How To Be A Karate Master

Practice all your katas

It's a good idea to run though all your katas on a regular basis. Heck, run through them two or three times. Don't worry about problem spots. You'll work out the kinks as you keep going over and over the kata. The important thing is that you're practicing.

Work on what you're good at

If a move is awkward, you might want to skip it. Concentrate on what you do best. Who knows, you might be the next Bill "Superfoot" Wallace!

Practice slowly

Go slowly so you get all the moves right. If it feels awkward, go even slower (or just skip the awkward stuff, as I've already said).

Practice hard and tight

Go ahead, clench those fists. Tighten every muscle in your body. Make those GoJu Ryu Sanchin weenies jealous of your ki development. Develop your body to the point that punches just bounce off your Schwarzenegger like pectorals. Don't worry about your groin. Your opponent will never get past your superfoot.

Study many different systems

Study all the different martial arts systems you can. Don't worry about contradictory and incompatible theories. You'll sort through what works and what doesn't to arrive at your own "super" system of martial arts. And, you better patent and trademark it. There are guys out there already doing that and they're making good money on the seminar circuit.

No-touch knockout

Do not practice the no-touch knockout on yourself. This is pretty self-explanatory.

Link it all back to ninjutstu

I don't know why, but this just works. If your training incorporates even a little "ninja" in it, people will be impressed. It doesn't hurt to wear the ninja hi-top tabi shoes everywhere you go, either.

Don't be a showoff

If you have blackbelts in five or six different systems, do not wear all those black belts at one time. Choose the one blackbelt you like the best, and make that your primary blackbelt. You could, however, design a patch that incorporates all those different blackbelts in the design.

Name your system carefully

If you do become a master, or even a grandmaster, and want to start your own system, then name your system carefully. Ryukyu Kempo Tomari-te is an excellent example of a well chosen name (it doesn't have to a real name). You might try Extreme Shaolin Ninjutsu, for example, except that I already came up with that name. Be creative.