PRACTICING DURING COVID-19:
(updated 1 March 2021)
Virtual Practices:
Having personalized, small-group practice with AKDS black belts has never been easier...
Just join a practice below by contacting the club instructor for their Zoom mtg ID & Password:
Tuesdays, 6:30pm Pacific Time (4th Dan Simon Prince: AKDStechnical@shotokai.org)
Wednesdays, 7:00pm Mountain Time (1st Dan Gina Cooley: gcoolkarate@gmail.com)
Fridays, 7:00am Eastern Time (2nd Dan Jared Greenwald: AKDSvicepres@shotokai.org)
Saturdays, 8:00am Pacific Time (5th Dan Jeremy Crook: AKDSpresident@shotokai.org)
In-person Practices:
BYU Club, Provo, UT: Every other Tuesday, 7:00pm Mountain Time (beginning March 9). Contact 1st Dan Aisha Huston for details: miss.ayo42@gmail.com
AKDS Spotlight:
We are pleased to share the following chart illustrating many key techniques. We express our thanks to 2nd Dan Debbie Prince for her beautiful work in drawing these illustrations.
American Karate-Do Shotokai
Teaching and practicing the karate principles of Mitsusuke Harada Sensei in the USA
Our Mission
We seek tranquility in the midst of conflict or danger, and strive to control our bodies, minds and emotions to be able to avoid conflict when possible, defend ourselves when necessary and protect others when able.
What is American Karate-Do Shotokai?
Karate-Do is the Way of the Empty Hand. Shoto was a pen name for Gichin Funakoshi (O'Sensei)--the widely acknowledged father of modern karate. Kai means group. Thus Shotokai is "O'Sensei's Group" who study and teach the Way of the Empty Hand.
Mitsusuke Harada Sensei (see videos below), trained personally with O'Sensei in Japan and was awarded the highest rank of 5th Dan by him. He continues to further this art as head of the KDS based in the UK. He visited America personally in 1998 and adopted American KDS as the only group in the United States practicing under his direction.