r/karate • u/roaming_electron • 1d ago
Beginner How do I get good at karate (kumite) quick?
Alright so I've been doing karate for about 7 years but the first I would say 4 years we balanced kumite and kata and the other 3 our coach basically never did kumite with us anymore so I mostly did kata until a month and a half ago when I switched to kumite only group.I know basics like yoko or ura mawashi,the pointing system, how to hold my guard, time footwork.. but still I want to get good at it quick and so far what I know I am good at my older teammate said my guard was hard to get trough and that she had to use tactics to actually score and I think Im quite decent at sparring with people a couple years older with me but now I want to get to the main question, how do I get as good as quick as possible so I can even go to competitions?I would gladly train home and I never miss my usual training 3 times a week.Also Im basically a teen and one of the younger ones there so I want to catch up with my older teammates as quick as possible and make my coach consider sending me to compete because he doesnt send just anyone.
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u/Rough-Riderr 1d ago
Is there an old Japanese maintenance man working at your apartment building?
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u/Eegore1 1d ago
You've been training 7 years and don't know the only way to get good at kumite quick is to train kumite most?
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u/GKRKarate99 Shotokan 1st Dan formally GKR and Kyokushin 1d ago
It’s like one of my Sensei’s said once, the only way to get better at kumite is to keep doing it
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u/roaming_electron 1d ago
Its because I was in a younger group where our coach mostly just taught us kata and barely kumite and now Im a teen so I just moved to a kumite only group with mostly people who are a couple of years older so I have the kumite basics but the coach really doesnt send just anyone to competitions
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u/Eegore1 12h ago
You don't know the fastest way to get better at sparring is to actually spar, and that is because you were in a younger group where your coach mostly just taught kata and barely kumite?
Sounds like you know exactly what the problem is: You did mostly kata and barely kumite. Spar more, and your sparring will improve. There aren't any real viable shortcuts if that is what you are looking for.
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u/TheSpeedyBee 1d ago
Go fight, spar, get hit, and keep going.
There are some things like three step sparring you can do to work on specifics, but repetition is the only way.
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u/Even-Job-323 1d ago
Take a thai boxing class once a week for the sparring. It's the only answer.
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u/roaming_electron 1d ago
I mean we have sparring I forgot to specify that I just switched to a kumite only group just about a month ago as a teen and most people there are really a couple of years older and more experienced so I really want to catch up as quick as possible.
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u/AvocadoOk3459 1d ago
Sparring and shadow boxing. No offense but no sparring during class time is absolutely ridiculous yall need to be sparring.
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u/roaming_electron 1d ago
What I meant is I used to be in a group in which our coach just taught us kata and barely did kumite but now I switched to kumite only group as a teen and there are people a couple of years older and more experienced so I really dont want to look foolish
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u/oknazevad 12h ago
So here's the truth: you're going to look foolish at first. Get over it. You're there to learn. Part of that is making mistakes. Your ego will recover. No one will hold them against you unless you refuse to learn from them. Going out of your way to avoid making mistakes is refusing to learn. That's the most foolish thing one can do.
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u/Agreeable-Way6792 1d ago
I personally worked on a heavy bag swinging it and practiced a reverse punch. It developed my timing and I also did defensive side kicks. Work on proper form and timing. You'll be surprised when you do. Timing will be good and so will your form.
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u/Interesting_Pilot_13 Goju Ryu, Kyokushin 1d ago
Do more kumite. Join another dojo if you have to/can.
Joining another dojo is very good because it means you have new people to spar with, who you aren't used to (like it would be in a tournament), who also might see things your regular training partners won't. It also might allow you to learn new techniques or variations of throwing things you already knew, adding more to your arsenal of moves.
For home practice, I'd recommend trying to make combinations that flow well for you, and drilling them regularly. Try them out at the dojo when you spar next. They may or may not work, or in the moment you might alter it to work better because it's not working and improve it on the spot. You can ask your sparring partner or Sensei what they think of it and they might be able to impart some advice on it.
