OUR PEOPLE

Our students come from all walks of life and range in age from the very young to those well into their retirement. What unites them is their dedication to the process of mastery. As they rise in ranks, the good habits that mastery requires – diligence, industry, patience, persistence, -- become second nature and these habits are then inevitably applied to the students’ other pursuits and interests. It is gratifying to note that success in the dojo so often translates to success in life.

OUR STYLE

We practice a version of Shotokan Karate-Do. It is considered one of the "hard" styles. Utilizing low stances and explosive power generated from the body's core, our classes provide a rigorous physical workout. While subtlety increases with the skill of the practitioner, Shotokan is primarily known for its concentration on and persistent repetition of a narrow range of techniques.

OUR METHOD

READING FOR KICKS offers karate classes to those willing to read a book every month and turn in a short book report. The students select their own books. The only restrictions are that the book must be a work of fiction and the reading level must be appropriate to the student. We make allowances for those students who are in the process of learning English. Our purpose is not just to get people to read; it is to assist them in becoming habitual readers.Reading and writing book reports is based on the honor system. Over the last ten years this system has been abused very rarely. It is gratifying to know how honorable people can be if you respect them with high expectations.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Our dojo kun (or "motto" or "code of behavior") reads:
To seek perfection of character.
To be sincere and honest.
To show strong spirit.
To respect others.
To refrain from violent behavior.

Our purpose is to assist people in becoming disciplined, focused, capable, and non-violent. We believe that karate should be used only for self-defense or the ethical defense of another. We undergo the demanding physical training that we do so that we can become better at living up to our dojo kun.

OUR HISTORY

Our martial art is Shotokan Karate. Brought from Okinawa to Japan by Gichin Funakoshi early last century, it was then exported to North America after World War II by Hidetaka Nishiyama. One of Nishiyama Sensei's students was Ray Dalke, who taught at the University of California, Riverside. Thousands of people passed through Dalke Sensei's doors over the years -- among them the Reading For Kicks instructors.