All Wado Karate Forum

hello all,
it's been a while since I lasted posted hope you all are well. since returning to training this year I have found things harder than they use to be, which if I'm honest I expected! other than stance issues which my sensei is constantly correcting me when I get it wrong he has told me the main problem I have Is that I'm very tense, which I never use to get like before my bike accident. i have tried clearing my thoughts before the class but this doesn't work. the only other thing I can think of is my fitness level is pretty poor at the moment could this be causing me to tense up? can anyone help me with this problem any advice would be welcome!

Couple of things that helped me...

Dont keep your fists so tight, obviously they need to be closed, but they dont need to be causing your arm muscles to tense.
Your body should only tense on impact of the technique, not all the way through.
Try to aim for sharpness rather than power

HTH
Andy

At what point are you tense?

I think I generally all the time but doing Kata and pair work I seem fine.

Try adopting a nonchalant attitude to the process of say kihon. Try to be as quiet as a mouse but as quick as anything.

never use to be so tense it's only since I've gone back that I have developed this problem, my sensei said if I wasn't so tense then everything else that I get nagged for like my stances would improve! but like I said earlier my fitness level is poor so within 10 minutes I'm huffing an puffing and sweating like a pig!

At certain points in my life Ibhave felt the same, but Wado is about efficient movement. Just follow the principle of relaxed smooth movement. Don't try to show anything.

Just a guess, but are you breathing naturally? It's harder to be tense if you are breathing properly.

try to practice without kime for a while. use shuto instead of a fist to assist this.

don't think I am breathing aswell I should be but I'm breathing very deeply and fast!