Advance to a Yellow Belt in American Kenpo Karate
Tired of that white "surrender" flag around your waist? Here is what you should do to advance to a yellow belt in American Kenpo karate.
Contents
Steps
- Know your basics. Basics include:
- Stances: attention, horse, meditating horse, fighting stance, bracing forward bow, directional forward bow, cat;
- Switches: hop switch, front-to-back switch, back-to-front switch;
- Blocks: inward, extended outward, vertical outward, upward, downward, push-down, hammering inward, thrusting inward;
- Kicks: front ball, side, roundhouse, hook;
- Strikes: horizontal punch, vertical punch, double punch, back elbow, horizontal elbow- inward and outward, hand sword- inward and outward, roundhouse punch;
- Maneuvers: push drag, cover, step through.
Once you know all these, you earn a stripe for your basics.
- Know your Yellow Belt Creed. "I come to you with only karate, I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles or my honor, should it be a matter of life or death, of right or wrong, then here are my weapons, karate, my empty hands" Once you know this, you will earn a stripe for your creed.
- Learn Blocking Set 1. Start with your right hand. Perform an upward block, inward block, extended outward block, downward block, back elbow, push down block, and back to a horse stance. Repeat this with your left hand. Then repeat with both hands. You will earn a stripe for knowing Blocking Set 1.
- Know your 12 techniques. The yellow belt techniques are: delayed sword, alternating maces, sword of destruction. deflecting hammer, captured twigs, lone kimono, obstructing the storm, mace of aggression, attacking mace, and sword and hammer, intellectual departure, and encounter with danger. You will earn a stripe for knowing all your techniques.
- Know Short Form 1. Once you know Short Form, you will receive your 5th and last stripe.
- Know and perform everything as best as you can on your specified test day. You will advance to a yellow belt, and hopefully continue working your way up to a black belt!
Tips
- DO NOT just go through the motions, you will never pass a belt test if you are doing your techniques with laziness.
- The most important tip in karate: Never give up.
- It can take more than 4 months to advance from a white belt to a yellow belt.
- If you have any questions, talk with your instructors. They will be happy to help.
- Have a white belt partner to work with and do techniques lines with.
- When answering your instructor, either say "Yes, Sir" or "No, Sir."
- Don't worry if you can't do everything with perfect accuracy. The key to pass a belt test is to really focus on what you are doing, and you'll be fine.
- Some schools will differ from this, and you may need to learn more, less, or different techniques, strikes, and forms.
- The requirements here will vary from school to school, so it is important to bear that in mind.
Warnings
- Safety is paramount when conducting any training.
- Don't go too hard on your white belt partner doing technique lines.
- Don't hurt yourself. If your body is sore, rest for a day or two.
