Martial arts entail more than just breaking a piece of wood in half. Karate and tae kwon do require as much time and effort as any other sport or extracurricular.
“Most weeks I go to karate practice five days out of seven, and I’ve been doing it for eight years,” Peter Farejowicz, junior and karate second degree brown belt, said. “Each class is an hour long and there are usually two to three classes each day split up by what rank you are.”
Karate demands significant training as well as time, Farejowicz said.
“A class usually consists of warm-ups and stretching followed by a review of basics. Then we do kata (a combination or routine of moves) and then we end with sparring,” Farejowicz said.
He even attends competitions for karate, furthering its similarities to a more typical sport. The competitions are not quite what The Karate Kid portrays, though.
“I compete and help run tournaments. Basically a bunch of different karate schools gather and we are divided by experience, gender, and age,” Farejowicz said. “We compete in three major categories or more: kata, kumite (sparring), and kumite (fighting with weapons). Then they give medals for first, second, and third.”
Not everything is competitive, though; one of karate’s biggest assets is its uniqueness, Farejowicz said.
“With karate there are so many different options. With basketball, for example, you can really only learn different plays and then you do the same thing over and over against different opponents. But with karate you can learn different moves, go into different sub areas, and so forth,” Farjowicz said.
In fact, Farejowicz says that the variance in each karate session is the best part.
“Learning a new kata for the first time is the best. There are a lot of good moves that are fun to do and learn,” Farejowicz said. “I like the spinning kick the most, because it looks really cool when you’re sparring.”
Sydne Williams, junior, is a second degree black belt in tae kwon do. She agrees the benefits to mastering a martial art are clear, despite the challenges.
“The hardest thing is probably when I have to fight someone bigger and stronger than me, which the teachers make us do a lot. But it’s worth it,” Sorrells said. “Tae kwon do can give you self-confidence to do anything you put your mind to, really giving a sense of focus and determination that you can’t get from other sports.”
Both agree that martial arts are something more students should consider.
“I would definitely recommend karate,” Farejowicz said. “It teaches you leadership, responsibility, and discipline.”
Sidebar: how to karate kick
The front kick is the most used of all karate kicks, because it can be performed very fast with little wind-up, and it is difficult block. There are slight variations in how to perform a front kick, from a quick snap kick to a very powerful thrusting front kick.
The kick begins by bringing your knee up and forward. The heel and then toes must spring forward from the ground in one motion, snapping the leg forward towards your target. Bend the leg you are standing on while kicking to give you better balance. Your foot should be pointed forward with your toes pulled tightly back. The striking surface is the ball of the foot. Thrust your hips forward with the kick to add power and speed.