Bradford Bushido Ryu
Shotokan Karate Club
(est 1985)

Advice for all

1. Regular training - You should train twice a week in order to remember what you learned and make good progress. Train more often to progress much faster but remember to be patient. What you gain from a training session is up to you. You can work hard, or look like you're working hard. There's nothing wrong with either but you will only progress if you put in some effort.
2. Don't forget karate over your holidays or exam periods. Find a local Shotokan club. If you can't find a club, practice for 30 mins every day.
3. Stay away from smoking, alcohol and other drugs if you can !
4. Respect the higher grades. They have been training longer and have learned more than you.
5. Patience - Karate is endless. There is so much to learn. So study hard, and have patience. All karateka were once beginners, no different to you.
6. You can never perfect anything, but you can work towards perfection - This is the beauty of martial arts. Every time you practice, you improve. Every time you make a mistake, you learn.
7. Coloured belts give you something to aim for. But if everyone needed a new belt every three months, they would run out of colours.
8. Observe - Watch the instructor. Study his position and movement. There are many details to notice, but you will learn these with time. You should start by noticing the position and movements of feet, hands, head, hips and shoulders.
9. Copy the instructor as best you can. It's not beyond you. Then sense your own movement. Remember what you're told.
10. Study; then think; then study more. This will lead to understanding.
11. Practice - If you are keen to advance, then try practicing your basic blocks every day. It only takes five minutes. Your body and mind become trained in these movements. So then you can forget them.
12. You don't have to pay fees to practice at home.
13. Some students find that practicing their kata is good for relieving exam stress.
14. Homework - there are plenty of very good books and videos on the subject of Shotokan karate, so if you are very keen and want to learn outside the lessons then these will be of great benefit. But they cannot replace regular training.