‘No matter how you excel in the art of te (karate) and in your scholastic endeavors, nothing is more important than your behavior and your humanity as observed in daily life’. In Japan, a dojo is a gym. But dojo also includes martial arts training facilities. In the West, dojo is restricted to martial arts. Most people in North America are familiar with sport varieties of martial arts. A sport's facility lacks the beauty & grandeur of traditional dojo: sport schools focus on picture windows to advertise, something that is considered 'taboo' in a traditional Okinawan dojo. Traditional dojos are generally small with a small group of dedicated martial artists. A dojo is sacred. Traditional dojo have rituals where secret arts and techniques are taught to members & not made public; hence there are no picture windows. A training center is restricted from view and it is rare for public seating (although we provide public seating for visitors). Under proper guidance, these secret arts are safe: without guidance, they can be dangerous, especially to the uninitiated. Many are familiar with nunchuku. In the hands of a novice, it can provide considerable entertainment to an audience. As an example, a would be bank robber in California a few decades ago, held up a bank with a pair of nunckuks. As his bag was being filled with money, he stepped back to give a demonstration of his prowess for the employees only to apprehend himself with a blow to his head. Body-hardening techniques in traditional schools can be extreme. A novice attempting to mimic such training could end up seriously battered and bruised. Body hardening is only taught to advanced students. Seiyo Shorin-Ryu teaches a similar form of body hardening modified from the Kokushikai system only to members of high yudansha (black belt) rank. ![]() Soke and Sensei Donette Gillespie demonstrate Juko-Ryu Kijutsu at University of Wyoming. Dojo literally means "place of the Tao". For those unfamiliar with Tao, this is a concept of Taoism & Confucianism & translates as "way" or "path" and more loosely as "doctrine" or "principle." Tao is often expressed as in-yo (yin-yang) where every action creates a counter-action that is thought to be natural and unavoidable movement. This is true in karate & physics. When we punch (tsuki) we withdraw the other hand at an equal velocity to maintain power & balance. At one time in history, martial arts dojos were adjunct to temples in Japan because of their importance in the Japanese culture. Westerners confuse Japanese, Okinawan, Chinese, Korean and sport street fighting facilities as dojo. Dojo is strictly Okinawan/Japanese and should only refer to the Japanese-Okinawan arts. A traditional martial arts dojo is cared for by its practitioners - just as many of us saw in the movie the Karate Kid. It is traditional to conduct a ritual cleaning at the end of each training session called souji, which translates as "cleaning". Besides the obvious hygienic benefits of cleaning, it also serves to reinforce the fact that a dojo is sacred and supported and managed by the student body, not the school's instructional staff. Another important characteristic of traditional dojo is that dues are often donated or set at a minimum level even though the type & quality of instruction is usually orders of magnitude greater than commercial schools. In Okinawa, it is traditional that members support a dojo by paying whatever they can for its operation as it is everyone’s dojo. Over the years, we've had many students tell us (after they had graduated from college and moved elsewhere) that they didn’t realize how good they had it in our dojo. This is something that is always taken for granted until it happens. View of the Kamidana at the Arizona Hombu dojo in Mesa, Arizona. There are often displays throughout a traditional dojo, such as kanban (poster boards or signs) that authorize the school to practice a particular style or strategy, and items such as taiko drums, armor (yoroi) and kobudo weapons. It is not uncommon to find the name of the dojo and dojo kun ("rules or philosophy") displayed prominently at the shomen. Weapons and other training gear are found on the back wall. A hombu (or honbu) dojo is the administrative and headquarters for a particular martial arts style. Hombu are not necessarily large or