Starting Karate as an Adult: What Beginners Need to Know

You don’t have to spar

This is the question behind most of the hesitation, so let’s get it out of the way. In our adult program, sparring is optional. You won’t even have to spar or get hit if you don’t want to.

We know all kinds of people want to train. Some want to compete. Some want to experience training like a fighter without getting punched in the face. Both are welcome. We offer striking, ground, MMA, takedowns, beginner, advanced, sparring, no-sparring and technique-only classes, plus open mat time.

When kumite does come, it comes when you’re ready for it. If you’re curious how training in the dojo relates to self-defense outside it, read Street vs. Sport: What Martial Arts Training Can and Can’t Do.

Your first step is a conversation

Every prospective Kyokushin student here goes through an interview process. That isn’t a test. It’s how we make sure our school is the right fit for you and for what you’re looking to achieve.

When you come in, we sit down with you and talk about your specific needs so we can figure out which program makes sense. Then you train. Your first 30 days are free, so you can see for yourself whether it fits.

After that, you learn and advance at your own pace. Our instructors will keep helping you reset your goals as you go. Goals tend to change once people start training, and that’s fine. Plenty of adults from around Monmouth County start with no plan beyond showing up.

The program itself, laid out in full on our Adult Class page, is a complete mixed martial arts curriculum. The stand-up is deeply rooted in traditional Kyokushin, the takedowns come from Judo, and the ground is Jiu-Jitsu based.

What class actually feels like

Here’s a real class with adults working punch combinations. Watch it, then read what to listen for.

Watch: Kyokushin Karate Training Session with Shihan Anthony Codispoti of The Phoenix Way

A few things you’ll hear me say to beginners, because you’ll hear them in your first weeks too:

1. “Baby step.” Footwork starts small and controlled. You step, you set, you strike.

2. “Take your time with me.” In the early stages, accuracy matters more than speed. We count drills out loud, in Japanese, so the whole room moves together.

3. “Breathing and counting.” One of the most common beginner mistakes is holding your breath. You get stuck. Breathe out, count out loud, and let it go.

4. “Train tighter.” Right now we’re just trying to be perfect. When you start to unload full contact, things get bigger. So build it tight first.

Nobody expects you to know any of this on day one. You’ll pick it up by doing it, the same way everyone in the room did.

Train for the long haul

Adults have jobs and families to get back to. I’ve said it plainly on camera: we all have to wake up in the morning, and we all have jobs. We are not professional fighters.

So train smart. Pad up on repetitive drills, especially shin guards. They protect your partner as much as you. And longevity is more than pads. Are you getting enough sleep? Drinking enough water? Making healthy choices? Five beers on Friday night and a hard Saturday morning class don’t mix well.

It also helps to leave the ego at the door. You’ll be learning next to people who have been training for years, and nobody here is trying to intimidate anyone. I wrote about why in Leave Your Ego at the Door.

The people who’ve done it say it better than I can. One adult who joined as a brand-new karate student wrote that it was one of the best things they could have done for themselves, and that the experience “exceeded my expectations.” Another came in “looking to learn some new skills and get into better shape.”