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WHAT MAKES THE HOUSE OF KARATE DOJO SO DIFFERENT?
• It is the only all traditional Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate Dojo on Staten Island.
• It opened in 1971 and has remained at the same location.
• It is a Dojo where you can be proud to train.
• It is a Dojo that you can trust and where you become part of a family.
• It houses the Chief Instructor for New York's Five Boroughs who has been
appointed
by the Grand Masters in Okinawa.
• It is a Dojo where the Masters from Okinawa come to exchange training
ideas on Staten Island.
• It is a Dojo where the teachers and members travel to Okinawa to train
with the Grand Masters, upon request.
• In this Dojo there is no tournament fighting, no sport karate, no kickboxing,
no aerobics and no beating up on
each other, just pure learning, conditioning and hard training.
• When you receive your black belt Diploma from this Dojo, not only will you
change your life, but you are receiving
a Diploma from the head Master of the New York City Area who has forty years in the Martial Arts and who
has been inducted in the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame (1993) and the Action Martial Arts Magazine
Hall of Fame (2001).
• “It is a Dojo that will change you life forever and that’s what makes this Dojo
so different”.
• You are never too old to train in this Dojo and Style. All you need to do is
to come in and train
for the first 3 classes, that’s all.
WHAT IS THE TEACHING PHILOSOPHY AT THE HOUSE OF KARATE?
Sensei Smith understands that students train in the martial arts for many different reasons and with many different goals. Furthermore, he realizes that each student brings to the dojo his or her own unique needs and talents. It would be irresponsible, therefore, for an instructor to attempt to mold a student into a preconceived image of what they think the student should become. This practice does a disservice to the students and runs contrary to the true essence of the martial arts. Schools that subscribe to this one-dimensional approach set goals for their students which are not the student’s own. Consequently, many students feel unsatisfied with their experience and stop training. Specific examples include teachers wrongfully assuming that every student wants to become a black belt, or that they desire to become tournament champions. This unrealistic thinking serves only to weaken a dojo. Students studying at the House of Karate will not experience this type of narrow-minded and destructive teaching.
Sensei Smith believes that a dojo is a place of learning designed to provide all students with the opportunity to enhance their skills to the degree of their choosing. The teacher’s role at the House of Karate is to recognize what tools the students need to achieve their goals, and to determine the best way to provide students with these tools. With over 40 years experience teaching students of all ages and backgrounds, Sensei Smith has refined his teaching methods to the point where he can quickly identify and address a student’s shortcomings. This ability not only helps the student avoid costly mistakes, but also increases the speed at which true learning can occur.
In addition to producing high quality martial artists, Sensei Smith prides himself on developing students of high moral caliber. Anyone wishing to train at the House of Karate should be aware that the only barrier to entry is the student’s ability to remain disciplined, to control their ego, and to be respectful at all times. Our dojo is not a gym, and our teachers do not make a living from teaching Karate. We teach our students that Karate training is a privilege requiring them to approach their study seriously and for the right reasons. Long-term contracts will therefore never be used at the House of Karate, because they create an artificial desire to continue training long after a student’s true desire has faded.
WHO MAY JOIN THE SENIOR CLASS?
The senior class is offered to men and women between the ages of 18 and 60. The class structure accommodates students of all fitness levels and capabilities, including students with health limitations and physical handicaps. The teaching method utilized at the House of Karate attracts students from all walks of life desiring to train their bodies and minds to improve their physical skills and their mental discipline.
HOW IS THE SENIOR CLASS STRUCTURED?
Sensei Smith teaches the senior class in the same manner in which it is taught by the masters in Okinawa. Every class begins with the basic warm-up and strengthening exercises necessary to prepare the body for the day’s rigorous training. Basic drills (Kihon) are also performed regularly because they provide the foundation upon which more advanced techniques can be taught. Typical classes will also utilize various two-man drills, which are an excellent tool in developing the proper timing, balance and depth perception necessary for combat. The day’s training will often culminate with Kata practice, where students test their ability to combine the physical components of their training with the mental discipline needed for proper Kata performance.
WHEN CAN A SENIOR TRAIN AT THE HOUSE OF KARATE?
Classes for seniors are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. These classes are taught by Sensei Smith. Sensei Smith has a teaching philosophy which is, “I teach, you do the work”, which means: “Whatever I teach you on Tuesdays and Thursdays you have an opportunity to practice these techniques at your convenience, whenever you feel like it,” because all the seniors have their own keys to the dojo which gives them an opportunity to practice when they want to, not when someone else tells them, they have to.
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