Okinawa Karate-Do Center

I've been a black belt at Muso-kai for over 10 years now. Black belt shodan was just the beginning in terms of learning the bujitsu of Okinawan karate at Muso-kai. Shihan Arakaki has created an environment for everyone, even those in the highest ranks, to continually improve, learn and hone their skills. Everyone at the dojo is encouraged to think for themselves about every aspect of karate and should be able to rationally explain each technique or body movement. No one at the dojo, not even Shihan Arakaki, has the mentality that they know everything or that they are specially gifted. Naturally, there are some with more talent than others but Shihan Arakaki's method of teaching is efficient and systematized in a way that anybody can dramatically improve their skills if they put in the effort. What I enjoy most at Muso-kai is studying the principles of biomechanics and physics and applying those principles to body movements and techniques. Applying science to body movements and techniques has been at the heart of Okinawan karate. Okinawan karate has been deeply divided into many styles over its modern history. This division and competition for superiority between the styles has in some ways limited the potential for Okinawan karate. Shihan Arakaki has studied many styles of Okinawan karate throughout his life and founded Muso-kai based on his experiences. Muso-kai cuts through these style divisions by aiming to teach what Okinawan karate was in the beginning of its history when influences from Chinese kung-fu and Japanese swordsmanship formed Okinawan karate. Muso-kai has been slowly gaining an international following in the Okinawan karate community. Just recently we trained with some well known karate-ka that came all the way from Japan to take their belt test. Usually this is backwards where we (in the USA) would have to go to Japan to train and test. I feel lucky to have Muso-kai's headquarters here in Salt Lake City, Utah of all places. It's amazing to be a part of this growing organization.

Great place to learn if you want to master Okinawa Karate and you'll find out how helpful it is in real life situation as well as in full contact sparring, jyu kumite or even light sparring, the kata and bunkai here basically focus on the stand Naifanchi that the legendary Karate master Motobu Choki has mastered it in my opinion. The point of kata and bunkai in this dojo that help me alot is that it's not just fancy movement(which is fancy if you do it to perform), but it do help you to practice and strengthen your back muscle- which is one of the strongest muscle of your body. Imagine if you fully mastered it, one punch using your back muscle and all your weight in it could deal some sort of damage to your opponent which result is injured to death (depend on where you punch, rib, pressure point, etc). The sparring and physical conditioning for test is hell, all is full contact and every body go full force but yet control when its come to dangerous kick like axe kick to the head. Black belt here have different back ground and they are all tough and hard to mess with fighter. The teacher as I know is a devoted Karateka and honorable man. you must have determination to do this, dont give up after 1 month. stuff will be more excited after you pass the white belt test and more sparring

Great place to learn, the teacher has a true passion for his work and you can learn if you pay attention and have a seriousness about the art of karate