Pacing yourself

The biggest single thing I found that helped me to start lasting longer in the dojo without a break, and starting to hit the distances I used to walk, was pacing myself.  That, along with better breathing technique when I was starting to get out of breath, helped me improve.

In the dojo, it was a case of instead to trying to do every technique, kata or drill fully then miss a few to regain breath, do 3 repetitions instead of 5 then take  slow deep breaths in recovery periods.  That way, I lasted through more of the lessons without taking a full break.  It also meant I started to practice far more of the techniques, katas and drills rather than missing out.

With walking, instead of stopping when my breathing was ragged and trying to gulp in air, the trick was to slow down when my breathing started to get ragged.  Then carry on walking at a slower pace for a while, whilst taking more controlled, deeper breaths.

This ties in with becoming more self disciplined and using better breathing techniques, all facets of learing karate ( and in truth any other true martial art). 😊😊😊