Kansas City Shotokan Karate Club

Kansas City & greater area is so lucky to have a place to practice karate like Kansas City Shotokan Karate dojo. A great group of loving, caring Karate leaders and community that I have the honor to learn from and practice with in special trainings for more than a decade. If you live in KC and love practicing karate, look no further... simply call and check them out in person ASAP! No joke nor bluffing... they are simply an AMAZING group of people to practice Karate with and FUN to be around ❤

As soon as you step through the doors to the Dojo, you can't help but feel connected to the rich history of Shotokan Karate, from its inception in Okinawa, it's popularization in Japan, to it's spread to the United States. The Dojo itself feels like a contemporary interpretation of what I would expect a traditional school to feel like - from the beautiful wood floors and exposed brick to the row of Makiwara to use for striking and conditioning. It is neither gaudy nor flashy and instead evokes a sense of Wabi (beauty through simplicity.) The classes are taught in a traditional way - with an emphasis on mastering basics, learning and perfecting kata and learning how to apply the techniques in self-defense and sparring. Classes are of mixed rank with white, brown and black belts all training together with the black-belts always ready to jump in and help the lower ranks learn and improve. The instructors are amazing - knowledgeable, affable and (probably the most important part) patient. They take the time to explain techniques, answer questions and help each individual student. This is a more Budo Dojo than a Sport Karate Dojo, and as such, it focuses on both the physical and philosophical aspects of Karate, so if you're looking to improve your mind, body and spirit while learning an amazing martial art, this is the place.

Karate changed my life, and this dojo was like a second home to me. The teaching is of the highest caliber. You will learn discipline, focus, and how to push yourself beyond your perceived limits. The added bonus is, some of my closest and dearest friendships were forged here making hard and honest practice together. Oh, I forgot to mention, I met my wife here! Seriously, this is traditional karate at its best.

There are very few true traditional Karate dojos left anymore. That is why Kansas City Shotokan Karate Club is a gem. A place of spiritual calm in the midst of the city’s bustling Crossroads District. In the past few decades there has a been a decline in traditional martial arts with the rise of UFC and other MMA promotions. With most gyms and studios eschewing the values of self-betterment passed down from it’s original teachers in favor of effectiveness in a sports competition setting. On the other end of the modern martial arts spectrum there are dojos who claim to be traditional but teach an extremely watered down version that place emphasis on flashy techniques rather than effectiveness in combat. The Karate-do taught in this dojo is the karate as guided by Tsutomu Ohshima, one of the last student of Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan. Ohshima-sensei in-turn founded Shotokan Karate of America which over the course of decades has established dojos all the US as well as sister-branches in other countries, most prominently in Canada, France, and Israel. To be a member of this dojo in Kansas City is to be part of a global family. There are frequent events held by the organization that members are invited to. And if you ever find yourself traveling to other parts of the country, all you have to do is reach out to the nearest SKA dojo and you will be welcomed with open arms, retaining rank and familiarity of the structure used by all of Ohshima’s students. If you are an old karateka from another organization or even style and you wish to continue your practice with this dojo, your rank will be respected, granted the seniors recognize your current level of skill is on par with that rank. Fairness, strictness and technical standards that are not lowered for any student, new or old. These are what you would be held up to when joining this dojo. That is the tradition.

If you want to be a tournament fighter, this ain't the place. But if you're looking for real-life skills and, more importantly, supreme mental and physical discipline, I can't imagine a better organization to be a part of. I've attended this dojo for almost two years and feel like a new person. The seniors here are utterly invested in teaching and hold their students to high standards. What's more, it is a very welcoming environment where practitioners at all levels may speak freely.