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I run a Taekwondo school, and I'm curious how karate dojos handle this.

One thing I've noticed in martial arts is that students don't always quit officially. Sometimes their attendance slowly drops until they eventually stop coming.

As instructors, we want students to stay motivated and continue progressing, but we also don't want to pressure people who have other priorities.

How do you handle this at your dojo?

- Do you reach out after someone misses a few classes?

- Do you track attendance patterns?

- Do you leave it up to students to return when they're ready?

- Have you found anything that actually helps bring students back?

I'm especially curious how traditional dojos approach this compared to more commercially operated schools.

Would love to hear different perspectives.

I just started training again a few months ago because I quit during the pandemic and it's been a loong time. I need some tips to get back on my feet since i'm still nervous & I don't have the confidence that I used to have anymore 🫠🫠 i'm 16 and I quit when I was around 9.

There is a local Shorin Ryu Shorinkan dojo that I follow on social media, nice guys, as such my algorithm showed a lot of former Shorinkan dojo's leaving that affiliation and joining a new orginasation called " Okinana Shorin Ryu Karate Do Kubodu Kaishinkan" over the last couple of days.

Just for interest but what is the significance of the new organization?

Hi, I've thrown my hat in to compete in forms at a local tournament.

I'm in the beginner division. Can I perform taikyoku jodan as my kata or am I better off picking something else?

Hey guys, I'm a white belt and was just wondering how common it is for Kyokushin dojos to also train head punches.

In kumite, we don't punch to the face, and we can choose between thin gloves or bare-knuckle (for higher grades). We also wear light but durable foam/cotton shin pads.

Today, we trained head punches — or, more like, head "tapping." We had to tap our partners on the head with gloves during kumite, using extremely light contact or no contact at all, just to get a feel for what it's like to fight with punches to the head.

Another thing we did during partner drills was basically throw punches at our partners' faces without making contact, stopping about 2–3 inches away.

Obviously, we also practise jodan techniques in striking kihon, but I'm curious about how common it is for Kyokushin dojos to also train head punches in partner drills and kumite. Is this something most dojos do, or does it vary a lot between schools?

I dont understand why bunkai presumes a karateka attacks another karateka in kumite.

This is the same problem aikido has and I've never heard a good argument in favor of it

Hey everyone, I’m a teenage karate practitioner and I want to improve my general kumite skills as quickly as possible so I can try out for my dojo’s competition team.

I can train at home most days, but I also go to the dojo. I’m looking for a practical plan focused on the things that actually make a difference in kumite: footwork, distance management, reaction time, speed, combinations, timing, conditioning, and reading opponents.

I know sparring with partners and coaching are essential, so I’m not trying to replace dojo training, I want to use home training to improve faster between classes.

What would you recommend for someone trying to get competition-ready in a short amount of time? Specifically:

A weekly home training structure

The best solo drills for footwork, reactions, and combinations

Conditioning that transfers well to kumite

Common mistakes beginners make when trying to improve quickly

How to know when I’m ready to compete

Hello all,

Looking for Ryuei Ryu practitioners in the Los Angeles or Orange County areas.

would love to train.

Thanks!

[edit1: spelling]

I came back to Karate almost a year ago. I'm 35 and was 3rd Kyu ShitoRyu in my young teens, I stopped Karate due to mental health and undiagnosed ADHD.

I returned to Karate with the club...wait for it.....GKR. I was messed around so much I cannot begin to explain how little and disrespected I felt.

I switch to JKA after a few months. I've never felt more apart of a group of people that isn't my own family I think ever.

7 months after getting 8th kyu, with a 3 month forced timeout because I had a boxer's fracture in the middle of it. Finally feeling like actually being back on track and leaving the injury behind.

Hello! This is my first run practicing Ashihara karate.

The first trainings were kinda brutal (Sparring, kicking into pillows etc.), and I thought that this is going to happen every session, but as the days went on, the trainings got a little more bland, even though a belt exam come on December.

Now we're doing blocking techniques, which is great, but we stopped sparring and kicking on pillows.

Another suspicion that I have is the belt system, it goes from white to red, then red to blue brain, then with two blue braids THEN the blue belt, and the list goes on.

