Karate Cheat Sheet

The key takeaways for beginners – the three pillars kihon, kata and kumite, kime and hip drive for technique with real power.

Equipment

Item	Priority	Tip
Beginner gi	High	Light model (around 8oz) to start – kata gi and stretch kumite gi only once your direction is clear.
Belt (kyu/dan)	High	Kyu grades white to brown, then dan from black – every colour is a passed exam, not a purchase.
Kumite gear	Medium	Fist, shin and foot guards plus a mouthguard only once partner contact begins.

Your start

Kihon, kata, kumite: Basics, forms and partner work – good training touches all three pillars, not just one.
Coach over style label: Shotokan, Goju-Ryu, Wado-Ryu or Shito-Ryu – for beginners the coach in the dojo matters more than the label on the door.
Trial barefoot: Comfortable clothes, join at the back, take part – after two or three sessions you know your club better than any brochure.
Consistency beats ambition: Reaching 1st dan realistically takes four to six years – consistency over months beats one intense opening month.

The 3 golden technique rules

Factor 1: Kime at the moment of impact

Concept: Hold your breath or inhale and you lose exactly the stability and power you need at the moment of impact. Tip: Exhale sharply with the technique and tense your whole body for a split second, then release instantly – that is kime.

Factor 2: Your standing leg decides

Concept: Most people only refine the striking hand or kicking leg – yet the standing leg's knee angle is the single strongest predictor of a clean score (r = 0.573). Tip: Actively bend the standing leg, full sole on the floor – a deep, stable stance carries every technique.

Factor 3: Hips before fist

Concept: If the arm fires first, the chain is broken – hip rotation from hanmi to shomen is the real power amplifier, not your biceps. Tip: Let the hips start a fraction before the arm and rotate the fist only just before impact – that adds 6.7 to 12.2% more power.

Stances & scoring

Item	Remember
Zenkutsu-dachi	Forward power stance – front knee bent, 60–70% weight forward, back leg straight.
Kiba-dachi	The horse-riding stance – feet parallel, two shoulder-widths apart, weight centred, builds lateral stability.
Kokutsu-dachi	The defensive stance – around 70% weight on the deeply bent back leg, ideal for evading and countering.
WKF scoring	Yuko (1) for a punch, waza-ari (2) for a body kick, ippon (3) for a head kick or throw – only with control, distance and timing.

Safety in kumite

Head comes first: Over half of all injuries hit the head – controlled contact, a mouthguard and head guard are mandatory in kumite.
Dazed means stop: End the session immediately after any hit that leaves you dazed – don't hope it clears up next round.
Warm-up is mandatory: Knee and ankle injuries come from cold muscles and poor landings – warm up thoroughly.
Fair weight classes: Matched weight and experience classes cut the youth injury rate from 61.4 to 18.8 per 1,000 exposures.

Pro tip: Film your gyaku-zuki once a month from the same angle and check just one thing: do the hips fire before the arm? Karate progress is measurable in degrees and tenths of a second, not in feel.