Teen & Adult classes

The Martial Arts Academy of Marin is a True Lineage School, where you will be properly educated in the ways of Karate. Shōrinji Ryū Karate is a complete martial art, comprised of striking, grappling, and weapons. These techniques contain practical blocks, evasions, kicks, punches, elbow and knee strikes, stand-up restraints, joint locking, throws, and pins. On top of basic hand-to-hand methods, the system is rounded out by a traditional Okinawan weapons practice called Kobudo. The weapons taught here are the Bo, Sai, and Tonfa.

Contrary to many modern Karate systems that use muscular tension and external strength, we focus on the idea of soft technique, explosiveness, and the expression of deep breathing to express power. Refined into a well-rounded fighting art, Shōrinji Ryū Karate maintains its fighting prowess, discipline, and elegance through an intensive training curriculum. Combined with the approach of versatility and innovation as its principles, this fully trains you to be a well-rounded generalist, capable of adapting to any situation.

With its origins tracing back from Okinawa to the Shaolin Temple, Shōrinji Ryū Karate is a time and battle-tested self-defense system that brings robust strength, health, balance, and peace of mind to the practitioner.

foundational skills & Training

Basics

A sound foundation in the basics form a dependable platform of fighting techniques that will not fail you under pressure. Rigorous basic training in hand and leg techniques performed from horse stance, and moving line sets develops proper footwork, timing, and superior leg strength. Proven over centuries, The ability and strength of the practitioner is always shown through knowledge of the basics, and most importantly, Kata. Many so-called great masters that only specialized in fancy techniques have fallen in combat to those whom possess the ability of the basics and fighting spirit of the Kata.

What You Will Learn

Students will begin with foundational movements, focusing on proper form, balance, and power generation. Working sequentially, you begin with simple stances, blocks, and strikes. Slowly, you will pressure test what you have learned, as a form of evidence-based training, before proceeding to the next module.

Strikes: Straight punches, hammer fists, hook punches, knee and elbow strikes.
Blocks: Rising block, inside and outside forearm blocks, low blocks to defend the head, torso and waist
Kicks: Front kick, roundhouse kick, side kick, and back kick.
Stances and Footwork: Horse stance to develop balance and core strength, front stance to attack and evade, and cat stance control distance and counter. Combined with swift footwork to seamlessly move from one stance to the other, you will learn to control timing and space.

Kata
Kata, or Form, is essential to understanding Karate as a fully functional and alive art form. They serve as a living database of various principled techniques in their raw form that can be adapted to different combat situations.

Taught properly at The Martial Arts Academy, Kata is fully explained in a way that many large commercial dojos and other schools fall short. Each technique is learned thoroughly, with the underlying principles of body dynamics, coordination, power generation, movement quality, and proper fighting spirit are clearly shown in a step by step fashion.

You will study traditional Shōrinji Ryū Kata, including:

Naihanchi Shodan Kata: It develops superior balance, close-range explosive power, puts spring in your step, and unlocks unrealized power potential from the legs. This is the first Kata that you will learn.
Pinan Series: Five short intermediate-level katas, each emphasizing different themes and strategies. These include close range striking, long range strikes and evasions, blocks and parries, grappling and escapes, and combinations of each Kata seamlessly threaded together.
Advanced Kata: Students will progress to more complex katas such as Passai, Gojushiho, Seisan, Chinto, and Kushanku, refining their precision and power.

Bunkai & Kumite

Next, Bunkai (Fighting Drills derived from Kata moves) are also practiced, in a staged curriculum: first against a cooperative training partner in order to fully understand the sequence of techniques, second against a semi-cooperative partner, and thirdly, you must perform your Bunkai against a non-cooperative partner that fully resists you each step of the way, Even the most simple of techniques become very difficult to do well. This time proven method hones your technique into a usable skill set that will benefit even the seasoned martial artist.

Lastly you will have the opportunity to apply your techniques in Jiyu Kumite (Freestyle Sparring) to test what you have learned. You can vary the power levels to light all the way to full power, depending on your level of training.

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FREE WEEK

Try out unlimited classes for one week at the Dojo and discover the zen warrior within you. Whether you're looking to build discipline, make new friends, or just try something new, The Academy is a welcoming place to begin. No pressure—just an opportunity to grow, move, and evaluate whether our karate community is the right fit for you or your child.

What You Will Learn

Students will learn controlled, practical applications of their techniques through structured sparring exercises:

One-step sparring emphasizing self-defense reactions for beginners.
Line Sets: Repetitive line sets from light to full pressure prepare and build confidence for you to step seamlessly into sparring.
Pre-arranged sparring drills to enhance timing and distancing.
Jiyu Kumite: Free sparring with protective gear, allowing students to test their skills in a controlled setting.

Throws, Knockdowns & Pins

There are nine throws plus a myriad of sweeps and knockdown techniques:

Tumble and fall safely without injury.
Sweeping, encircling, and hip throws.
Counters and escapes to others’ throws and takedowns.

Self-Defense (Bunkai & Practical Applications)

A core aspect of Shōrinji Ryū is applying techniques in real-world scenarios. Training includes:

Escaping grabs and holds.
Defending against strikes and common attacks.
Joint locks and pressure points for control.
Countering multiple attackers with efficient movements.

Conditioning & Strength Training

Physical fitness is integral to karate, and you will develop:

Improved endurance through dynamic drills and bag work.
Strength through body-weight exercises and core training.
Flexibility and balance through stretching routines.

Philosophy & Meditation

At the end of class, a Zen philosophy dissertation is given on the theme of the class that day. Learning how to improve one's character through self examination and scrutiny is emphasized, followed by a classical Shugendo meditation tradition done to self-reflect and rejuvenate the mind and body.