Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Here are some brief answers to some of the more common questions. If you need further clarification or have a unique question of your own, please contact us at your convenience.

Our introductory offer includes a free uniform. If we don't have your size in stock feel free to wear any loose fitting clothes that allow freedom of movement and that won’t make you overheat. If you have practiced karate before, you may wear your uniform and a belt color according to our grading requirements.

Once you are sure that karate training is something you want to pursue, you may purchase equipment from us or from a source of your choice.

Some people say that "the younger, the better” for karate training and others say that your body should be fully developed before beginning. We work with students on an individual basis to make sure they are physically and mentally ready for the material and adjust the lesson plans accordingly if necessary. Our preference is that students have some experience in a classroom environment and that they understand how to behave in front of a teacher and with classroom peers. If a child has completed two years of school, they are ready.

Our PeeWee program is designed for kids ages four to seven and focuses on agility, fitness, coordination and focus in preparation for more technical karate training as they get older.

Absolutely not! While you may not have the athletic abilities of your younger class-mates, you should feel comfortable that you will derive significant benefit from karate practice regardless of your age. Students have begun training at all ages and as long as they keep their physical condition in mind, it should be a wonderfully positive experience.

Goju-ryu has been very successfully spread throughout the world by many diligent teachers and students but has, unfortunately, been diluted quite significantly in some cases from its origin. While evolution can be very healthy, most of these changes come from shallow and transparent knowledge or from the desire to add "glitz" for marketing purposes, and not from thorough research into the biomechanics and theory of technique. Additionally, many organizations have attempted to blend Goju-ryu techniques with other styles, which on the surface seems effective, but which ultimately leads to something that lacks the depth of understanding that our more focused study produces. Our instructor is a direct student of Miyazato Eiichi Sensei, the founder of goju-ryu’s senior student, having lived and trained in Okinawa for three years. He works hard to maintain his close ties to the worldwide headquarters of Goju-ryu by making annual trips to Okinawa to train with his own teachers.

Some background information is needed for this one... The International Olympic Committee only allows for one international governing body for each Olympic sanctioned sport. Likewise, the US Olympic Committee only allows for one national governing body (NGB) for each sport on a national level. In the case of karate, the World Karate Federation (WKF) is the international governing body and the USA National Karate Federation (USANKF) is the National Governing Body. Other organizations hold events and sometimes even call them "national" or "world championships", but the fact remains that only the USANKF can hold a legitimate National Championship event and only the WKF can endorse a sanctioned international event.

Syracuse Jundokan is the only local karate school that prepares its members for USANKF competition and possible national team selection. Our instructor is a five time US National Champion and a former US National Team Member representing the NGB and continues to maintain a strong relationship with current team members and coaches. No other local group is equipped to provide this type of training or to provide the competitive training opportunities we offer.

Check with your doctor before beginning your training, but in most cases you should be fine as long as you keep your physical condition in mind and let your instructor know of any limitations in advance. Also make sure your training partners are aware in order to avoid additional damage.

We are NOT a black belt school! We're not even really sure what that means beyond a marketing statement. Many schools overemphasize the “Black Belt” to the point where it becomes a marketing tool and revenue source rather than the grading level it was originally intended to be. By making black belt attainment such a major goal, these schools experience a tremendous attrition rate among their students once black belt is achieved. Focusing on “black belt graduation” would be like telling children that they should put all of their efforts into completing kindergarten without regard for what lies beyond. Our preference is to recognize black belt for what it is: a grade that indicates an understanding of karate basics. By continuously setting goals that lead to higher and higher performance regardless of karate grade, we do not lose students just as they are beginning to transition into experienced practitioners.

It is important that your instructor has solid experience and understanding of karate technique and that they have excellent teaching and coaching ability. However, neither of these characteristics can be accurately measured by their "black belt degree." Unfortunately, many organizations world-wide have developed a practice of promoting people to high levels based on business or political motives. Added to this is the simple fact that each organization promotes according to their own standards. In some organizations, top students with 30 or 40 years of experience may be second or third degree black belts. In other organizations, someone with the same 30 or 40 years of experience may even be seventh degree black belt or higher. For these reasons, it is impossible to compare teachers based on their grade levels or the elevated titles by which they sometimes call themselves. Our recommendation is that you evaluate and select your instructor based upon the quality of your relationship and, most importantly, by the quality of students they produce. Pay little, if any, attention to the certificates on their wall. In the unregulated field of martial arts in the United States, there are many organizations that will issue grading or teaching certificates upon request or with little substantive evaluation beyond receipt of payment. At Syracuse Jundokan, we do not emphasize rank and as such you won't find any "master" titles on our web site.

This is not an easy question to answer because each student will progress at their own level according to their physical condition, ability to develop and refine skills, etc. It is reasonable to expect that a committed and diligent student could achieve a black belt grade in 3 to 5 years, but as mentioned above, we do not recommend that students focus their goals on black belt attainment.

Feel free to stop by during our class times or contact us to schedule an introductory class.