The Complete Guide to GKR Karate

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'PATIENCE GRASSHOPPER' SAYS THE MASTER TO THE STUDENT

There are some obvious ingredients needed to maintain longevity in the study of karate. One is to have patience. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. You cannot attain mastery of any kind by cutting corners, taking a ‘get it quick’ pill, or by rushing for the finish line like you’re an Olympic sprinter.
 

Patience is a virtue. That is correct in karate. All good things take time, and learning the art of karate-do will take time. You need not get impatient. You have the rest of your life to learn and develop yourself physically, mentally and spiritually.
 

We live in a fast-paced world. Everything from fast food, instant weight loss, microwave dinners, mobile technology and the Internet have caused us all to want and expect everything to happen instantly! This is causing us to become very impatient. Has there been a time in the last month when you’ve had to wait in line to be served, either at the bank or the grocery store, for 10 minutes? Why is it that 10 years ago that would have been perfectly normal, yet these days its 9 minutes too long? We’re in a rush to do as much as we can in the shortest possible time. We don’t have time to be patient!
 

When you enter the dojo, you must leave this ‘impatient attitude’ at the door. You cannot rush through the karate class like you’re on a mission to learn it all in one night. It takes time to learn karate well. It will take a lifetime of study. So there’s no rush. Relax, train, enjoy and learn!
 

This is an important lesson for all of us. Train hard, give it everything you have, but at the same time be patient with your own development. If you are improving, then you are improving! There is no need to compare yourself to anybody else. We all are different and will develop and grow at different rates.
 

Slowly does it!

This principle teaches us that we don’t have to rush to get it right. Study the technique. Understand its purpose. Break it down and analyse it. Some students are so tense when they train that they feel strong and powerful, yet they are missing the point.
 

The time to develop our technique is during the basics (kihon) training. Going over every technique slowly allows us to watch it carefully and make any minor corrections to the techniques finer points. Throwing out a punch at full force may look impressive, fast and strong, but it won’t be effective, and could even cause an injury, if the technique is performed incorrectly.
 

“Patience Grasshopper” has been said a zillion times. It’s a funny saying, but there is a serious side to it. Karate is an art that requires time, commitment and patience. It’s not a
3-year diploma course. It is a course that you can participate in for a lifetime of learning.

Shihan Stacey Karetsian
Assistant Chief Instructor