Martial Arts
U.R.K.A. Summer Camp Favorites
The biggest event of the year for the United Ryukyu Kempo Alliance is the Summer Camp at the Headquarters dojo. I attended the U.R.K.A. Summer Camp for the first time in 2002 and I was totally impressed. Here are my top five favorite things about it. U.R.K.A. Summer Camp and Camaraderie The people, the brotherhood…
Read MoreWhat We Value at our Dojo
I recently started listing out what we value at our dojo. It’s because I was thinking of Sei Shōnagon. She was a writer who lived in service to Japanese royalty. Even though Sei Shōnagon died nearly a thousand years ago, we can get an idea of her personality, intellect, life and values due to her…
Read MoreKarate Moms: We Love Them So
Our dojo would be a sad place if karate moms were not an active part of it. Not only do they support their kids in getting to class. They facilitate making sure karate tuition is paid. And they try their best, even when it’s a hectic day, to get their children to the dojo on…
Read MoreParents Want Karate to Teach Valuable Lessons
I have learned what parents want karate to teach their kids. Several things come up repeatedly. The good news is that their expectations are very realistic if their child trains in traditional Okinawan karate regularly and consistently.
Read MoreRyukyu Kempo’s Core Principles 4-5
In the United Ryukyu Kempo Alliance, we apply five core principles to our martial arts training. These principles also help us to be more effective and successful in other areas of life. In my last blog, we covered the first three principles with both martial arts and life examples. Here we will finish up with…
Read MoreRyukyu Kempo’s Core Principles 1-3
The U.R.K.A. is a unique martial arts organization for many reasons. One of them is its promotion and use of Ryukyu Kempo’s core principles to enhance training. With understanding, these concepts become ingrained in practitioners and allow them to improve their lives in all areas. Here are the first three of five core principles and…
Read MoreKarate For Girls and its Benefits
The benefits and offerings of traditional Okinawan karate apply to all genders and ages. However, I can speak from the female point of view when I say that karate for girls is exceptionally powerful. My first exposure to martial arts was a recreation center’s aikido class. Then I started ongoing training as a young woman…
Read MoreDojo Support Ten Ways
Your karate school needs your dojo support. A dojo is not a mat or even a building. But it is the people who are a part of it. Without the people a dojo doesn’t exist. And the students and their families are its most important asset. Here are ten ways you can help your dojo…
Read MoreTraditional Okinawan Weapons
In our weekly Okinawan weapons classes, we train in more standard martial arts weapons. United Ryukyu Kempo Alliance camps allow for a wider variety of black belt instructors. That opens up workshops in more of the traditional weapons for training. OKINAWAN WEAPONS FOR BEGINNERS At our dojo, all students need to learn some bo techniques…
Read MoreGround Fighting at Our Dojo
Our dojo offers ground fighting classes as enrichment to training. Not all traditional karate schools do. However, rolls, falls and take downs were part of many ancient Okinawan styles. We continue to preserve some of these basics in our curriculum of karate classes. Plus, many of our students appreciate rounding out their training with the…
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