The Gi Shin E No Michi Karate School has been operating in Howard County since the late 1970s. We have been training at the Roger Carter Community Center in Ellicott City for several years. (Map to RCC)
We are an independent club, with roots in the Kenkojuko style of Shotokan Karate. We follow Gichin Funakoshi's "Karate-Do Kyohon, the Master Text" closely.
Our club meets on Thursday evenings, 7:30-9pm, and on Saturday mornings, 10am -12:30 pm. Visitors are welcome. Registration is handled through Howard County Recreation and Parks. (registration).
To master karate takes a lifetime, but we require no long-term commitment. Our registration fees are affordable.
New students are always welcome, especially at the Saturday morning sessions. Persons under 16 may need the instructor's permission to enroll. We meet in the "Aerobics Room" on the second floor of the RCCC, a space we refer to as our "dojo", or training area. Our dojo has mirrors that run the length of one side of the room, with ample heating and cooling. Spacious changing rooms with lockers and showers are available.
We welcome those who have trained in other styles of karate! Wear your gi and your belt!
If you don't have a gi, just wear loose, comfortable clothing such as sweatpants. Students may purchase karate apparel from the instructor. We are proud to be customers of the Kiyota Company, which offers a large variety of martial arts supplies.
We follow the teachings of Master Funaksoshi closely. A typical workout will consist of warmup exercices and stretches, followed by drills involving various stances and techniques. We place emphasis on basics and kata, the traditional formal exercises of karate. Class sizes allow for plenty of individual attention. During the summer months we also work with certain traditional training weapons, such as bo and tonfa. In everything we do, the focus is on physical well-being, personal safety, and development of character.
Progression in one's mastery of karate is indicated by the color of belt worn with one's gi. The requirements are shown here.
Gichin Funakoshi, 1868-1957, the founder of modern Karate-Do
We occasionally have the chance to train with other karate schools, such as Kenkojuko of South Jersey. Other Kenkojuko clubs may be found in Florida, Nebraska, and California.
Our club was founded in the late 1970s by Sensei Joe Butirm and Sensei Lee McCabe. We were led for several years by Sensei Wayne Williams, followed by Sensei Steve Morris, who led our club from 1994 until August 2022.
Dr. Charles Nicholas began karate training in 1978. He joined the Gi Shin E No Michi dojo in 1990, and has been the chief instructor since 2022. In addition to a third degree black belt, he holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science.
Master Funakoshi's book, Karate-Do Kyohan, is available from Amazon and other vendors.
The "Best Karate" series, by Masatoshi Nakayama, is a great resource. The first few volumes are meant for karate students at every level.
Kanazawa's "Karate: The Complete Kata", is an excellent summary of the kata practiced in our club, and around the world. Several of the kata described in this book are also covered in video recordings, available on YouTube, made by Mr. Kanazawa himself.
For martial arts in general, nothing compares to "Go Rin No Sho" or "Book of Five Rings", by Musashi Miyamoto.
"The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but the perfection of the character of its participants." - Gichin Funakoshi
"Karate is strong medicine, but it is habit forming" - Greer Golden
"The technique exists for the person" - Wayne Williams
"When karate is used, lives are at stake" - Masatoshi Nakayama
"No second chance!" - Shigeru Takashina
For questions, please send email to nicholas@umbc.edu