Some Safety Hints & Tips

Karate training can be quite hard, especially for someone who doesn't normally take part in any physical activity, however, your body can quickly adapt to this training, so even the most unfit student should soon adapt and become fit enough to enjoy the training.

Make sure that you inform your instructor if you suffer from any illness or condition likely to affect your ability to train. This includes asthma, diabetes, migraine or any condition that requires you to take regular medication. Take your asthma inhalers (puffers) to lessons and diabetics should always have a suitable sugary drink close at hand. Make sure your instructor knows where you keep these items, what they are and how they are used.

If you have an accident during your training, please inform your instructor straight away. This will be recorded in the club accident book.

If your instructor knows of your health condition he can keep an eye on you and may even spot the onset of symptoms before you do. Ensure that your instructor is first aid qualified by a reputable association and that his certificate is valid and up to date.

Otherwise, make sure that you (a) warm up properly before you begin the lesson (b) don't train too soon after eating a large meal or consuming alcohol and (c) warm down after training.

If you want to know more about how you can look after or improve you general health click here.

When practicing Bunkai, you must not attack any limb joints, pressure points, soft tissue areas. This is particularly important to remember during kumite. Any practice involving attacks to these areas must be done in VERY slow time, without contact and with full knowledge by your partner.

Leg sweeps and takedowns are permitted during sparring but proper training is necessary beforehand. You must let your partner down safely by holding onto their gi.

I could list many safety tips here to ensure that your training is safe, but I have found from my experience during my years in teaching, that the greatest amount of accidents occurred when karate-ka did not close their fingers properly when executing a move with their hands. Similar advice applies to the toes. This was due more to the fact that the karate-ka "did not listen" rather than not apply the correct technique. Click here for more on Sports Injuries.

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Updated: Friday, 10 September 2010