Small space Karate training

Many of the Karate students I work with often say that they do not have space to train at home.  Some of them may have a small apartment or bedroom to train in and they feel that they cannot get in a good workout but I have a solution that will work even in the smallest of spaces.

I have to credit one of my Karate Sensei’s, Sensei Noia, for giving me this valuable training tip and I want to share it with all of you.  The idea is to do a group of movements that allows you to cover different stances and techniques in an area of about six feet by six feet square depending upon the length of your stances.

You can come up with many small space workouts but here are few that I want to share with you.

I included the photo of the Manji Uke above because that is one of the harder techniques to describe in text.

Workout 1:

From a ready stance:

1. Step into a left leg forward front stance with a reverse punch
2. Pull your left leg back into a cat stance with a low (gedan) knife hand block
3. Move your left leg into a left leg forward back stance with a downward and high outward block (manji uke)
4. Step from the back stance into a right leg forward front stance with a reverse punch
5. Pull your right foot back into a cat stance with a low (gedan) knife hand block
6. Move your right leg into a right leg forward back stance with the downward and high outward block (manji uke)

Workout 2:

From a ready stance:

1. Turn left into a left leg forward front stance with a downward block and reverse punch
2. Pull your left foot all the way back 180 degrees behind you, turn from your hips and do a downward block with reverse punch
3. Turn left 90 degrees into a front stance with downward block and reverse punch
4. Pull your left foot all the way back 180 degrees behind you, turn from your hips and do a downward block with reverse punch.

Workout 3:

From a ready stance:

1. Step forward into left leg forward back stance with a knife hand block
2. Step back with the left leg into a right leg forward front stance with a front punch
3. Step back into a ready stance
4. Step forward into a right leg forward back stance with a knife hand block
5. Step back with the right leg into a left leg forward front stance with a front punch.

Workout 4:

From a ready stance:

1. Step forward into a left leg forward front stance with a downward block and reverse punch
2. Step back into a right leg forward front stance with a downward block and reverse punch
3. Step forward into a left leg forward horse stance with downward block and reverse punch
4. Step back into a right leg forward front stance with downward block and reverse punch
5. Step forward into a left leg forward back stance with a reverse punch

You then do the same moves as above but start with the right leg forward for the first move.

Workout 5:

From a ready stance:

1. Step into a left leg forward front stance with a downward block and a reverse punch
2. Step back into a right leg forward back stance with an upward rising block and a downward block (manji uke)
3. Step left 90 degrees into a left foot forward front stance with a downward block and a reverse punch
4. Step back into a right leg forward back stance with an upward rising block and a downward block
5. Repeat the same moves until your are facing front again, ending up in a left leg forward front stance with a downward block and reverse punch

You then repeat the same moves but this time your start the front stances with the right leg forward and the back stances with the left leg forward.

Workout 6:

From a ready stance:

1. Step into a horse stance
2. Reach with your left hand to the left corner
3. Pivot on your heels, using your hips, into a left leg forward front stance with a reverse punch
4. Keeping your left arm in front, pivot back into a horse stance and double punch ending with your right hand forward.
5. Reach with your right hand to the right corner
6. Pivot on your heels, using your hips, into a right leg forward front stance with a reverse punch.

The key to these drills is not to allow your body to rise up between stances.  Try to keep your body as close to the same height as possible.

No more excuses that you do not have enough room to train

Now you have six Karate workouts that you can do in a small amount of space.  You can also do these workouts with slow or fast tempo when moving between each stance.  You can do the techniques with perfect form or for all out power too.  Use your imagination to make these workouts effective for what you are trying to accomplish and how you want to train at that moment.

Give these workouts a try and let me know how they work for you by leaving a comment below.