Introduction: Why Follow-Along Training Matters 🎯
Sometimes what students need most is not theory or long explanations, but a guided session they can jump into anytime. That’s exactly the purpose of this pre-recorded follow-along: you get a structured class with the right pace, cues, and balance between technique and conditioning. Whether you’re a beginner building habits or an advanced student keeping sharp outside the dojo, this format helps you stay consistent.
Over 20+ years of teaching, I’ve noticed that home practice often becomes unstructured and uneven – some students do too much kicking, others only repeat kata. A complete class structure ensures you warm up, activate, train kihon, review kata, and stretch down safely.
Class Flow Overview 🧭
- Dynamic Warm-up (5–7 minutes) 🔥
- Stance & Hip Activation (5 minutes) 🦵
- Kihon Circuits – Blocks, Punches, Kicks (15 minutes) 👊
- Kata Review (8–10 minutes) 🥋
- Cool-down & Stretch (5 minutes) 🌿
Step-by-Step Breakdown
1) Dynamic Warm-Up (5–7 min) 🔥
- Light jog in place + arm swings (1 min).
- High knees → butt kicks (30s each).
- Shoulder rolls forward/backward, big arm circles.
- Dynamic leg swings (front-back, side-side).
- Coach’s Tip: Keep breathing rhythmic – this isn’t just to sweat, but to prepare joints for stances and kicks.
2) Stance & Hip Activation (5 min) 🦵
- Kiba-dachi holds: 3×20s, adding gentle punches.
- Zenkutsu → kokutsu transitions along a line, 6 reps each side.
- Hip rotations: 10 circles each direction, then 10 fast hip snaps.
- Coach’s Tip: Imagine “unlocking” the hips – if the hip is tight, punches and kicks lose power.
3) Kihon Circuits (15 min) 👊
We’ll use interval style: 30s technique, 15s rest.
- Blocks: Age-uke, gedan-barai, shuto-uke.
- Punches: Oi-zuki, gyaku-zuki, kizami-zuki (jab).
- Kicks: Mae-geri (front), yoko-geri (side), mawashi-geri (round).
- Combination circuit: Gedan-barai → gyaku-zuki → mae-geri.
- Repeat each circuit twice.
Coach’s Tip: Keep the kihon crisp – every rep should feel like a strike in kumite, not just “going through motions.”
4) Short Kata Review (8–10 min) 🥋
- Pick your current grading kata (e.g., Heian Shodan–Godan).
- Run it once slow, focusing on stances and embusen.
- Run it once medium, with sharper techniques.
- Run it once full power, with proper kiai.
- Coach’s Tip: Kata in follow-along isn’t about corrections – it’s about rhythm, breathing, and practicing under slight fatigue (like grading).
5) Cool-Down Stretch (5 min) 🌿
- Seated hamstring stretch, 20s each side.
- Butterfly stretch, 30s.
- Hip flexor lunge, 20s each side.
- Shoulder cross-body stretch, 20s each arm.
- Deep breathing: inhale 4s, hold 2s, exhale 6s.
Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them 🧯
- Skipping the warm-up: Leads to tight hips and sloppy stances. → Always do at least 3 min prep.
- Rushing kihon: Faster isn’t better – form breaks down. → Keep punches/kicks controlled.
- Overkicking at home: Small space makes high kicks tempting. → Focus on clean lines, even at waist level.
- Kata burnout: Repeating kata too many times with no structure. → Stick to the 3-run method: slow, medium, full.
Safety Notes ⚠️
- Clear your training space (furniture edges, slippery floor).
- If knees/ankles are sore, shorten stance length slightly – power comes from hip rotation, not just depth.
- Always stretch down – skipping cool-down increases stiffness and injury risk the next session.
Conclusion: Build Consistency, Anywhere 💪
Follow-along sessions like this give you a dojo feeling at home. You don’t need a partner, special equipment, or even lots of space – just discipline and focus. Repeat this full class 2–3 times a week, and you’ll feel your stamina, sharpness, and kata flow improve within a month.
👉 Remember: the magic isn’t in one perfect class, but in the consistency of showing up.
