Family Karate: Youth and Adults
One thing that makes Emerald City Karate different is that we offer Family Classes as well as independent youth and adult training sessions. This gives parents the option to train with their family, get some time with other adults, or mix and match the two and train sometimes together and sometimes separately.
Our Family Classes are a great opportunity to experience the wonderful lessons of Martial Arts right along with your child. 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 successes 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.
Our Stripe and Belt System: Set & Achieve Goals
Learning to set and achieve goals is a major step towards 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. These are like quizzes that 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 towards 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 have been passed down through the generations which 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!
Family Class Schedule
Our current class schedule is listed on our schedule page.
Please click the button below to check our schedule.
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The family that kicks together, sticks together.
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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