George Rego
Martial Arts Expert
George Rego is a lifelong Martial Arts Expert, Self-Defense expert, and Author of the book, The Founding of Jujutsu & Judo In America. With over 30 years of experience, he specializes in the self-defense arts of Jukido Jujitsu and Kokondo Karate. He is currently a 5th-degree black belt in jujitsu (jiu-jitsu) and a 3rd-degree black belt in karate. While he has been a successful competitor, including being the 2015 National Freestyle Judo Lightweight Champion, his focus remains on learning and teaching martial arts for real-world self-defense. He is the National Jujitsu Director for the IKA and the Chief Instructor of the most well-attended Jukido Jujitsu school in the world, the Jukido Academy in Palm Coast, Florida, where he teaches people from all walks of life - from those with special needs to those who serve in the military special forces.
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Q&A Comments (10)
How do you go up in belts in karate?
In legitimate styles of karate, the advancement from belt rank to belt rank is a process or continuous cycle which very broadly goes as follows: 1) Learn techniques, kata, and other elements of curriculum appropriate for one's current rank. 2) Once learned, practice and develop these elements until they become muscle memory. 3) Pressure-test these refined techniques with training partners and drills. 4) Take feedback from pressure tests and use it for further training. 5) The student undergoes a formal rank evaluation. 6) If successful, the student is awarded a new belt rank and begins again at step 1.
What are good kata to practice for beginners?
Kata curricula vary widely from style to style in karate. As such, good kata for a beginner to practice are best decided by one's direct teacher or sensei. With that being said, there are some kata that are widely practiced in many or most styles of karate. These kata tend to be either designed to introduce beginners to the practice of kata itself and/or to begin developing the core of one's karate foundation. Kata typically found in this category are: Taikyoku Shodan, Taikyoku Nidan, Taikyoku Sandan, Pinan Shodan (aka Heian Shodan), and Pinan Nidan (Heian Nidan).
How can I improve my karate at home?
Always consult with your karate sensei on this question—one's karate teacher will have the most specific advice to give on home training given the strengths, weaknesses, rank, and ability of the student in question. Generally speaking, one can improve their karate at home by refining and fine-tuning elements of basic techniques. In karate, these fundamental techniques are called kihon-waza. Slowly practicing the kihon-waza in front of a mirror can be helpful for a beginner in catching mistakes and correcting their form in real time.
