Your first hour
What to Expect at Your First Karate Class
The hardest part of martial arts is the walk through the door. It helps to know what is on the other side of it.
What to wear
Comfortable clothes you can move in - a t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms are fine. Training is barefoot. You do not need a uniform until you decide to stay.
When to arrive
Ten minutes early is plenty. That gives you time to find us at 2533 65th St, get changed, and meet whoever is teaching before the class starts.
Wide shot of the mat mid-class, from the back of the room
How a first karate class actually runs
Classes open and close with a formal bow. In between there is a warm-up, basics, and then whatever the instructor is working on with the group that night - kata, partner drills, conditioning. A beginner is given something achievable to work on rather than being asked to keep up with the room.
The etiquette, briefly
- Bow when you step onto and off the mat.
- Instructors are addressed by title - Sensei, Sempai - not by first name.
- If you need to stop, stop. Sit at the edge of the mat and rejoin when you are ready.
- Nobody expects you to know any of this on day one. You will be told.
Afterwards
You will be asked what you thought, and that is the end of it. There is no closing pitch.
Will I be the only beginner?
Almost never - and if you are, you will be looked after rather than left to guess. Every senior student in the room started where you are.
Do I need to be fit first?
No. People start in every condition. The training builds the fitness; waiting until you are fit is how most people never start.
Will I have to fight anyone?
Not on your first class, and not until an instructor decides you are ready. Sparring is supervised and controlled.
See for yourself
Prefer to talk? Call (718) 645-2402. Otherwise send this and we will get back to you.
Your first hour looks much the same whichever group you join: our childrens classes, our teen classes and training as an adult.