Starting karate as an adult. Is it too late?

The worry everyone has

Most adults who ask about karate ask a version of the same three questions. Am I too old? Am I too out of shape? Will I be the only beginner in a room full of black belts? They are fair questions, and the honest answers are no, no and no.

The Powerhouse has taught Shotokan karate in Central Vancouver since 1992, and our teen and adult program is built for people with no fighting experience at all. Sensei Ramin Emami, 6th dan, trained at the Japan Karate Association HQ and has more than 25 years of teaching behind him, with kids, teens and adults.

"I should get fit first"

You don't need to. Most people pick up karate to get fit. It is a proven system for building strength, flexibility and conditioning, and in every class the intensity is adjustable. On a good day you push. On a long day after work you do what you can. Either way you leave with a workout and something new learned.

★★★★★

My first class with you I couldn't even run around the small room once. You followed me out to tell me to do what I could and I would get better. I am now training for my black belt.

That is not a rare story. Ryan joined in his mid 30s because he'd become sedentary and stiff. Six months later he said his flexibility and mobility were the best they had ever been.

You won't start in a room of black belts

New students 13 and up begin in their own 30-minute trial class on Monday or Wednesday evening. It covers the basics at a beginner's pace. After the trial you move into the regular adult class (we call it L3), where students of different ranks train side by side and the instructors coach each person at their own level.

★★★★★

I started at the Powerhouse Dojo as a complete beginner and felt incredibly welcomed from the start. The instruction was excellent and thoughtfully tailored to my level, even in a class with students of various skill levels.

What you actually learn

Every class draws on the same three parts of Shotokan karate, taught in the JKA style:

• Kihon, the basics: stances, punches, blocks, kicks and strikes, repeated until they feel natural.
• Kata, the forms. Beginners start with Taikyoku Shodan, then the Heian kata.
• Kumite, sparring. It starts as five-step and one-step drills with a partner, so you learn distance and timing long before anything free.

Self-defence runs through all of it. The training puts awareness and avoiding trouble first, and teaches you what to do when avoiding it isn't an option.

The first three months

Training runs in 3-month terms, which gives adults something most gyms don't: a clear next goal. Around week 5 or 6 there is an informal tip-test, where you show what you've picked up and get feedback. With at least one black stripe from it, you sign up for the belt exam at the end of the term. Each exam moves you one step up the ladder, from white belt toward black. The full ladder is in the program guide.

For newcomers we recommend two classes a week. If that isn't doable, once a week is fine for a while. Sparring gear (gloves and foot protectors) comes later, so don't buy anything before your first class.

What adults tell us they get out of it

• A real workout with a purpose. Strength, cardio and flexibility, without counting reps on a machine.
• A quieter head. Kata takes full concentration, which leaves no room for the rest of the day.
• Confidence. Knowing you can protect yourself changes how you walk into a room.
• People. A dojo is a community. You learn names fast when you're holding pads for each other.

★★★★★

This was my first encounter with Martial Arts (Karate) and I really needed to do something with my body. I am more energetic coming out of the dojo than when I go in.

Parents: you can train too

Some of our adult students are parents who joined a few months after their kids did. Kids are more motivated when they see a parent in a uniform too, and every so often we hold family classes so parents and kids can learn how to practice together at home. Read more on our family martial arts page.

How to start

Your first class is free. Book a trial on a Monday or Wednesday evening, wear comfortable clothes you can move in, and come a few minutes early. If it feels right, the next step is a 2 to 4 week trial program, so you can see how training fits your week before committing. We go through membership options with you in person.

Questions first? Email powerhouseoffice@gmail.com or call (604) 812-3656. Our first class walk-through covers where to go and what happens when you arrive.