How can I be better at Karate?

Question

I'm one of the three girls in my class & I suck! I suck the most out of other people. And I'm the least flexible one. During warm ups, I can't even put my legs down straight when I'm sitting. There always has to be an assistant by my side. I never follow the right steps. Very embarassing. And when I was sitting up, my underwear patterns were flashing through my white pants & I was wondering why the girl coach was looking at me so I just gave her a smile & then I looked down, she was looking at my underwear. I was so embarassed.

Answer 1

Keep practicing and you'll get the hang of it. I'm not sure about being the best in the gym, but at least you won't be bad as the new students that might be coming in after wards.

If there are other ways/easier and quicker ways to bcome better, a lot of people would already be capable of becoming a professional(I think).

Answer 2

Not a big deal.  If you stick with it you will be one of the best before you know it.  

As for the flash-through, it really isn't as bad as you think it is.  

Answer 3

After I had been training under the same instructor for about 15 years he once remarked to a room full of people that I was ONE OF THE FIVE LEAST TALENTED students that ever came into his class.  Despite having a very hard time as a white belt  I was determined and I kept training and slowly advanced.  A few years ago, after flunking the test twice I finally became a 4th degree black belt and I am also one of the top two women in the national martial arts organization to which I belong.  In my experience teaching others, talent has nothing to do with one's ultimate success in the martial arts. The only factor that matters is determination.  

By the way, keep on flashing that colorful underwear.  If it distracts your opponents, then it's an advantage,  When they look down, hit'em!

Answer 4

wear thongs

Answer 5

If you haven't been doing it long you'll get used to it, I was the same when I started. If you have been doing it for a while try doing the same warm-ups at home and usually off a decent karate website you can get a syllabus which tells you all you need to learn for the next belt and everything. You can try using one of these and doing the moves at home. Last tip, if the instructors tell you something where they think it will make your moves better, do it.

Answer 6

Always wear white or light colored underwear. You'll get better at stretching the more you do it. You must just be starting off, you'll get it. Just hang in there. Try stretching more at home.

Remember, white or light underwear. One time during a belt test one of the would be gold belts was wearing boxers with four leaf clovers and we asked him if they were for luck and joked around with him about them. lol

Answer 7

As suggested if the only place you stretch or practice moves is in class you will not progress very fast. Talk to the best student in your class and ask them how much they train at home? I can grantee you it will be quite a bit.

As for the under ware just get some white ones.

Edit for Bunjikan Ninja- Did you make sure to tell him that he now had to register his hands as lethal weapons while you were joking?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Make sure you tell them.

Answer 8

You have to practice to get

better.  There's no other way.

Practice warm-ups, your

routine at home.

If you're wearing white

pants, pick black or

nude colors as

undies.  They're less

visible.

Answer 9

start making it apart of you're lifestyle, practice when you have spare time, stretch when you waiting for something or before and after you got to bed, getting a bit more aggressive and not allowing giving yourself any excuses. Just go all out.

Answer 10

Here are some thoughts on what you have asked and this comes from many years of teaching both men and women, young, old, and tweens.  Some of the trouble you are having is not unusual as that is an awkward age and balance, coordination, flexibility are things that sometimes have to be developed or catch back up with you after growing some.  This might be one of the things in your case I think and so I would get to class a little early and spend a little more time warming up and stretching.  Also do some reading on slow, static type stretching and this will help you.  Secondly try to get someone to help you that is a little higher rank on some things that you are having trouble with before class and remember to say thank-you afterwords.  Most schools expect Brown-belts to do this as it helps re-enforce what they have learned as they show, teach, and review it with you as well as give them some other perspectives on it.  Third start taking notice of the clothes you wear and underclothes not just with regards to your karate gi but other clothing as well.  Many of my female students wear a leotard top under their uniform and or T-shirt for this reason and this is all part of growing up and learning to become a young lady.  Hang in there and a year from now I bet you will be glad you did!

Answer 11

The number one rule in my class "You don't have to be perfect, you just have to try."

Just keep trying and celebrate the little successes along the way.  Your instructor will appreciate that more than the kids who seem to be naturals but don't put effort into it.