The
Japanese term for basics, one of the first parts of learning
Karate. (some of the others being the decision to learn it, enrolling in a
class, and meeting your
sensei,) Kihon consists of all the stand alone
techniques, such as
punches,
strikes,
blocks, and
kicks.
Usually a large
portion of every session is dedicated to Kihon as it is one of the
fundamentals. Learning each
technique by itself allows you to
focus on it alone, without the
distraction of
sparring. Basics, above all else should be learned
first and practiced many times before being
employed in a fight to ensure that they're learned properly and not picked up in a
sloppy manner.
A
karateka will never stop working on the basics, no matter how
advanced he or
she is. One never masters or perfects a basic
technique and, although, with much
hard work and
practice one may come close, there is always
room for improvement.