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What Is Karate? | What Is SKA? | Who is Tsutomu Ohshima? | Caltech Karate Club| Caltech Karate Club Practice Schedule | Contact Us | Official SKA Homepage | |
California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena, California and is well known for its academic achievements. However, getting a highly respected diploma and interacting with Nobel laureates are not the only rewards offered by Caltech. A unique opportunity to study Karate at very high level is undoubtedly attractive for beginners as well as for the more experienced. The Caltech Karate Club is the oldest university Karate club in America, established in 1957.
Our current instructor is Ian Ferguson. Ian
has been training
Shotokan Karate for nearly 30 years, and is a Yodan 4th degree
black belt. For several years he trained directly under Mr. Ohshima.
He was the first place individual grand champion at the 1999
Nisei Week Karate Championships, and had two first place
victories as a member of the West Coast Team in 1989 and again in 1992.
We are very lucky to have Ian here to continue the tradition of great
instructors at Caltech. He is the SKA historian and one of the SKA
archive committee members.
Through the study of Karate, you can learn to develop physical and mental strength, confidence and discipline. You will find that Karate is much more than just the ability to take care of bad guys. Karate-Do can become a way of life (in fact, that is the meaning of "karate-do").
Introductory and intermediate classes are offered to members of the local community (our class is held in the Caltech Gym and people not affiliated with Caltech will be asked to pay $5.00 to use the facilities). The Caltech Karate Club is also part of the Shotokan Karate of America.
There are three colors of belts in SKA: black belt, brown belt, and white belt. The black belts are further classified into 5 ranks: Godan (5th degree black belt, the highest in SKA, also the highest rank awarded by Master Funakoshi), Yodan (4th degree), Sandan (3rd degree), Nidan (2nd degree), and Shodan (1st degree). Below black belt level, there are 8 ranks: brown belt is from 1st Kyu (the highest) to 3rd Kyu, white belt is from 4th Kyu to 8th Kyu. White belt and brown belt ranks are awarded on the basis of kyu tests. Prior to the first kyu test, ungraded members are also white belts.
Kyu tests are conducted twice a year at Caltech, once in April and once in November, scheduled as close as possible to the following dates: November 10th, to commemorate the anniversary of Master Funakoshi's birth; and April 26th, to commemorate the anniversary of Master Funakoshi's death. To take a Kyu test, one must become both a member of the club and a member of SKA. However, everyone is welcome to watch the Kyu test and join the party afterwards.
To take a Shodan (first degree black belt) exam, one must first be a 1st Kyu brown belt, attend at least one SKA special training, and finish 5000 Bassai (a kata of intermediate complexity).
Generally, if you don't take shotokan karate as a class (PE44), you must join the club once you have decided Karate is really for you. The club membership fee is as follows:
Now about SKA membership. You don't have to join SKA to learn karate from us, however, it is strongly encouraged. SKA members enjoy many privileges. For example, as a member, you can practice in other SKA dojos, join special trainings, take the Shodan or Kyu tests and hold rank in the SKA, participate in tournaments and many other exciting SKA events. For beginners, the membership fee is $75 a year. Contact the club captain for more information.
For questions contact:
Follow this link to an anthology of pictures. This collection contains images old and new. Look here to see what we are up to!
Follow this link for a directory of past and current members.
|
What Is Karate? | What Is SKA? | Who is Tsutomu Ohshima? | Caltech Karate Club| Caltech Karate Club Practice Schedule | Contact Us | Official SKA Homepage | |