About Karatedo DoshinkanKaratedo Doshinkan is a traditional, non-competitive martial art. What does that mean? First, Doshinkan is not a sport. We don't spar or participate in tournaments. We also don't break boards, walk over hot coals, stare at blank walls… In short, a traditional martial art has very little in common with the stuff you see in movies. So what is Doshinkan about? Put simply, Doshinkan is a means to personal growth. We don't train to win trophies or beat people up. Rather, the challenge of training forces us to confront our personal limitations and, in time, overcome them. Ultimately, Doshinkan is about living well, about nurturing body, mind, and spirit. The benefits of training are profoundly personal and can impact all aspects of our lives. Flowery philosophy aside, what do we do? Don't be fooled: If our goal is spiritual, our vehicle is physical. Training in Doshinkan is physically demanding -- and great exercise! A typical training begins with stretching and warm-ups, moves on to repetitions of basic techniques (punches, kicks, blocks, etc.), and concludes with kata, which are traditional sequences of techniques and a fundamental part of what we do. Training in Doshinkan will help you learn basic self-defense techniques and keep you in great shape. If any of this sounds appealing, come try a class and see if Doshinkan is for you! If you still have questions about Doshinkan in general, check out Renshi Dr. June Pilcher's Doshinkan FAQ, or see some of the web sites listed below. Also, feel free to e-mail karatedo@u.washington.edu for more information. Doshinkan on the Web
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About the UW DojoThe UW dojo offers the opportunity to train in Karatedo Doshinkan to students, faculty, and staff of the University of Washington. Individuals who are not affiliated with the UW are also welcome, subject to approval by the instructors. The UW dojo is led by Renshi 6th Dan Aleksander Trofimow and Renshi 5th Dan Jim Maissen. Both have received permission to teach from Hanshi 10th Dan Nobuo Ichikawa, Karatedo Doshinkan's current grand master, and have led Doshinkan classes for many years. For more information on Doshinkan in Seattle, see Renshi Aleksander's Doshinkan page. Training ScheduleDuring the summer, the group is active mostly on an informal basis. Interested beginners should check back near the beginning of autumn quarter. For more information, e-mail karatedo@u.washington.edu. Quarterly DuesQuarterly dojo dues are $20 for beginners, $30 for returning members. These dues support the UW group as well as Hanshi Ichikawa and the larger Doshinkan community. For beginners, dues aren't required until the end of your second week of training, so if you're curious what Doshinkan has to offer, come train for free the first two weeks! For More InformationPlease e-mail karatedo@u.washington.edu with any questions you have. If you need to contact us via paper mail, our address is Karatedo Doshinkan |