“If you want to be skilled at karate, do what skilled karate people do: train each day! If you get into the habit of daily training, you will surprise yourself with how much progress you can make.”

Tatsuya Naka 7th dan Shotokan JKA.

I often get asked “how can I improve my karate?” The answer is very simple. Practice. 

One of my principles has always been ‘once learned never forgotten’, out of respect to my teachers and my instructors. They never had to teach me the same thing twice. 

It amazes me how people can be so bold as to say; ‘Ive forgotten what you taught me’!……. Basically this is because you do not have the discipline to practice diligently and regularly.

Whenever I was taught anything by my instructors I would write it down, go through it in my head in the car on the way home, and repeat it again as soon as I got home. I would do it from my notes and then visualize it in my mind, and physically thereafter, out of respect to my teacher as much as myself.

Set yourself the goal of practicing karate every day….. “Every day?” – Wait that’s a lot! I don’t mean a hard-core, karate workout every day, but rather that you set aside some time, perhaps as little as a few minutes, to practice karate every day.

Maybe you can go for a run or walk, or stretch for ten to fifteen minutes. Lift some weights, to strengthen muscles that are specifically used in karate. Maybe you can practice a kata a few times, reinforce what you instructor taught you in class. Spend a few minutes reading about martial arts history or philosophy, I post numerous articles on our Facebook page and my Blog. All of those are good options that don’t take a lot of time and, applied consistently, will greatly improve your karate.

Training a little every day also helps reinforce the concepts taught at the dojo each week, and will make you better prepared for the next class.

Do you practice everyday? I do. ‘Once learned never forgotten’. ??

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle.

Inspired by Steve Rowe 9th dan Shikon International.