Redding Shotokan Karate

Another value of extended practice: Your faults show up in vivid detail, in a format you can't ignore: pain.

Try doing 20 or more of your favorite kata.

• Don't make too much of a pause between repetitions.
• Don't stop and study a particular technique or sequence.
• You don't even have to do it hard (although the lesson is clearer and perhaps even different if you do).

Just do the 20.

Whatever hurts afterward, that isn't just a result of hard work (like sore muscles), is probably a result of incorrect technique. In my case, it was a hot spot that quickly turned into a blister, directly on the pad of my left big toe. I know for a fact that this does not happen with only ten repetitions, since I do 10 kata nearly every morning.

However, at around count 17 I started to favor the toe, so at that point I also started to pay attention. It happens when I do the 180-degree turn that occurs in many kata. My left ankle, being stiff from an old injury, does not flex far enough and this puts most of my weight on my toes - and most of that is on the big toe.

While concentrating on the turn, I can spin on the entire foot like I'm supposed to. So, the value of repetition can be the equated to the value of an experienced senior pointing out errors. However, nature is typically a harsher teacher than my esteemed seniors. :^) Hopefully a senior will point out the error more quickly than nature will...which might keep me from experiencing a certain amount of pain...if I would only listen!