Lonsdale Karate

01/06/2026

We have kicked off the 2026 training at Lonsdale Karate! Akemash*te omedetou gozaimasu, kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

01/02/2026

From our Hombu Dojo in Okinawa.

空手人心得
Karate Practitioner's Creed
1. 空手を売名の道具とせず
Do not use karate as a tool for self-promotion.
2. 空手は護身を正道とする
Karate's true purpose is self-defense.
3. 空手人は生活、経済、家庭の安定を第一とする
Karate practitioners prioritize stability in their lives, finances, and families.
4. 空手人は胆を練り不動心を常とする
Karate practitioners cultivate courage and maintain unwavering composure.
5. 人前での演武を慎むこと
Refrain from performing demonstrations in public.
6. 常に洗心し悪人の陰謀に勝ること
Constantly purify your mind and overcome the schemes of evil people.
7. 先輩を敬い後輩を育むこと
Respect your seniors and nurture your juniors.
8. 空手は礼節を社会生活に善用する紳士淑女の武道である
Karate is a martial art for gentlemen and ladies who utilize etiquette and courtesy in their social lives.
9. 空手道は道である　故に花多きことを求めず実のあることを求めること
The Way of Karate is a path; therefore, do not seek superficial achievements, but rather substantial ones.
10. 口先だけの武、観念の武、書物の武等は、全て畳の上の憲法、武人にあらず
Martial arts practiced only through words, concepts, or books are all mere theories on the tatami mat, not true martial arts.
11. 修練を怠るは口武道の元、武の恥、心の恥
Neglecting training is the root of verbal martial arts, a disgrace to martial arts, and a disgrace to the heart.
12. 武道は生涯、命尽きる時、悠々と心身のiりは桜花と散る
Martial arts is a lifelong pursuit; when life ends, the mind and body should gracefully fade away like cherry blossoms.

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12/31/2025

As we approach 2026 and people think about New Year's Resolutions, I would like to invite everyone to consider the benefits of training Karate, Kobudo, and Aikido. While training is a physical challenge, Martial Arts Training offers intrinsic benefits that go beyond just exercise. We focus on learning, retaining material, and preserving training traditions that date back over 300 years. Reshape your body and mind in a way that allows you to manage conflict and stress while remaining calm and centered. Work on endurance, range of motion, balance, and the ability to move with focus and surprising quickness, all while escaping the stress and pressures of life. Train with others in a friendly, supportive environment. Learn traditions rooted in Okinawa, Japan from someone who lived and trained there, all for a maximum of $75 per student per month. Classes are available 6 days a week in three martial arts.

12/31/2025

Congratulations to Kye, Soren, and Ryan for advancement in Okinawa Shorinryu Mukenkai Karate.

12/18/2025

Due to high wind and blowing snow, the dojo is closed tonight. Please be safe, and we will see you next time.

12/18/2025

Hi, we will not have class on Christmas Day. People are welcome to attend makeup sessions to work around their holiday plans. We hope everyone has a grand Christmas.

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12/17/2025

Sebi received his Jun Shodan certificate today. Shawna presented it. It arrived from Okinawa last week. Congratulations Sebi.

12/16/2025

We had a good turnout today.

12/14/2025

When I say that in Japan Karate is an adult activity that is sometimes shared with kids, I get some strange looks. That is because most people in the US think it is a kids activity taught by adults, and in most commercial studios they are probably right. In a traditional dojo, the focus is on lifetime betterment. That betterment can start at any age. Here we see a video from Honda Sensei, who leads our Osaka, Japan Dojo where an 80 year old student is practicing Pinan Katas. https://www.facebook.com/reel/24702058689468276

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12/08/2025

We had a good get-together at White Bear Lake YMCA on Saturday.

12/05/2025

Today I was asked about self-defense classes. This comes up from time to time. I will absolutely help you to be able to defend yourself, as traditional karate, kobudo, and aikido touch on the skills and training necessary to do so. Sport karate is more geared toward maximizing effectiveness in earning points within a set of rules, and as such builds a set of skills that are a bit different than the kind of violence likely to occur in an attack. I don't do or teach sport karate, although I have had fun with it when I was a few decades younger.

What I won't do is hold a one-hour session with the idea that it will give someone skills they can use in a chaotic, emotionally devastating, and violent encounter. Doing so would provide a false sense of security. That would be like convincing an athlete that all they have to do is practice a free throw for about an hour. Then they can go into a game and make the shot, or, probably more accurately, it would be like teaching someone to hit a heavy bag with a few combinations and then sending them into a boxing match.

Patrick McCarthy Sensei coined the phrase "habitual acts of violence" to refer to techniques that can be used in a fight. How do we make something habitual? We have to repeat it thousands of times. In doing so we are not only learning how to do the technique, we are conditioning our bodies to do so habitually and effectively. This is why football players practice tackling and blocking, baseball players practice hitting and catching, and so on.

If you are interested in being able to defend yourself, please find a place to train regularly, if not with us, then with someone.

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12/04/2025

Yoga Schedule for December