Shadow boxing is a good idea too. Try to make sure that you aren't always attacking but practicing your defense and movement as well. Don't just aimlessly throw your techniques in the air; try to visualise your opponent in front of you fighting back.
Watching videos on YouTube of people sparring or fighting at tournaments helps too; you can even watch people from different styles or arts. If watching people from different styles/arts, make sure you can adapt what they're doing to the ruleset that you're fighting under (if you're practicing for a tournament or something)
Also, don't skip out on cardio
These are some things that I did and still do to try and improve and it led me to win a regional competition in kumite earlier this year.
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u/Icy_Strawberry737 1d ago
Chuck Norris wrote a book "Winning Tournament Karate." It's available on amazon. It's about 50 years old but it has excellent advice from the man who dominated karate tournaments in the late 1960s.
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u/BigBlackBigBlock 1d ago
Spar with people better than you who will push you to get better. Learn to stay calm when things aren't going your way. Keeping your composure, when someone is trying to hit you goes a long way.
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u/Majestic_Hour_8836 1d ago
Practice, find a training buddy or several and work on different things , footwork combos , more practice and fitness
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u/Linxous1 1d ago
You can go to competitions now, that's really the best way to get better quickly aside from regularly practicing it. Go, have fun, learn. When you're done, win or lose, look at what worked and what didn't and practice with intent. If you've been doing this for 7 years already you have no reason not to go test yourself.
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u/Tigereyesxx 1d ago
Stop thinking about techniques and concentrate on movement through your Hara..you will attack and defend naturally, concentrate your power in that area and you can move lightning fast like the Japanese…
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u/Richard734 1d ago
keep it simple, dont overcomplicate it - Start with block and jab. Keep the same response going until it becomes natural. Then add a second punch, so block, jab, punch. Again, keep it simple until it becomes natural. Then throw in a 3rd punch or a low kick (your choice) and keep building.
If you really want to score a quick win, try moving inside rather than backwards when you are attacked - 99% of sparring partners expect you to move back when they throw something at you. Stepping forward or just not moving as they come forward and getting inside with a decent block and and a quick jab to the chin - Point :)
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u/jaszczomb916 1d ago
You need to get used to being hit. The more you are resistant, the more yo can focus on offence. This includes daily kicking and hitting heavy bags.
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u/praetorian1111 wado ryu karate jutsu 19h ago
The only real shortcut I know is talent. The normal way is putting in the hours. You said you are training with older (bigger?) kids. My suggestion is to pair up with the best ones. You don’t really learn in your comfortzone, go out of your comfortzone with better kumite fighters every change you get.
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u/Leather_Plenty_3091 19h ago
In my dojo, I teach non-traditional karate, meaning we do it all: striking, wrestling, judo, jiujitsu, etc. it’s not MMA, although people call it that. I got these ideas from training under Jon Bluming’s style “Kyokushin Budokai All-Round Fighting” and training with the Machida’s down in Lomita, Ca. I also was a coach at an MMA gym.
My style would not work in a point sparring tournament. However, one of my fighters just competed and won in a point Muay Thai competition.
I grew up training with the old timers in the early 80’s (I’m 51 now) and my dad was a hard-style Shotokan fighter. I’ve done traditional karate and competed a bunch in point bouts, but I had to offer a different approach to fit in today’s evolution of martial arts.
Kickboxing is a derivative of karate, and that may be a good avenue to get some rounds in and still adhere to some tradition.
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u/Intresting_charizard 11h ago
Weighted or resistance training. Use that and practice kicking and striking with weights to build speed during non weighted sessions. In kumite it’s basically a battle of hit and don’t get hit so hit them first with speed.
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u/PanicBadger 1d ago
I found the most helpful things are 1. Practice getting hit, do some contact training with someone who can punch at different strengths and just get used to being hit. 2. An extension of the first, Practice not flinching when a punch is coming toward you.
Technique and reactions will come with Practice but in an actual kumite environment, being able to be hit and hold your stance and not back down will help immensely
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