If you want to be a beast in class and at your next belt exam, here are my five tips so you can train like a hungry tiger! Consider these five points for your future improvement.

Point #1 Kiai! Your kiai shows your fighting spirit. If you don't have a strong kiai, then the likelihood that you will be able to use your karate in self-defense is slim. Why? Because a big part of the fight is attitude and your kiai reveals your attitude and intensity towards protecting yourself. If you want to improve your kiai, I suggest you start with reading my article on it.

Point #2 Zanshin. Zanshin is awareness and you have to engage your mind more in your training, especially kata. Let me let you in on a little secret I watch when testing students in kata. I watch their eyes. Your eyes tell the story. Are they strong and focused, or are they glazed over. Your eyes tell me if you are there in the fight, when performing kata it should be like a real fight, or if your body is here and your mind is somewhere else. Like on a beach readying a good book and playing with seashells (just kidding). But seriously your eyes tell where your mind is at. When you do your karate...BE THERE in the moment with total concentration and determination to WIN!

Point #3 To many students during kumite depend on that lead jab punch. Many of our students I noticed like to use that lead jab punch, but when they do they leave themselves wide open for an attack. The lead punch tends to cause you to lean in and bring your face closer to your opponents fist. Not a good idea! Stay back and use that lead hand primarily to deflect, to grab and to perhaps do a jab every once in awhile, but not all the time. in my opinion over ninety percent of top karate athletes will use the gyaku tsuki, reverse punch, to score the majority of their points. Try it. It works!

Point #4 Younger students should observe more of the older students on how to act in the dojo and older students should observe the younger students to be reminded of how great it is to do karate! I mean these white and yellow belts are really excited, just like you were a long time ago perhaps. Learn from each other.

Point #5 Train everyday like it's your last day to train! Why? Because it might just be. None of us our guaranteed tomorrow, so give your best today! If you do, you will also eliminate much of the unnecessary anxiety that comes along with test day! You'll be ready. Testing doesn't build character, or skills for the most part. It mainly reveals character and skills. If you train like a hungry tiger every class, your going to be a beast ready to show off your skills at test time! My advice to you is to train hungry, always wanting to become a little bit better than yesterday and you will show up to your exam satisfied that you did your very best!

"Way of The Dojo" - By Sensei Dave

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