About Us

Shotokan Karate is a weaponless martial art developed in Okinawa and Japan, emphasizing power and efficiency in combat. Skilled karateka defeat their opponents with minimal number of techniques and effort, which is particularly useful when facing multiple opponents. JKA (the Japan Karate Association) was founded in 1955 with Gichin Funakoshi as its chief instructor; Sensei Funakoshi is considered the father of modern karate, after having brought the art from Okinawa to Japan. JKA Karate is distinguished from other martial arts by the linearity and strength of its punches, blocks, and kicks. Precise techniques, accompanied by mastery and focus of energy flows and a deep knowledge of the body's vital points, make this karate style a comprehensive system for self-defense and combat.

JKA Karate is much more than just a way to defend and fight - it is a holistic system in which the training itself has far reaching effects on the trainee. It is an ideal way to become and stay fit, as it combines intense aerobic and anaerobic exercises. It is a way to gain self-discipline and the confidence to surmount everyday obstacles, whether tangible or not. JKA Karate encourages and helps in the exploration and understanding of both the physical and mental self.

Our Chief Instructor is Sensei Kenichi Haramoto, founder of the JKA of California, part of the Japan Karate Association (JKA). Sensei Haramoto is a 6th Dan (sixth degree black belt) and a certified JKA instructor. He began his training when he was a college student at the Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, Japan. As a college student, he participated in the All Japan Collegiate Karate Championship Tournament and took first place in men's team kumite. Sensei Haramoto came to the United States in the 1970s, establishing the JKA of Northern California (later JKA of California), headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. He became the Chief Instructor of the Stanford JKA Karate Club and taught karate six times a week. Read more about the history of Haramoto Sensei's organization.