ostentatious: most are small. Hombu is considered the head of a martial arts system and like any traditional dojo, members of a traditional ryu (style) support the hombu financially. Hombu are considered important as all training and certifications originate from a hombu and its Soke. Few Soke are businessmen and it is rare that any association produces excessive financial support. Rare exceptions included the late Mas Oyama and late Ed Parker, both of whom build international empires for their ryu. The Shomen at the Arizona Hombu in Mesa Arizona. Traditional dojo have profundities concealed beneath the surface. A deeper meaning beneath the superficial layer is a recurrent theme in traditional Japanese culture. If one examines the design (hiegakure) of zen gardens they will begin to grasp why there are hidden meanings in martial arts. Hiegakure means "that which is hidden from ordinary sight." The average individual who strolls through a Japanese garden admiring the sights is only subconsciously aware of the paths beneath his or hers feet. To the connoisseur, these paths offer meaning. Where paths are smooth, they are designed for ease of traffic flow. Where stones are rough, irregular, or stepped, this causes the visitor to slow. Where paths end, they are planned by the designer to have visitors pause and take note of the surroundings. The dichotomy of the obvious and subtle can be found or missed not only in Japanese gardens, but also in martial arts as well as in the dojo. Demonstration of hakutsuru karate - white crane - a beautiful but deadly martial art developed by a female practitioner of wushu (Chinese kung fu) centuries ago. Many martial arts were developed by mimicing movements of animals.A study of kata provide subtleties that are missed by the uninitiated. It is not uncommon for some lower ranked students and instructors to scoff at kata as being useless. This is because they lack training and maturity to understand kata. Kata is zen and provides many meanings. The more one practices kata, the more one understands martial arts. As one progresses in karate, periodically a technique in kata will provide new meaning – this is by design as we all have different backgrounds and experiences. To be a good karate-ka, one must practice all kata many times a week and practice all bunkai (applications) associated with each chudan (middle level) and jodan (upper level) kata numerous times a week. Equally as important, one must practice all kihon (basic) stances, blocks, kicks, and strikes hundreds of times each week as this is the only way one can gain muscle memory. Calisthenics and stretching must be kept to a bare minimum and replaced by hundreds of kihon. I’ve yet to see anyone defend themselves by outstretching an attacker. Hundreds of full-focused kihon provide a time of mediation when the body reacts and the mind rests. Martial arts in the eastern culture are intimately concerned with matters of the spirit. Thus, while a dojo may resemble a gym, its historical inspiration is that of a temple or shrine. A dojo should be treated as a shrine. All of its practitioners should be missionaries or emissaries of a dojo. We all want our families and close friends to share in the benefits of this life. A dojo teaches self-confidence, self-esteem, self-improvement, concern for others and provides benefits of health not available in any other kind of training – so why would we not want this for our friends and family? As a student of a traditional dojo, you should consider ways to attract people you care for to your dojo – a blog on the internet about your experiences works wonders, a personal business card designed with pride can provide valuable information about you and your dojo: students are the success and voice of any dojo. After a dojo is well-established and the dojo population declines, there is something wrong that needs to be fixed. The student body should remain stable or grow. In the past, traditional dojo architecture and associated reishiki (etiquette) had three functions: first, the placement of the sensei at the front, seniors on the right, and juniors on the left, this afforded the teacher maximum protection from an intruder. Second, the arrangement shielded the teacher's instruction from those who might peer through the dojo's entrance. Third, the arrangement