Karate Dojo use warm-up and stretching routines to stretch muscles and boost heart rates. This helps to prepare the karate students for the more vigorous karate practice that follows the warm-up and stretch session. This part of a karate class is extremely important and along with being very healthy, it will hopefully reduce potential injuries […]
Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Shihan Minakami began his formal martial arts training at age 7. He belonged to the Jujitsu/Kodokan Judo school under Takagi Sensei. Takagi Sensei was a 9th Degree Kodokan Black Belt. Shihan Minakami came to the United States in 1963. During his first years in America, Shihan Minakami made a […]
Karate is about discipline and respect. Etiquette in the karate class is where it all begins. Master Gichin Funakoshi, who was the founder of shotokan karate, said, ‘karate begins and ends with courtesy’. Etiquette varies from karate dojo to dojo, but the points below should give you an understanding of etiquette within a traditional karate […]
