Your flaws

DarkMonkey · Yellow Belt

Hrum. This thread is probably more for the people slightly newer to Martial arts (karate in my case) but I'm sure you all have aspects of your style that you are not completely assured in. Every time I train I find myself being told something is wrong, today it was paticularly bad, in front of the whole class I did my front kick (Mi-gerri - But I can't spell it) two low, apparently, three times, on the forth he let me carry on with the Kata. Fairly embarassing but I really like to have these things pointed out to me, just not so near to grading, I just dont' feel adequate, it's even worse when I go back to Khion Kata which I did so well to get my double grading (in my own opinion

) and find myself mucking it up and getting it confused with Heian Nidan and doing back stances for front punches and 45 degree low blocks.

Gah.

I read somewhere that often people feel like they are getting worse, when really they are getting better, it seems to be the case, I'm not sure I am getting better but you would expect to improve after going twice a week and trying your best (I do train in my own time a fair bit too). But sometimes I look at my back leg and it just isn't straight and I wonder how I got into that rut.

Anyway, the topic, I'll list my current main flaws or ruts I have got into without noticing which are irritating me and need to be overcome, hopefully some of you lot can post some of yours or relate to my story in some way. Bare in mind I am realitively new ot the whole game.

-------------
My stance, often my back leg is not straight at all.
Stance is often too narrow, especially when moving backwards.
My Turn (I can't do the japaneese spellings - Mote I guess, but it's not spelt like that really) usually ends up looking crappy and my leg doesn't come around enough to put me in a proper stance, it's always too narrow.
My back stance is too short.
My high block (gah - Agi-uki ???) is too high.
I'm forgetting to keep my elbows in properly when punching.
I don't turn my hips enough with the blocks and stance changes, often.
I often find myself closing my eyes when I punch, or blinking too much, not enough focus, when I do focus properly I feel a lot more powerful and assured, this trait probably goes back to me being very paranoid and not very self-confident. I imagine.
Mi-gerry (front-kick) is too low. I'm not bringing my knee up high enough, found that out today, stupid ruts. I mean I can easily do it well, or fairly well, if I try but I just get into these damn ruts (same with most of these problems) and they persist, sometimes they dont' get noticed quickly enough and are hard to get out of.

That's a fair list I think. Don't get the impression I'm some slack idiot who doesn't try, I do what I do pretty well for my level but some things I feel are just getting worse and it * me off. So much to correct and only two weeks until grading. I mean I know people almost always grade successfully at the early stages (Not that I agree with that at all but it seems to be the way) if they remember their moves and show a fair bit of determination but I said when I got my red belt that I would really try to be a worthy yellow belt rather than one who got it because the system doesn't want me to quit

Post your thoughts.

Chris from CT · Orange Belt

The only time you are not getting any better is when you think you've perfected what you are practicing.

So in reality... you are getting better just by realizing your flaws. Now all you have to do is practice more (like we all do).

Take care

_________________
Chris LaCava
Jung Ki Kwan of Connecticut
"Man is born soft and supple,
in death he is hard and rigid..." LaoTzu

niel0092 · Brown Belt

We all have things we wish we could do better. The only advice we can give you is to do your best, try hard each and every time, and that eventually things will improve. Now if I could just learn to follow my own advice...

Have a good day DarkMonkey.

owthathurts · Yellow Belt

Hello DarkMonkey!

The fact that you recognize and you are able to list the things you are doing wrong is a sign to me that you are getting better.

When I first learned the no-hands sweep kicks I thought I would never get it. I just practiced it over and over and over and over.....etc..and just became more frustrated.

So one day I sat down and thought about exactly what I was doing wrong. And believe it or not I wrote out a list like you did of all the things I felt I was doing wrong. Then I just worked on correcting those things and for sure...my sweeps are better now. Better not good!

Now that I know what NOT to do I just work on doing what I NEED to do.
Well that's my little story. :grin:

[ This Message was edited by: owthathurts on 2001-10-16 23:36 ]

KickChick · Black Belt

I agree with Chris 100% (thumbs up)... see my quote -- I am still learning to correct my "flaws"...actually they're weaknesses.

Practice...practice....PRACTICE! Break down each technique ... use a mirror...videotape yourself....although you are your worse critic it does seem to help!
My flaw has always been to look straight ahead doing forms, and to stop sticking my tongue out when I kick (kind of a Michael Jordan trait!).

Karateka · Red Belt

I am impressed by the way you have critiqued yourself. You will very rarely find a studend who will do that. I shall help you out on the spelling. Agi-uke, Mae Geri, and Mawakte. I felt the same way after I got my brown belt. I kept feeling like I kept making mistakes and feeling awkward demonstrating. Then I talked with my Sensei and Sempai and they told me I was not making more mistakes, they were polishing me up. Karate is like taking a piece of coal, then polishing it until you get that diamond inside. That is why Karate-Do is a lifetime study. Do not feel bad, it will get better.

_________________
"Never hit a man while he's down; kick him, its easier"

Sensei Ron Bagley (My Sensei)

Jack · Black Belt

DarkMonkey, I've had similar experiences to you. Allow me to list the problems I had.

1. Often my roundhouse would come at a diagonal level instead of horizontal.
2. My kicks with my right leg were ending up lower and lacking in power.
3. I could never get my stance the same each time.
4. My wrists bent when punching something.

What I did. Everytime I threw a roundhouse I would get that technique right to kick horizontally, eveytime I kicked with my right leg I would do it giving the power needed to get my knee high. I would practice stance a lot (still not fully sorted out) and I would really concentrate on getting my wrists straight when punching... alas, a few months later my right kicks and very nearly as good as my left, my punches are corrected and my roundhouses are rather impressive for someone at my level. Basically, just practice remembering all the things you need to improve on. Try practicing it slowly at first to get the technique/stance right then build up speed until you are satisfied. I have a grading coming up, just tonight's lesson then one more week and one last lesson before it - I have drawn up a routine to improve on everything

Good luck, and I hope you pass by deserving it which I think you will, and not just because the system wants you to carry on!

DarkMonkey · Yellow Belt

Thanks people

I really appreciate the encouragement. Feel free to keep the discussion going.

As I won't be attending my club next week and it is only two weeks to grading I thought I would ask my Sensei what exactly I was doing wrong and should work on while I was away, he said he only really thought my backstance was a bit short, especially when moving backwards and that my Keiagi (again: spelling badly) was a bit pointed on my left leg, and that were his only real problems after doing the test grading (going through the moves part, we didn't do the Kata or Kumite but we had done so before hand (Kata) and a very complex and new kumite excercise which was excellent, so I'm quite pleased I'm not doing too bad.

Anyways, Hum-trumble.

Karateka · Red Belt

Keiagi was spelled right!

Keep working hard, it will come soon enough!

_________________
"Never hit a man while he's down; kick him, its easier"

Sensei Ron Bagley (My Sensei)

Tobias_Reece · Brown Belt

I once used to stick my tongue out

I also used to pull funny faces when putting lots of effort into my kata.

It happens. All the instructors are doing is trying to improve your performance

c ya

_________________
"You Are Never Given A Dream Without Also Being Given The Power To Make It True. You May Have To Work For It, However"

Principal Kobudo Instructor & Owner
West Yorkshire Kobudo Academy
2nd Kyu (Matayoshi Okinawan Kobudo, IOKA UK)

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