Shotokan Karate

Karate

Our Shotokan Karate Program emphasizes fitness, discipline, and mindfulness through the focus on movement and technique. We offer a variety of programs for all ages and levels of skill:

• Little Dragons (ages 3-6)- a fun and age-appropriate introduction to the fundamentals of Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Students participate in Karate games, obstacle courses, light point sparring, and self-defense. Students are also introduced to basic Japanese words and phrases.
   
• Child Karate (ages 7-12)- for students new to martial arts or with previous Little Dragons experience. Students are engaged in basic conditioning and exercises, fundamentals of Karate, light sparring, and self-defense/ anti-bullying techniques. This class will cover the first three belt levels of the Karate curriculum.
   
• Family Karate- an introductory level course for families to train together. Students new to karate can benefit from training with family members who may be more advanced in their training creating a supportive team environment. The curriculum includes warm-up exercises and training leading into the fundamentals of Karate as taught in Little Dragons and Child Karate. This course will cover the first three belt levels of the curriculum for all family members.
   
• Intermediate/ Advanced Karate (ages 12- Adult)- for students who have achieved a green belt or higher, this class further develops the fundamentals of Karate and focuses on more advanced techniques.
   
• Advanced Karate/ Bunkai- for students who have achieved a blue belt or higher, this class focuses on exploring the movements of Karate and understanding how each technique can be applied in self-defense. This class is intended for students wishing to enhance and fortify their journey to mastering martial arts.
   
• Point Sparring- for students interested in competing in tournaments, this class covers the basics of Sport Karate, Kickboxing, and Point Fighting techniques. In Point Sparring, the fight is interrupted after each successful hit and competitors move back to their starting positions. This curriculum includes basic drills, conditioning, the study of rules for tournaments, and the point fighting system.
   
• Continuous Competitive Sparring- for students with Karate and Muay Thai experience who are interested in competition. The curriculum includes drills, conditioning, and rules for tournaments.
   
• Weapons- for students interested in developing techniques for nunchucks and bo staff who have been training in general Karate for 3 months or longer.

Through the physical practice of Shotokan Karate, 5 Elements Martial Arts strives to provide a well-rounded curriculum so our students aged 3 and up can have fun, increase fitness, join the community, feel empowered, and grow in confidence. 

Required Equipment:

• All Classes:
  • Full Karate Gi (white uniform top, black uniform pants, belt)
  • Optional Club T-Shirt may be worn instead of Gi top
• Advanced Classes may require:
  • Hand Gear
  • Foot Gear 
  • Shin Guards 
  • Mouth Guard
  • Athletic Cup 
  • Weapons, such as Bo Staff, Nunchucks