ASK Manual for Junior Karate Students

KARATE BASICS

Manual for Junior Karate Students

Table of Contents
A Note to Parents Introduction Practice Technique Karate Basics Fighting Stance Slide-Up Pivot 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 4

Techniques Descriptions of some techniques follow. Note that not all of the techniques required for belt advancement are listed. White Belt Techniques Back Fist Strike Side Kick Roundhouse Kick Punch Yellow Belt Techniques Knife Hand Strike Front Kick Back Ridge Hand Strike Orange Belt Techniques Front Ridge Hand Strike Spinning Back Kick Hook Kick Hook Kick/Roundhouse Kick Combination Green Belt Techniques Spinning Back Kick Jump Front Kick Blue Belt Techniques Jab Jump Side Kick Jump Hook Kick Crescent Kick Advanced Blue Belt Techniques Hook Punch Spinning Back fist Strike 5

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A Note to Parents
Your involvement in the program will help sustain your child's interest and enthusiasm. As a parent you can help in many ways. Ensuring your child attends class regularly and arrives promptly helps your child feel involved in the group. Encouraging your child to practice by offering a target such as your hand or pillow for techniques (you can purchase a striking mitt) and noting completed practices on a practice sheet gives a sense of accomplishment. Reading this manual can help you help your child with his/her form and answer questions that might arise.

Introduction
This manual is an aid for classroom instruction, not a replacement. Form descriptions and techniques for practice all flow from what the student is taught in the classroom. The descriptions are intended to be thorough so that with periodic review, the student can work on improving more than just the basic technique.

Practice
Since the most important part of Karate is conditioning, practicing the techniques outside the classroom is essential. Classroom instruction teaches the technique and prepares for sparring (the sport part of Karate that uses the techniques in a light way {tapping} to score points). To improve these techniques, the student must condition the necessary muscles for balance and speed. Practicing the techniques slowly, almost in slow motion (called Slow with Good Form on the practice sheet), lets the student think about the form: using the correct hand or foot, looking in the correct direction, proper cover to avoid counter-strikes, etc. Practicing the techniques at "normal" speed with the objective of "tapping" the target (Quick Snap with Light Contact) improves accuracy, balance, speed, and strength. You can purchase Striking Mitts from your instructor for practice at home. The mitts give the student a target for the techniques and reduce the chance of injury. Note that even though the mitts provide a great deal of padding, it is still important to provide an appropriate target for the technique being practiced (e.g. a side facing target for a Roundhouse Kick and a front facing target for a Punch). Regular practice can dramatically improve a child's form and satisfaction with his/her performance in class.

Technique
Almost all Karate techniques fall into three categories: Straight Line, Hooking, and Half Circle. A Straight Line technique starts at point "A", goes straight to point "B", then returns (like a boxer's jab).

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A Hooking technique starts at point "A", moves straight out to point "B", hooks around to point "C", then returns to point A (like a boxer's hook punch).

A Half Circle technique starts at point "A", swings around to point "B", then swings back (like the door knob on a door).

Karate Basics
Fighting Stance
Description: The fighting stance begins every karate technique without exception. The body is completely sideways to your opponent; visualize an opponent when practicing. A left-hand fighting stance is with the left foot back and a right-fighting stance is with the right foot back. We call the hand closest to your opponent the "lead" hand and foot, and