We focus on martial arts for self defense rather than competition. Cooperating with a partner enables rapid, more efficient understanding of these often brutal self defense reactions and applications in a fun manner while reducing injuries. No one in our martial arts lessons/classes will attempt to impress you with their superior strength or skills.

Whether a woman or a man, these effective self defense karate reactions are based on natural body movements rather than strength so the smaller and weaker can easily defend against larger and stronger aggressors.

Am I too old to for adult martial art karate?

Our members' average age is about 45 years. Members' ages range from the mid-70s to a few teenagers. Through Adult Martial Arts You Improve your strength, balance, and flexibility. Martial Arts helps Teenagers and Adults improve their self-confidence, coordination, reduce stress, and boosts their self-esteem. In Okinawa, the birthplace of karate, it is common to be in class with with others in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. The Head Instructor at the Virginia Dojo is 74 years old.

What is Self Defense Martial Art Karate?

This is traditional Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate focusing on using natural body movement reactions to convince aggrssors/attackers to leave us alone. We use Okinawan Shorin Ryu Beikoku Shidokan Karate as the vehicle to train in these self defense reactions. Thus, we avoid the mind set of winning a fight or altercation to then possibly face jail time or getting sued in court for excessive force. In class we discover when to stop or ease off an application to avoid injuring our partner with these often brutal reactions. If done at full speed injuries would be common.

Is Competition Involved?

No competition, nor fear of anyone attempting to humiliate you with their superior strength, skills or speed. We cooperate to learn to use these often brutal self defense reactions more quickly and effectively.

Do I need to get in shape before taking martial arts classes?

Come as you are! Start now. You'll get in better shape and improve fitness while in the martial arts class.

Can I keep up with the physicality?

No worries! Members take breaks during our adult martial arts classes any time they need a breather.  Oftentimes, the Teenagers in Martial Arts classes struggle to keep up with the adults!

I have physical limitations. Can I take Martial Art Karate Lessons?

Most of our adult members have physical limitations of some kind and they learned to work around it/them by adapting their martial art karate to what their body can do.  It is more important to participate in the adult & teen martial art lessons to discover how you can effectively react with natural movements to an attack than to always meekly wonder what you might do and hope you never have to find out!

Will young kids show me up?

No. We don't teach children. You will not be in a class with kids.

These adult self defense reactions aren't for children.

There are a few mature teens that may be in class with you, but no children.

Note: Sometimes, parents bring their children to sit in the office to read, do homework, or use an ipad during our martial arts classes.

Can I start in the Woman's Self Defense class?

Yes, Denise teaches womens' self defense classes 5 times per week. 

See Class Schedule

Am I too shy to participate in the Adult or Teen martial arts classes?

We are a friendly bunch. We'll introduce you to members present before your first class. We are all friends here helping us improve every day.

Pretend you are an actor on tv or in a movie. Just act confident and no one will know.  I learned that pretty soon your acting confident becomes how you face most situations.

Am I going to be forced to sign a contract?

We have no contracts. Our Martial Art Academy membership is based on a monthly basis.

What are your hidden fees?

There are no hidden Fees! No Gothchas!

- We have an all-inclusive monthly membership. Attend as many classes per month as you wish. There is no limitation.

- No Registration fee

- No Promotion and Belt fee - until your Black Belt test

- No Equipment Fee

- No Special Training Fee

How should I prepare for my first martial arts karate class?

- Wear comfortable workout clothing and prepare your best smile. We smile and laugh a lot. 

- If you have a white karate gi/uniform you can wear that.

- We practice in bare feet on the padded mats.

- No worries! We don't expect you to know what we do in class yet. 

What will my first class be like?

- We bow at the start of class to show respect to our teacher and fellow class members.

- Then we begin doing coordinated exercises (kata/forms) that you aren't expected to know yet. Just follow along.

- Everone is so focused on their own performance that they don't have time to observe how you are doing. It is frustrating learning to coordinate your mind and body. No worries! It gets better quickly.

- We'll have a senior student soon work with you one-on-one to go over the exercise.

(No worries about holding up the person helping you! They are relearning their techniques and reactions so they can teach you. You are actually helping them more than they are helping you.)

- Then you'll rejoin the group as we work with partners on specific self defense martial arts reactions like the one below. Keep at it. You'll get there eventually.

What! Class is over?

We line up and bow out and then in line we fist bump the smiling instructor and the rest of class because we all had fun.

That was fast!

Ask Questions!

The instructors will ask if you have questions or concerns. Our members are our best Ambassadors. Unlike other schools, you are also free to ask any member anything, what they think, why they train, or anything else you can think of. 

When do We Spar?

It's fun to test your karate skills when you are young. Yet many of the brutal Self Defense Reactions You Learn in our Martial Arts classes are prohibited in competitions because they are hard to control and lead to serious injuries. So we cooperate with our training partners so no one gets injured in class. You will notice that the senior students are doing these very fast with control.

Competitions have strict limitations on the reactions and applications you can use to reduce injuries. Most of the self defense reactions and applications we train in are prohibited in competitions.

If you train to compete you restrict your self defense training. If you train in self defense you must restrict your competition. So we train cooperatively in class to learn effective self defense reactions that work rather than.

To address the necessity of learning to react to attacks, we have partner percussion drills (punch/kick/block/throw) like the kumites shown in the first video below titled "Virginia Dojo Self Defense Karate Martial Art".

Then we modify the self defense reactions for grappling (tegumi) responses

See:  "

2023 NTS Pinan Shodan Henka Bunkai practice"