reflected certain Buddhist rituals. The next time you enter a traditional dojo, look for the subtleties. They are all around you. Sport Karate schools are not traditional and it is even questionable if they are even a martial art. This is also true of mixed martial arts and extreme martial arts - they have no traditions, no foundation, no history and no lineage and few practice traditions or have any philosophy to build better people. There are many talented people who practice these sports, but by definition, they are not a martial art. Only those schools listed below are affiliated with Seiyo Shorin-Ryu (unless they are identified with -Membership Expired). If you do not find your school listed below, it is not a member of our organization. If you have questions, please contact the hombu (Soke@Seiyo-ShorinRyu.com). |
HOMBU-WORLD HEADQUARTERS SEIYO SHORIN-RYU W. Dan Hausel, Soke/10th dan 60 W. Baseline Rd, 106 (NE corner of MacDonald) Mesa, AZ 85210 Email Soke ALASKA (Kenai) Alaska Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Scott Seaton, Sensei/1st dan ARIZONA MESA-GILBERT HOMBU DOJO 60 W. Baseline Rd, 106 ArizonaKarate website BRAZIL Juscelino Frazao de Oliveira, Shihan-Dai/4th dan センセイ ジュスセリノ フラザオ South American Representative Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai World Federation of Traditional Karate & Kobudo Goiânia - Goiás BRAZIL FLORIDA FT. MYERS OLD PATHS MARTIAL ARTS (Affiliate) Steven A. Berkowitz, Dai Shihan/6th dan Old Paths Martial Arts Kysho Shorei Kempo Bugeikan Ryukyu Te Kempo-jutsu Ft. Myers, Florida (USA) Email Dai-Shihan GEORGIA Legend of the Dragon Martial Arts Academy Thanh Q Ngo, Kyoshi, 7th Dan 1835 Norman Dr., Suite C Valdosta, Georgia 31601 Email Kyoshi GERMANY European Association of Daito Ryu Aiki-Bujutsu (Affiliate) Siegfried Boedeker, Hanshi/10th dan Lohne, Germany Seiyo Affiliate GREECE International Okinawa Seishinryoku Karate Do Kobudo Nasiakos Spyros, Hanshi/9th dan All Greece Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Representative Athens Greece INDIA SHORIN-RYU INDIA - Jharkhand Prem Dubey, Kyoshi, (8th) dan SE Asian Representative B/B 1008 Dispensary Road Sonari Jamshedpur Jharkhand India.831011 Email Kyoshi TAMILNADU INDIA DOJO Kyoshi J.K. Raja, 6th dan Salem, Tamilnadu India Email Kyoshi IRAN IRAN SHORIN-RYU (affiliate) Dr. Seyed Ahmad Taleghani, 8th dan/Hanshi MASSACHUSETTS SHORIN-RYU KARATE George Mumford, Sensei PUERTO RICO PUERTO RICO SHORIN-RYU (affiliate) Rio Piedras- Puerto Rico Dojo Pedro Rodriguiz, Sensei SAUDI ARABIA Honorary Member Sheikh/Dr. Ali Atiq Al-Atiq, 7th dan SRI LANKA SHORIN-RYU Sri Lanka (affiliate) Shihan-Dai Indishe Senanayake, 4th dan Email Shihan-Dai UTAH UTAH SHORIN-KAI (Murray Utah) Kyoshi Robert Watson, 8th dan Email Kyoshi Shihan Todd Stoneking, 5th dan Email Shihan VIETNAM LEGEND OF THE DRAGON DOJO Thanh Q Ngo, Kyoshi/7th Dan Hochminh City, Vietnam Email Kyoshi HOI QUAN KHOE DOJO Hiep Ngoc Tran, Dai-Shihan/4th dan Representative & President of Seiyo Viet Nam 193/1C Nam Ky Khoi Nghia . Q3 -T.P Hochiminh Phone (84) 0913122541 Email Dai-Shihan DAI HOC NGOAI THUONG 2 DOJO Hiep Ngoc Tran, Dai-Shihan/4th dan Duong D5. Q Binh Thanh - T.P Ho Chi Minh Phone (84) 0913122541 Email Dai-Shihan HEADQUARTERS - SEIYO SHORIN RYU VIET NAM ASSOCIATION 242 / 73 / 19 Duong Nguyen Thien Thuat .Q3 - T.P Hochiminh Phone (84) 0913122541 Email Dai-Shihan Ming Van Nguyen, Shihan-Dai/4th dan Vice President Phone# (84) 0902999107 Email Dai-Shihan BAO VE NAM DAI VIET DOJO Le Thanh Tran, Shihan-Dai/4th dan Vice President 69 / 22 Duong D2 Van Thanh Bac . Q3 - T.P Hochiminh Phone# ( 84) 0903725479 NHA VAN HOA THANH NIEN DOJO Cong Mai Cu, Shihan/5th dan General Secretary 4 Pham Ngoc Thach .Q1 - T.P Hochiminh Phone (84) 0903913607 Email Shihan WYOMING UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING SEIYO SHORIN-RYU TRADITIONIAL KARATE Sensei Lenny Martin Laramie, WY CASPER SEIYO SHORIN-RYU Andy Finley, Hanshi/7th dan Wyoming Athletic Club (East Side) 455 Thelma Casper, WY 82609 Email Hanshi Casper Seiyo-Shorin Ryu Casper Website CHEYENNE SEIYO SHORIN-RYU Kevin Vance, Shihan/5th dan Email Shihan-Dai Glenn Polk, Shihan-Dai/4th dan Email Sensei GILLETTE SEIYO SHORIN RYU Kyle Gewecke, Shihan-Dai/4th dan Aquatic Center in Gillette, Wyoming Email Sensei ROZET SEIYO SHORIN RYU DOJO Kyle Gewecke |