Youth Karate Program: Ages 7-12
Our exciting youth program offers not only an effective self-defense program in a thrilling and extremely fun environment, but also a means for character development and discipline. The program improves focus and concentration, instills self -discipline and respect, improves performance in other sports, and develops a positive “I can do it!” attitude.
By learning to set and achieve goals through the Karate Belt System, students realize their own limitless potential. Understanding this potential leads to the self-confidence, discipline, respect, and focus needed to fulfill the dreams our students have for themselves.
We encourage our students to live life to the highest level. For many students this could lead to them participating in our unforgettable summer camps at the dojo or our weekend over night training camps in the mountains of Central Washington. Other students choose to challenge themselves by entering in Karate tournaments to win medals and trophies by demonstrating the heart pounding skills that they have mastered in class.
The confidence one learns in our program transfers beyond the mat to academic excellence. It’s a story we’ve heard time and time again. We often get a student enter our program struggling in school, but in a matter of months the focus instilled through our training translates to better performance at school so their grades have drastically improved. This is anther reason that many of our students will qualify for the College Scholarship provided by our organization, the American Shudokan Association. All actively training black belts who graduate high school with at least a B average get a $1,000 scholarship to help make their first steps toward their higher education.
Karate has changed countless lives including the life of our founder, Tobey Stansbury. When he started karate at the age of 7 years old Tobey Sensei had a severe stutter. However, in a matter of months the Karate training had completely cured him of his speech impediment and now he gives lectures in front of large groups of people and travels the world teaching Karate seminars with confidence and with no trace of a stutter.
Don’t wait… unlock your potential by stepping on the mat at Emerald City Karate!
Learning to set and achieve goals is a major step toward being successful in life. This is one of the specialties of training at Emerald City Karate. Our students learn how to set both short-term and longer-term goals for themselves by practicing hard in order to earn stripes on their belts.
In our Youth Program, students will be earning 4 stripes on their belts. This is like quizzes which when passed will qualify them to take their larger Belt Promotion test. The 4 Stripes are called Memory, Bronze, Silver, and Gold.
The Memory Stripe is a test of their understanding of the culture and language of Karate-Do. For white belts, this means that they should learn to count in Japanese from 1 to 10. As soon as they have learned to do this they will have earned their memory stripe and they will feel what is like to take another step toward their black belt.
The Bronze Stripe is a test of a foundational stance and a defensive blocking technique. The foundational concept of Karate is that it should be used for the protection and perfection of one’s self. This is what the bronze stripe represents.
The Silver Stripe is a test of their responsibility to control and master their basic strikes and kicks. Our students learn to stand on the side of justice and to do the right thing at all times. With learning these skills also comes the responsibility of knowing when is the right and wrong time to use them.
The Gold Stripe is both the culmination of the skills we have learned in that session and a symbol of their ability to understand and pass on the cultural traditions of our Art. In order to earn this stripe, students will need to master the Kata being taught in that session. A kata is a traditional pattern of martial arts techniques that has been passed down through the generations and features both beautiful and effective self-defense concepts presented in a dance-like solo performance. They are the cultural and historical heritage of the Okinawan martial art Karate-Do.
Through the trials and tribulations of earning their stripes and belts, our students learn to “Never Give Up!” It is our honor to guide our students down this path toward self-understanding and self-mastery with a loving yet disciplined hand.
Don’t wait… start the journey today by stepping on the mat!
Confidence is Contagious!
Youth Karate Schedule
Our current class schedule is listed on our schedule page.
Please click the button below to check our current schedule.
Ready to start 2 week Trial?
Most students get started with our two-week trial which includes a T-Shirt, a White Belt, and two weeks of unlimited training for $29.99.
Interested in signing up for our Two-week trial membership?
Click the red button below to learn more!
Family Class
Another thing that makes Emerald City Karate incredible is our Family Classes. Our program is both serious enough for adults and fun enough for children, which means that the whole family can train here. Most of our members are part of a family unit training here. That means moms and dads, brothers and sisters, all having fun together on the mat!
Emerald City Karate teaches lessons needed for both success in school and in our adult professional lives. And the process of learning together brings the family closer. This togetherness is a chance to build common ground with your children to help create a stronger family.
Parents can choose to either train side by side with their child or separately in our Adults Only Karate Program. We also have parents that choose to mix and match classes so they can train once a week with their child and once a week in the Adults Only program.
Remember… the family that kicks together, sticks together!
“I first started training under Sensei Tobey in 2008. When I first started my training I was a pack-a-day smoker. I had tried to quit smoking many times but had failed. I promised Sensei I’d quit before my black belt test. I no longer smoke, and I believe that my training in Shudokan Karate under Sensei Tobey gave me the mental discipline that I needed to quit.”
-Thom E – Adult Karate Program
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“My 7-year old son and I have been going to Emerald City Karate for several years now. We have had a great time and always look forward to our family/youth class. As well as teaching about karate and Japanese culture and language, Sensei Tobey provides great lessons on how to work hard and patiently to succeed in anything. It’s also a great way to get mid-week exercise!”
Alan H – Youth & Family Program
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“Sensei Tobey is my son’s Karate teacher (we’re in the 4 to 6-year-old class). As a teacher of small children, I find him to be a wonderful combination of patience, discipline, and fun. He is very passionate about teaching Karate and it shows. He relates to the kids very well and can teach boys and girls equally, not only the physical skills of Karate but mental focus skills as well. It’s been a great experience for my son and I highly recommend Sensei Tobey and Emerald City Karate to anyone looking to enroll their child in a martial arts class. “
Yvette H (Karate Mom)
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Before joining Emerald City Karate I had no experience playing sports or participating in exercise programs because I didn’t like physical activities. So I didn’t expect I would be able to keep training for more than a month or so. But I found it to be fun immediately. The karate class has a variety of different subjects that keep students from being bored. Also, Sensei Tobey knows how to encourage students and allows them to have fun while feeling good about themselves. He likes telling jokes and making students laugh but his passion for teaching karate is always distinctive and serious. Because of his encouragement, I have kept training for a long time and even now I am training in Japan! Karate has taught me the joy of exercise and improved my concentration and it continues to teach many students to practice better manners and etiquette.
It is my pleasure to recommend Emerald City Karate for your exercise and experience in martial arts.
-Kaoru M: Adult Karate Program
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“I cannot say enough good things about the programs offered at Emerald City Karate. If you have children, this dojo (school) is a wonderful environment for them to learn traditional Japanese martial arts, self-discipline, and to have a great time!”
-Samantha: Karate mom
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