I think good mitt training plays another key part because no matter how you think you are looking good (or not good) in the mirror, when you actually hit something you may have second thoughts about your "visual" judgment (distancing, power, reaction time, just to name a few). And of course when you fight a live opponent things may further change. Try to aim at experimenting at least one or two combinations in each sparring session and ask yourself if they truly work for you. You learn nothing if you simply beat people and get beaten up in sparring.

OSU!

[nzproud]

Originally Posted by Olrac

I take showers while standing in kiba dachi

lol I imagined it and lol'd.

[Shokei Marcsui]

I've turned the shower to the coldest setting, stood in sanchin dachi and seiken chudan tsuki.... imagining I was training with Mas Oyama and some of the older, greater kyokushin karateka.

In other words... I know what you mean Olrac.

[seienchin]

sick, sick puppies.

Back to topic (which is, I believe, how to improve, not what are your hygiene habits)... I'm certainly not contributing to a thread about "what do you wear in the shower!!!!"

Firstly the thing is to find combinations or techniques that work for you and your biomechanics. Of course, sometimes you will want to develop things that don't come easily, but starting with things that fit your body is good, especially when you are a beginner. So, as you train, you will find that there are some techniques that just feel better and more natural to you than others. These are the ones to form the basis of your "quiver of arrows".

What I do then is lots and lots of repetition outside of class, preferably in front of a mirror, so that I can watch out for the things that the sensei has said are important to good execution. IF there is something that is holding me back (such as flexibility for a particular kind of kick), I would add some specific stretching to allow it to develop faster.

Once the movement is coming in a flowing way, it's time to practice it on the bag - again alone. And try to practise it how you would in kumite. Moving in and through, not standing still. Once it is working, I try a few different blocks or deflections pinned on the front, and see which one or ones it flows from most naturally. (test these with ippon kumite, using a partner) Then, I do it over and over and over with that block as the commencing movement.

At a certain point along this path, it will suddenly roll out in kumite without you ever even thinking. The block that is your trigger will happen, and suddenly you will be doing combination counterattack without ever having had to think about it. That means your opponent is much less likely to see it coming! You can extend this as well, by putting another couple of techniques on the end. Practice, Practice, Practice.

Have fun! (always an important element of training. Fun carries you through most of your training. Discipline kicks in when the fun runs out. If you rely on discipline all the time, you will get exhausted (and probably be a grumpy mean person). Have fun. Life is too short.

[Spirit]

Teaching, my favorite subject...

2 Key words for this thread "Observe and Imagine"

Imagine...
In class while doing kihons/techniques (moving or not) focus on the person body in-front of you. Use them as your target, imagine that each technique you throw you are hitting them with it. Making sure that if the call for chudan is given you are in that range as well in the range for vital targets too. By having a human target you really improve on your techniques since every class you (possibly) will have a different target size , shape etc.
Continue to imagine throughout the class, if it happens that you are in the front of the class then focus on a point on the wall.
Now I have a imaginary friend that comes to class with me every time I go. He is their for me always, we do all our training together, he is my partner and by working together we train harder. I always have a real target to practice on (or someone trying to hit me) and it is a great motivator, he never gets tired and yells at me when I do....He is great to use when you are in the front of the class and can't use other people!

Your imagination is very real and is very much apart of the mind, it is their to help you to stay alive in desperate times and it helps you to work out problems and the like. By using the tools that we have one can improve much more than by only following what is being taught us.

Taking your imagination, and getting it to work for you (with you) is a great tool. You can expand on it in so many levels and in so many places too.
The mind works in so many complex ways and if we focus only on the basic fundamental ways of our mind, we will miss so many learning paths.
I guess one can go as far as saying that your imagination is moving/living mediation.


Observe...
Observing what others are doing (right or wrong) is a excellent tool for the mind as well validation which in-turn motivates you to work harder.
By observing how other do kicks, punches (the list goes on) you see how that person does it (and the library grows by 1 each time you watch someone new, in a few years you have stored much knowledge in 30 or more you have much knowledge to draw from) how they "set-up" to do it and so on.
By understanding body language (learned from observing) you will be able to defend against something that has yet to happen. Be able to block or deflect techniques that normally hit you, understand a techniques better and then be able to use it better. Or you can understand the little things that no one tells you about when learning how to move or punch (again the list goes on)
I always tell the students that observation is the #1 way to learn and to understand, if you know that someone is doing something wrong then you are starting to understand that technique (which is a good thing). If you observe kata, kumite through the eyes of many (many being all you watch) that will help you learn or improve your abilities to compete against them, then you have taken a new step forward.

Our eyes are directly set to the mind (as all our sensors are, but none like the eyes) and learn from them is one of our most important learning tools and often we don't use the eyes to their fullest potential.
Observe everyone, learn from everyone by watching them.
If kata is done one by one (one person on the floor at a time or broken up into groups) then watch each and every person. Skill is not the key factor , seeing wrong is just as important as seeing right. By seeing wrong often helps you to understand why sensei asks you to do it in a way that you may not understand until you really see it wrong?!?
You can always learn no matter the rank, so watch everyone.

