What Shōtō Keishōkai is
Shōtō Keishōkai (松濤継承会, the Shōtō Succession Society) is the lineage body under which the club awards rank. The name means carrying the Shōtō tradition forward: Funakoshi's karate as it was passed down through Sensei Nishiyama, Sensei Yaguchi, Sensei Sugiyama and their students, drawing on the JKA, ITKF, AAKF and ISKF traditions in which Sensei Rogers trained. It belongs to no national or international organization and charges no fees. It exists so that a rank earned here carries a clear line back to the founders' generation.
What the body does
- Sets the grading standard for its member dojo and publishes it to every student.
- Appoints examiners and holds kyu and dan examinations.
- Awards rank by numbered, sealed certificate and keeps the register.
- Verifies any rank it has awarded for a student, a parent or another dojo.
- Recognizes rank earned in JKA-affiliated dojos once it has been verified.
What it does not do
- Charge fees for examinations, certificates or records.
- Register ranks with, or send money to, any national or international organization.
- Run tournaments. Students who wish to compete are directed to the AAU karate program.
- Take sides in the disputes between the organizations that followed the founders' generation.
Where we stand
We practice traditional Shotokan karate and follow the principles of the JKA (Japan Karate Association): its kihon, kata and kumite, its grading syllabus, and Funakoshi's Dōjō Kun. We are not a registered JKA club, and we are not affiliated with any governing body. That is a deliberate choice. Since many of the founding senseis have passed on, organizational politics have too often marred the spirit of karate, and we would rather keep our dojo focused on training. Ranks earned here are awarded under Shōtō Keishōkai (松濤継承会), our own lineage body, which carries forward the JKA, ITKF, AAKF and ISKF traditions of our teachers and belongs to no outside organization.
We do not charge for grading, and no money is sent to any national or international body for testing or rank registration. That keeps the cost of karate down for our students and their families.
Students who want to compete in tournaments are encouraged to join the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) karate program.
Dōjō Kun 道場訓
- 一、人格完成に努むることSeek perfection of character
- 一、誠の道を守ることBe faithful
- 一、努力の精神を養うことEndeavor
- 一、礼儀を重んずることRespect others
- 一、血気の勇を戒むることRefrain from violent behavior