Our dojo
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Times and other information
We have classes for adults, no children's classes offered at the moment. There is no age limit to karate, and it's never too late to start. The classes are taught in Okinawan style, meaning that beginners, intermediate and advanced students are mixed in class. This allows each student to also be a teacher, since they get to learn by watching others, and to teach by being watched. As sensei, I merely facilitate this process.
Below we have put together some frequently asked questions concerning karate. Click on the link below, or scroll down, to get to them.
FAQ - children's classes · FAQ - adult classes
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Adults: |
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Tuesday: |
6pm - 7pm |
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Thursday: |
6pm - 7pm |
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Sunday: |
by notice |
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Fees: |
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beginners special: |
$90/3 months (one time only) |
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all students: |
$50/month, or $120/3 months |
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Testing fee: |
$20 |
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Private lessons: |
$40/hour |
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- Adults:
- Why should I take karate?
- Karate is one of the few activities that will work on many improvements all at the same time — your body, your mind, your spirit. You will be able to handle stressful situations better, able to make quicker decisions, able to tune into your deeper spirit, and able to sharpen your reaction time to defend yourself.
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Adult class, doing kata
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Isn't it really hard to do when I've never done martial arts before?
- It's only hard in the beginning, and it's the same for everybody. It gets easier as you become adjusted to it, the same way it works for someone learning any new activity from surfing to skydiving to aerobics.
- Do I need to be in excellent shape already?
- Karate is for everybody regardless of stamina or strength. Osensei Shoshin Nagamine, who founded Matsubayashi in 1947, was brought to karate due to a weak constitution and life threatening illnesses.
- If I'm not in shape, how will karate help me get in shape?
- Besides good stretches and strength training, it gets your heart rate up and gives you a good workout.
- How is a class constructed?
- The first ten minutes is zen sitting, then next fifteen minutes is for stretches, then typically basics — blocking, striking, kicking — then 30 minutes is dedicated to kata, we usually end class with application techniques, and each class ends with a moment of sitting and closing bows.
- How often do I need to go?
- It really varies person to person, for some once a week is fine, and for others 3 times a weeks is good.
- How often *can* I go?
- Three times a week.
- After how long will I be able to beat up my boss?
- Well...the neat thing about karate is it works on your ability to handle stress and conflict in a more productive manner rather than resorting to fighting. It also works on inner fear, that is why class can be difficult..because we are creating opportunities for you to confront your fears..physical ability is only the beginning, it's the psychology of the person that must be conditioned. Fear and aggression attract trouble, karate tempers the person, makes them balanced. In the streets if it is a truly real attack, the key to success is response, karate brings back the instincts for self preservation.
- Doesn't all that kicking and hitting hurt?
- The movements of karate are very natural to the body, the only area of soreness might be your thighs from the stances, but each individual will judge for themselves the right amount of effort. In the beginning you have to discover that place that is challenging but not to the point of making you sore. We do lots of stretching in the beginning of each class. Some students choose not to do sparring, and for the folks that do the sparring, there is still only soft contact, if any. As for the hitting and kicking, you never actually *hit* a person. You practice moves (punches and kicks included herein), but you never actually *fight*.)
(Kids class FAQ left on this page for general interest)
Kids:
- Why should my child take karate?
- To learn culture, japanese language, good manners, physical coordination, decision making, memorization skills, teamwork skills as well as individual resource building, balance, and in general how to use their body and actually how to be "in" their body.
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Kids class, playing "Pig".
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What if s/he has never done any form of sports before, won't this be really difficult?
- In my experience I have seen the most uncoordinated folks come to karate, and I have never seen a physical reason for not excelling. Only inner obstacles can prohibit growth, and what I focus on with all students is helping them get rid of inner obstacles. These exist in all that we do in life, but in this forum you can bring it out and actually work with it through identification and modification and finally transformation. Karate lets each person go at their own pace, everyone makes improvements. The heart of karate is progress...the less you start with the more you gain. Karate is also about inner stamina and not quitting, learning to move past the obstacles. If this is learned in the dojo, the person can then apply it to all aspects in life. even from dealing with any type of authority, or equal, there is often hidden tension, and karate teaches options..to perhaps learn to be strong is to learn to be soft.
- How are the kids classes constructed?
- They do stretches, then memorization games, kata, and physical games, japanese language games, and finish.
- How often can my child go?
- They can come to class from once a week to three times a week.
- How often *should* my child go?
- They will advance far very quickly if they commit to twice a week, but even if they come once a week they will still get the benefits. Consistency is key.
- Won't my child turn into the playground bully?
- Karate does not create bullies. But bring a bully to the dojo and they will change... because karate provides an inner flow from the hard to the soft. Excluding kids natural growth of experimentation with ranking and domination, karate teaches kids how to identify many kinds of strengths and weaknesses in others and in themselves. It teaches them how to value more than what to value.
- Won't my child come home black and blue from fight practice?
- Oh, never, there is no fighting for kids. Sometimes due to the nature of this activity they may run into a wall, or fall down, the same as on a playground or in school or in the backyard. The difference is that here, they are shown exactly how the mistake happened and how to reduce mishaps, and more importantly how to handle it. (temper..) It's about balance. Any time a kid exceeds their own range of control they either cause little accidents to themselves or others, and my job is to teach them what that's all about. It must be kept in mind that a relationship is built between sensei and child unlike that of parents or school teachers, while the class may look like skill development and games.. it is actually about discovering "who" they are and that they have the ability to change...that they are responsible for their own "potential". It is unbiased, yet committed, for karate stems from the background principle that it is for a life time, the sensei is on "their" side year after year through all life's challenges.