If I'm visit a new dojo to teach, what I will do is ask someone to warm up the class and then run them through a few basics (few blocks, kicks, punches). While this is going on I observe everyone from a point they don't see me (back or side). Once I feel that I have observed everyone doing the basics and observed their body language, then I teach the class using the info I have collected.
By following this procedure, I feel that I will connect better with the group and understand where they are (mind set) and be able to focus the seminar to them on a personal level even if their are 20-50 students in the class. Each student will get a personal feel (1 on 1) as if it was more a private lesson than a group seminar.
I can make statements about how they train, think, etc that they can't figure out how I knew that since I just meet them.
It all comes down to observation and the information you CAN collect information by observing a person. We as humans tell more about ourselves from body language than by talking.
Start out by observing small mistakes and work your way up to reading all the details that w give out.
I use this is the same manner if I'm the student as well.
I never not observe everyone in the dojo, not just the class.



Good skil to you all

[irfan]

By practicing alone to a bag,repeatedly

[PoisedTiger007]

Watch this video: .youtube.com/watch?v=uj2cQhxy6sY&NR=1
Really good! I found it very beneficial. Add 3 'w's in the beginning.

[Nix]

- Never assume your technique is perfect. It never will be. Know that there is always room for improvement.
- Accept that kihon will always be a part of your karate training, even after decades of practice. You might as well learn to appreciate it.
- Observe yourself. Look at yourself in a mirror, or record it in video for evaluation.
- Observe others. Learn from their good techniques and from their mistakes.
- Listen to criticism from your teacher and fellow students.
- Take notes.
- If you have someone to practice with, encourage them. Sometimes it's better to be more, than to practice alone.
- If there is something you do not understand or you want the teacher to elaborate or show you something, don't be afraid to ask.
- Karate is more than simply execution of techniques. Spirit and form means just as much as doing it technically correct.
- In kumite: Don't be afraid to try something new. Try it in the dojo, so you know how effective it is in a real fight.

Sometimes we record ourselves on video, and evaluate it later. We comment eachother and discuss what we are doing wrong, and what might improve it. Meanwhile, we take notes. I think this works really well.
Also, teaching gives you a whole new perspective on things, but this is not so much for beginners, of course.

[Davidkyokushinstudent]

Ive got three kids who also do Kyokushin with me, so at home i find as we run through our techniques together it helps me to improve. It is alot like revision of technique. Because i am ranked higher than my kids they look to me for guidance so i make sure i am doing it properly. This has helped my technique to no end.

[seienchin]

Originally Posted by Davidkyokushinstudent

Ive got three kids who also do Kyokushin with me, so at home i find as we run through our techniques together it helps me to improve. It is alot like revision of technique. Because i am ranked higher than my kids they look to me for guidance so i make sure i am doing it properly. This has helped my technique to no end.

You remind me of a dad who used to train in my dojo...back in the days when parents still used to spank their kids...he thought the whole "family that trains together remains together" thing was pretty cool...until one day, he decided that his daughter needed to be disciplined for some bad behaviour.

She blocked and counter-attacked! Needless to say...he found other ways.....

(Don't worry - I'm not saying that you remind me of THAT part of his behaviour...just the training with the kids at home....).

[Davidkyokushinstudent]

Originally Posted by seienchin

You remind me of a dad who used to train in my dojo...back in the days when parents still used to spank their kids...he thought the whole "family that trains together remains together" thing was pretty cool...until one day, he decided that his daughter needed to be disciplined for some bad behaviour.

She blocked and counter-attacked! Needless to say...he found other ways.....

(Don't worry - I'm not saying that you remind me of THAT part of his behaviour...just the training with the kids at home....).

LOL I am too wise for that, as i am getting older and they are getting bigger, i have instituted a ' No sparring in the House' rule...

[sokaiya]

I was wondering, how do you guys throw your combinations? Do you think about it before hand? (Tell yourself I'm going to throw a 1-2 Jodan mawashi geri) Or do you just somehow feel it out and do whatever without thinking?

Personally, I've been trying to throw combinations out thoughtlessly but I'm starting to feel like it's completely wrong without thought process. I mean I can throw out counter kicks at the right time without thinking but everything else requires me to make a decision before hand. How about you? What is right?

[Dent]

Osu!

I think that as you practice certain individual techniques and combinations they will become instinctive. Others may not gel with you for years, and you'll need to think before you can use them.

Osu!

[supergroup7]

I try to improve my techniques by standing in front of the mirror and doing them repetitively while trying to look at myself through my Teacher's eyes. I remind myself of all of the things that I've heard as being important in the movement, and check each joint, and muscle as I do the technique. I'll even slow everything down so that I can see what is moving, and where it's ending up. Then.. when I'm satisfied that I may be performing at a level that would be satisfactory, I'll do a good amount of the techniques at power speed. I always chose to stand in Sanchin Dachi so that I can feel the stress on my feet, legs, and hips as I move since I want my techniques to involve my whole body, and not just bits and pieces of me.

[RJC]

Sometimes I used to spar using traditional stances, blocks, and strikes as if I were doing kata. My opponents would always give me a funny look, and it made sparring difficult as I was not used to it. It made my movements more vigourous, and although blocking was slower and less instinctive, it was stronger.
Sometimes, using over-emphasised traditional forms in a fluid context, can make your natural techniques more assertive and balanced.
Osu