First 90 Days Training Plan & Progress Tracker

Mat Manual companion guide to "Shotokan Karate for Beginners: Your First 90 Days." Built on two classes per week. Print it, fill it in by hand, and bring it to class.

Name: ______________________________ Start date: ______________ Dojo / instructor: ______________________________

Current grade: White belt · Target: First grading (yellow belt level) at about day 90

The 12-Week Plan

Check each box as your instructor introduces the item and you can perform it in class. Order of introduction varies slightly by school, if your class covers something earlier or later, check it when it happens. One common variation: many schools teach Taikyoku Shodan as the very first kata in weeks 1–2, before Heian Shodan. If yours does, check it off here ______ and let the Heian Shodan sections below begin whenever your class starts them.

Weeks 1–2: Standing Up

☐ Bow (rei) entering the floor, and bow in/out of class without being reminded ☐ Front stance (zenkutsu dachi), hold 30 seconds each side with correct shape ☐ Step forward and back in front stance without standing up between steps ☐ Lunge punch (oi-zuki) stepping, both sides ☐ Rising block (age uke) in place, then stepping ☐ Front kick (mae geri) from a stationary stance, chamber, extend, snap back

Weeks 3–4: Turning and Adding Power

☐ Downward block (gedan barai) stepping ☐ Turn 180° in front stance with gedan barai, without losing balance ☐ Reverse punch (gyaku-zuki), feel the hip drive it, not the shoulder ☐ Back stance (kokutsu dachi) basics ☐ Heian Shodan, movements 1–8 (opening blocks and punches to the first turn) ☐ Mae geri while stepping forward, both legs

Weeks 5–6: First Kata Takes Shape

☐ Heian Shodan, movements 9–16 (through the three rising blocks) ☐ Heian Shodan, final section (knife-hand blocks to the close) ☐ Horse stance (kiba dachi), hold one minute ☐ Knife-hand block (shuto uke) in back stance ☐ Combination: age uke followed by gyaku-zuki, moving ☐ One-step sparring (kihon ippon kumite) intro: partner attacks jodan, you block and counter

Weeks 7–8: Putting It Together

☐ Heian Shodan performed start to finish without following anyone ☐ Kiai on the correct movements of Heian Shodan ☐ Combination: gedan barai followed by gyaku-zuki, moving ☐ One-step sparring: chudan (body-level) attack, block and counter ☐ Mae geri to waist height with control, both legs, without putting the foot down sloppily ☐ All basic techniques performed on the Japanese command, no English needed

Weeks 9–10: Performance Quality

☐ Heian Shodan with correct turns, no extra steps, no drifting off line ☐ Kime: techniques visibly "arrive" instead of trailing off ☐ Combination: age uke, mae geri, oi-zuki in sequence ☐ One-step sparring with correct distance (maai), counter lands at proper range ☐ Stances stay low through a full kihon line, start to finish ☐ Name every technique you know in Japanese, unprompted

Weeks 11–12: Grading Preparation

☐ Full grading run-through in class: kihon, Heian Shodan, one-step sparring, in order ☐ Heian Shodan alone, three times in a row, same quality on rep three as rep one ☐ Basics performed at grading pace and spirit, not practice pace ☐ Mock grading or instructor feedback session completed ☐ Clean, correctly tied gi ready, belt knot centered ☐ Grading fee / registration handled (if your school requires it)