Our martial arts training is traditional yet relaxed, and we focus on a variety of classical karate elements, including kihon (the solo practice of stances, blocks, hand strikes, and kicks), kata (prearranged sets of movements), bunkai (practical self-defense application of kata movements), partner drills, bag work (punching and kicking training targets, bags, or shields), basic self-defense, basic throws and takedowns, sparring, and kata-based sparring.
Our training is also contextual, meaning we identify specific situations for which our training activities are ideally suited or relevant. Training contexts include:
- Martial Arts Context: Learn the classical movements, techniques, kata (pre-arranged set of movements), and kumite (fighting strategies) of traditional karate, along with the basic culture and history of the system. Come to appreciate the elegance, power, grace, simplicity, and beauty of dynamic body movement that makes this style a true martial art.
- Practical Self-Protection Context: Learn the fighting techniques contained within the katas, along with other practical fighting techniques, so that you can defend yourself in a civilian combat situation. Also, learn about self-protection awareness, conflict avoidance, conflict de-escalation, scaling of force (using force appropriately), legal requirements for self-defense, and medical consequences of fighting.
- Personal Development: Traditional karate training is so much more than just learning how to fight and to protect yourself. The real battle is within yourself: learn to develop and grow as a person, learn to respect yourself and others, learn self-control, develop greater concentration, strengthen yourself physically and mentally, build your self-confidence by incrementally achieving challenging goals you set for yourself, develop compassion for others, and strengthen your commitment to community.
- Holistic Martial Arts: Develop skills in strikes, kicks, basic throws and takedowns, joint locks, and chokeholds. (Traditional karate was MMA before MMA was cool.)
In all our training we emphasize respect, humility, tradition, honesty, integrity, discipline, and self-control, and we pursue the practical application of karate to self-defense situations. We train for a variety of important contexts, including practical self-defense (or self-protection), martial arts (body movements as an artistic or cultural martial expression), improvement of character, physical fitness, sport, and fun.
