ISSHIN RYU KARATE

Our karate program is great for men, women, teens and kids of all ages! Children start as young as 4 years old. We have separate classes for different ages and ranks, all taught by professional black belt instructors. This allows students to focus on what they need for their next promotion at a speed that is comfortable for their age.

Isshin Ryu Karate is a style of karate that originated in Okinawa, Japan. Founded by Master Tasuo Shimabuku, Isshin Ryu was derived from Shorin Ryu, Goju Ru and Kobu-Jitsu (the study of weapons). The main components of what we teach is kata (open hand forms), weapons, sparring and self-defense.

There are many physical and mental benefits to practicing karate. Students will gain:

Self-Defense: Students will learn how to avoid dangerous situations and how to de-escalate situations before a physical altercation begins. They will also learn how to defend themselves when physically in danger through a variety of techniques such as blocks, punches, kicks, wrist locks, take downs and more.

Physical Fitness & Flexibility: Simply put, karate is a great workout! Practicing katas, weapons and sparring increase endurance, builds muscle and burns calories. Classes also consist of cardio warm ups, conditioning exercises and stretching before and/or after traditional karate training.

Discipline, Self-Control and Focus: One of the biggest reasons parents enroll their children into karate is to improve all three of these areas. The way we do this is through our structured classes, ranking systems and fantastic black belt employees.

Leadership: Aside from our regular weekly classes there are many other opportunities for students to expand their karate knowledge and experience. We are proud to offer our fantastic Leadership Program, available for all students, no matter rank or age. Members of the Leadership Program learn to stand tall, make eye contact, and speak with a clear and confident voice.

We also offer monthly special seminars to our Master's Club members and have summer camps for kids and adults. We hold an annual open tournament, and our competition team supports many other local and out of state karate tournaments. We also have a demo team that performs for local organizations and special events. We are proud to have been teaching karate in Rochester for over 35 years!

WHAT TO EXPECT

We recommend for you to come in 15-20 minutes before your first class to get fitted for a uniform and take a tour of the facilities.

We recommend attending 2-3 classes a week if your schedule allows for it. This will improve confidence in the skills learned and boost self-esteem.

Beginner classes all warm up together and then break apart into smaller groups. During your first couple of classes you will work with a Sensei (Japanese term for "teacher") to start learning basic blocks, punches, kicks and terminology.

Parents can watch their children from our waiting lounge or benches in the hallway.

We have men's and women's locker rooms where personal items can be stored during class (ie: shoes, jackets, clothes, bags).

WHAT TO BRING TO CLASS

Wear your gi (uniform) and belt to every class.

When you start learning sparring and weapons, make sure you bring all of your equipment with you to every class. The instructors will teach different things each class so you will want to be prepared.