Winter/Spring 2026 – Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley Newsletter By Johnpaul Williams – Director, Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley Gojūkan Classes are officially in session! Join us for the highly anticipated 2026 season of traditional Gōjū-Ryū Karatedō training in Menlo Park, California. Register online, view our expanded international calendar, and prepare for
December 2025 SKSV Karate Grading (Shinsa) Results By Johnpaul Williams – December 31, 2025 Karatedō is a profound Budo—a lifelong journey built upon patience, targeted goals, inevitable obstacles, and rewarding milestones designed to forge character. Karate training at our Menlo Park dōjō demands tenacity, mental pliability, and physical fortitude. Closing
Bōgu Bags & WKF-Approved Karate Gear in Menlo Park Presented by Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley | Serving Menlo Park & the Greater Bay Area Bōgu (防具), literally translating to “armor,” is absolutely essential for practitioners of traditional martial arts like Karate (空手) and Kendō (剣道), where specialized sparring gear must
Fall 2025 – Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley Newsletter By Johnpaul Williams – Director, Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley Gojūkan Classes begin September 3, 2025! Join us for a new season of Gōjū-Ryū Karatedō training in Menlo Park. Register online, view the calendar, and see highlights from Japan and our recent promotions.
2025 Seiwakai in Daisen and JKF Gojukai in Sendai – Seminars & Competition By Johnpaul Williams – Director, Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley Gojūkan Our Menlo Park travelers have returned from the annual summer expedition to Japan! We proudly participated in the weeklong seminar in the Omagari Daisen region of Akita
Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley – June (Summer) Newsletter 新たな季節、新たな精神 — New Season, Renewed Spirit Cross-posted to email and on our website: www.gojuryu.net Summer, Summer, Summer Time 季節の変わり目には新たな意志と共に稽古に励みましょう。 暑さの中にも鍛錬の道を忘れず、汗と共に精神(こころ)を磨いていきましょう。 As the golden sun of summer stretches over California and Japan, our dōjō (道場) stands vibrant with purpose. Summer is a time
May / June 2025 SKSV Grading (Shinsa) Results By Johnpaul Williams – June 4, 2025 Karatedō is a profound journey fraught with obstacles and setbacks, yet filled with goals and milestones. Fortunately, rigorous Karate training inherently builds tenacity, mental pliability, and formidable physical fortitude. Congratulations to all those who successfully
Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley – April / May Newsletter New Season, Renewed Spirit (新たな季節、新たな精神) Cross-posted to email and on our website: www.gojuryu.net Welcome to Spring 季節の変わり目には新たな意志と共に稽古に励みましょう。 As the days grow longer here in California and the cherry blossoms bloom in Kyoto, our dōjō (道場) enters a season of true renewal.
Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley – Winter 2025 Newsletter New Year, Renewed Focus (新年、新たな目標) By Johnpaul Williams – Director, Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley [caption id="attachment_2531" align="alignright" width="300"] Traditional karate tournaments are back, and SKSV is in the house![/caption] As we step boldly into the new year, our dōjō is alive with
Does Karate Pedigree Matter? Bridging Tradition and Modern Science By Johnpaul Williams – Director, Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley Introduction: Deconstructing the Karate Pedigree Martial arts, particularly those originating from traditional Japanese and Okinawan roots, place a heavy premium on lineage and legitimacy. In this context, a "karate pedigree" refers to
The world is a changing... Faster than profiteers can identify unique domain names and unfortunately faster that we can manage them at the same time. While we have consistently taken charge to grasp and hold on to our future we too must change. Last year we gifted the URL www.JKFGojukai.org to
Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley (SKSV) Media & Online Resources by Johnpaul Williams. At Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley (SKSV), we are committed to preserving and promoting traditional Gōjū-Ryū Karatedō. Our goal is to provide students and enthusiasts with high-quality resources to deepen their understanding of karate history, terminology, and techniques. Whether
March 2024 SKSV Goju-Ryu Karate Club Newsletter by Johnpaul Williams. Dear Club Members, I hope everyone is having a fantastic month! I want to remind you that after next week, we will have a 2-week training break, as indicated in our club calendar. Here are a few important updates for
2024 New Year Wishes All Gojuryu Network (www.gojuryu.network) & SKSV (Gojuryu.net) cross-post By Johnpaul Williams – January 3, 2024 Dear Members, Families, and Friends of Seiwakai Karate Silicon Valley, [caption id="attachment_1689" align="alignright" width="300"] Alexandra Alan (MP) Takahashi Satoru (JP), Johnpaul Williams (MP), Shiho Azuma Williams (MP) and Sanjit Mandal (TV). USA representatives in Japan 2023.[/caption]
Addressing Bullies in Budo: The Moral Responsibility of the Sensei 先生 As a Sensei 先生, coach, and leader, we bear a profound responsibility to protect our community and stand firmly against fascists and bullies. In the world of traditional Japanese Martial Arts, it is not enough to teach technique; we
Fukyu Kata Dai Ichi: The Foundation of Karatedō for Beginners For students beginning their journey in traditional Okinawan Karate, establishing a strong technical foundation is paramount. One of the most essential introductory forms taught is Fukyu Kata Dai Ichi. This kata was specifically commissioned by the government of Okinawa in
Spring 2026 Newsletter: Competition Medals, Registration, and International