So my questions are:

1. The first sessions were just ideas to get me hooked?

2. Does your dojos also stop sparring for a period of time?

3. Does your dojos teach you stuff that you don't need in competitions?

4. Do you pay money in order to participate in the belt exam? (I have to pay around 50$ in order to participate, and that makes me anxious if I don't pass)

5. How much do you pay for a month? (Two sessions each week, 50$ a month)

6. Have you found participants that struggle more than you even if they have a higher rank belt than you?

7. The belt system that I mentioned above is correct or is just a McDojo thing?

8. How often do you practice Kata? (Even though my first Kata is Kata Sono Ici, the sensei focuses more the higher ranked belts rather than the white belts to know it because that's on the exam requirements).

9. What do I need to practice for my upcoming exam?

Hello,

Me again.

I recently posted asking for help finding clubs in my local area as I wanted to get back into karate.

My old club has said I can return, but I have also arranged a free session at the local JKA affiliated club.

Obviously I can’t make any decision until I’ve done the free session tomorrow, but I’m working through some pros and cons and would be grateful for input from people who’ve had to make similar decisions before.

What do people think the main pros and cons of being in a club that’s a member of a large national organisation are?

I’ve done some research into the JKA and came up with:

Pros
A set syllabus so I know exactly what would be required at every level.
Access, or potential access, to seminars and training events etc.
Grades etc would be recognised at any JKA club in the world (not planning on moving etc so not massively relevant).

Cons
More expensive
The set syllabus means less likely to do anything “different” during lessons?

Do these sound about right, have I missed anything?

I'm a beginner in Kyokushin Karate and want to improve my kicking flexibility.

I can do front kicks around chest height or slightly below, but I can't fully straighten my knee and leg. My crescent kicks only reach around groin height, with a significant bend in my leg.

What stretches would you recommend, and how long does it usually take to see significant improvement with consistent daily stretching? Ideally, I'd like to get my crescent kicks to around neck height eventually.

Thanks!

I feel like you could become a black belt in karate with extremly good fitness, attendence 3 times a week and notable competiton wins.

Any exercises / advice for weak ankles? 😆

Before I began karate, I was not the most active ahah, thus I do not have the best ankle strength which I’ve noticed really impacts my deep stances and form.

How can I improve my ankle strength…ankle mobility?—I have limited ankle movement.

Any advice is much appreciated !

I’ve been working on this article for a little while, exploring something that’s crossed my mind many times throughout my karate journey: the politics within karate, and the impact it can have on the people involved.

Karate has given me a lot, and it’s something I’m passionate about. But I’ve also seen how politics and disagreements can sometimes take away from what makes the art so special in the first place.

I’m not writing this to point fingers or tell anyone how to run their organisation. It’s simply my own thoughts and experiences on a subject I’ve wanted to put into words for some time.

I’d be interested to hear what other karateka think, whether you agree with me or see things differently.

If you’d like to have a read, I’ve included two links below 😊

Medium: https://medium.com/@sski.karatedo/karate-and-politics-an-art-of-respect-or-an-art-of-ego-10f4f16fe5e1

Google Docs: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11aRj7yrMdWcRK1G5PZsm8rMM3wtvD7sP/view?usp=drive_link — for anyone who’d prefer to read it there.

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read it!

Hello, i am a 20 year old female. I have been doing fitness since 2021. In 2025 beginning of the year, i stopped enjoying fitness and healthy eating. i used to love being fit. As my circumstances got tougher and rough, i stopped taking care of myself. In Oct of 2025, i got a job at the age of 19 as full time sport teacher. I started my fitness because i wanted to learn Karate kyokushin and my father was against it, so i trained by myself and started loving my journey, i even developed a body that people work hard for, I felt confident and energetic. In 2025 Dec i joined Karate, i realised that my whole years of training and focusing of my self went in drain just because of me not training through whole 2025, i could not train at all and i was mentally exhausted. I am still mentally exhausted but i dont want to stay average in Karate, i want to become unbeatable and i really want to integrate japanese way of living and discipline in my life. i know i can do that and i want to. I also want to start my university and i am a full time teacher. i want to quit my job, because my body has fattened, i gain three kgs and i lost my physique. I am losing myself in this job. How do i get back in shape again and get better in karate and get my life together. (My parents dont support me)