The Meikai Karate Dojo

Training

On this page: Warm-up | Basics | Kata | Applications | Warm-down | Social

The Meikai Karate Dojo practices Karate and Karate-do, but not sports Karate. A typical lesson contains many or all of these elements:

Warm-up

As with any athletic activity, to prevent injury in training, it is important to warm up and stretch joints and muscles. Equally, it warms up the mind, allowing you to focus on the task in hand: Karate. It also helps you keep fit!

Basics

Practice in the basic techniques of Karate is essential throughout your Karate carreer, including at Black belt grades. Basics form the basis of advanced techniques, and develop:

  • Awareness
  • Co-ordination
  • Reflexes
  • Speed
  • Power
    •
    The basic Karate punch.
    A rising 'block', which can be used to deflect an incoming punch or as a strike.
    Block and counter: the left hand is blocking a punch, whilst the right hand is execting a strike.

    Kata

    Kata - sequences of set moves - illustrate the use of techniques against imaginary opponents. For example, Heian Nidan is shown on the right and the first two moves below.

    Applications

    In which the skills of basics and the techniques of the Kata are combined into useful techniques.

    The Dan-grade is catching and deflecting a face punch, then countering with a head strike.
    The attacker, on the right(!), has been imobilised with a lock.

    Warm-down

    A gentle warm-down may incorporate a period of stretching and meditation.

    Social

    Occasionally - well often, really - we go for a drink after training, or to a local restaurant.

    If you would like to train with us, or watch a lesson, please contact Sensei Mick Gunnell on 01444 233524.

    Return to the Karate home page.