What is Karatedo?
Karate is a martial art originating in Okinawa. It was designed for self-defense.
Karatedo means 'the way of Karate.' Most practitioners alternate between the two words. We do as well, but we include the ‘do’ because it translates well to what we teach; That Karate teachings are applicable to many facets of life outside the dojo.
Okinawa (沖縄本島), or as it’s called in the native language of the islands, Uchinā, is the largest of a chain of Pacific islands. The island was important historically due to its value as a port halfway between China and the main Japanese islands. Okinawans used Karate as self-defense, and the art was later adapted as part of Japan’s cultural identity after WWII.
Our Method:
Carrying on the Uchinā tradition, the version of Karatedo we practice is also focused on self-defense. We teach through:
Kata: a series of techniques you practice solo
Kihon: fundamentals like stances and techniques
Kumite: partner work (drills, pads, sparring, etc.)
Why don’t we only use sparring to learn self-defense? Why Kata?:
The purpose of sparring is to land good hits. Kata often involves techniques that would be dangerous to use with a sparring partner, such as breaking an opponent’s arm. Don’t worry, we practice sparring as well and understand how vital it is to training.
Kata is also about training your mind to execute complex movements without thought. This erases hesitation when executing complex movements in a real-life scenario.
When you join the class, we’re not going to throw you straight into bag work or very intense sparring. Starting with intensity is a great way to injure yourself before you understand how to safely structure your techniques. We will teach you basic defensive techniques, our first kata, and light sparring.
We know from experience that strong fundamentals are the key to truly advanced martial arts. The class will get harder as you grow and as we challenge you more.
In addition to these training tools, other things you can expect from our classes are:
Extensive warmup and stretching routines
Breathing exercises to calm your nervous system in a crisis
Re-enactment of realistic self-defense scenarios
Discussion of the historical context and origins of Karatedo
“Soft skills“ development: Leadership, discipline, and critical thinking
