Success Stories
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Before telling you about how amazing this place is, let me tell you a little bit about my history with Karate.
This is my third Karate dojo. I started in a good Shotokan dojo in the Katy area and left to start Goju-Ryu under what seemed to be a good dojo. Unfortunately, I got to a point in which I felt I wasn't learning new concepts/principles, I was stuck doing repetitive kata and I felt like I should've stayed practicing Shotokan. To make matters worse, the dojo markets itself as an Okinawan dojo but in reality, it's just a sports karate club.
I decided to contact Sensei McMains and it has turned out to be one of the best choices I've made in my life. Rusty Sensei teaches a martial art that in reality is actually a martial science. Everything, and I mean everything, has a purpose. He'll explain why a stance is compromised and not structurally correct while receiving physical feedback. Kata is studied with combat applications in mind, it's not a flashy dance to win tournaments. You are learning a life protecting martial science. When you go to a class it feels like you're playing chess while doing Karate.
The environment in Okinawa Karate Center UchinaaDiKan is very amicable. Students enjoy helping each other and there's so many things you can learn from white and yellow belts. Yes, this dojo is that good!
I wish I had known about this dojo when I started Karate. My motivation to train and give 300% when I'm not in the dojo is back. Sensei McMains has taken me outside the matrix, unplugged me and given me purpose, belief and a set of tools that will not fail me if Agent Smith comes around. You'll be pushed, you'll be treated fairly and you'll immediately belong to a Karate family.
Domo arigato gozaimashita!
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I just wanted to let you know how happy we are to have found your dojo. Lauren really is learning a lot in the class and I am inspired by your dedication and joy you bring to teaching the students.
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This is not Cobra Kai or any of the stuff you see on tv. THIS IS NOT A COMMERCIAL SCHOOL this is real Okinawan Karate...you learn the history of the art as well as application...not how to win trophies. Every day you attend you get better. -Charles-
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I've been a student for two years, and have learned more than I imagined, not just about karate, but about my overall fitness, posture, and body awareness. Highly detailed instruction!
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This is a true Okinawan Karate school focused on teaching the students correctly at their own pace as opposed to a typical martial arts school that is focused on cash flow and pushing students thru their belt ranks at a pre-designated pace. The classes are small enough to provide each student with hands on training and the theory / reason behind each movement.
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This is an authentic, non-commercial Okinawan karate dojo. this place is not about wining plastic trophies or sport karate. you only compete with your own mental and physical limitations while preserving an ancient art of self-preservation. Alex
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Absolutely wonderful Karate school!
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In May, 2014, I had the opportunity to train with Shihan Rusty McMains for several sessions. I had heard a lot about Shihan and had high expectations. He delivered much beyond my expectations, which words cannot adequately describe.
I have been a Police Officer with the Niagara Regional Police for 24 years, and have consistently trained in and taught the martial arts (Karate, Kung Fu, and Tai Chi) for over 30 years. No matter what style of martial arts you practice, and for any person in law enforcement, Shihan McMains methods work! Whether you are seeking how to control an opponent, self defense, or martial art mastery – learning from Shihan will help you improve immensely and quickly.
Without hesitation, I can say that the skill level and the concepts taught by Shihan McMains is at a standard I have never encountered. Shihan not only demonstrated the effectiveness of his methods (which I felt first hand as his Uke for much of the weekend) but he easily explained how we could achieve the same level, with practice. Shihan McMains' techniques were natural, easy to apply, common sense, and at times utterly painful and brutal in potential.
More important than the techniques, Shihan McMains brought an understanding of Goju Ryu concepts and application that made total sense, and saved me many years of study to arrive at the same understanding, if at all. I enjoy practicing kata, but after learning from Shihan for only a few sessions, kata has taken on an entirely new meaning and I feel an excitement just to practice one move. My training in Tai Chi has also moved up to a higher level, as Shihan taught universal concepts that work for any style.
I also enjoyed that there was no baggage of tradition for its own sake. It was refreshing to have a master reinforce the need to question and analyze everything, to think things out for yourself and choose on what makes practical sense rather than to blindly accept what is taught.
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