Virginia Dojo
Alexandria Karate Dojo Instructors
Help Transform Your Life
Alexandria VA
Who We Are:
We love practicing and teaching adult Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate in Alexandria VA.
Our Head Karate Dojo Instructor has more than 50 years of international martial art teaching, researching and testing experience. He has been a student of Okinawan Grand Master Seikichi Iha, 10th Degree, since 1979.
We know what works for your self defense!
We train in:
- Okinawan Shorin Ryu Beikoku Shidokan Karate Classes &
Self Defense Karate Teaching Strategies
Because Every Karate Student is unique You deserve special attention.
We have a Karate class format based upon the Beikoku Shidokan Shorin Ryu Karate curriculum developed by renown International Karate Grand Master Seikichi Iha, 10th Degree.
Classes include:
- karate kata (programmed self defense movements) followed by
- karate kumite and karate bunkai because you need to know how to apply kata movements against typical street-type attacks rather than just dance in your pajamas!
* No competition
* No trophies
* No medals
We Just train so we all get home safely.
Warning!
Most of these Self Defense reactions are prohibited in competitions,
because they are effective for no-rules self defense.
Senior students help guide you during Karate class to improve your skills while they improve theirs at the same time.
Award Winning
We’ve won many awards, including many
"Best Martial Arts Instructor Alexandria"
&
"Best Martial Arts in Alexandria" .
We come highly recommended,
yet we don’t let that go to our heads.
Expert Team
All Karate Dojo Classes in
Alexandria VA are taught by self defense experts with at least 10 years of Martial Art Karate experience.
We make sure you have the most experienced professionals teaching to ensure you get Great Value for your Virginia Karate Dojo membership.
Quality Guaranteed
We are here to help you on your pathway between self defense and self discovery.
You’ll find the support you need to ensure that you smoothly learn effective self defense karate reactions in a safe, fun, & friendly environment.
Meet the Virginia Dojo Karate Instructors
Robert Roberto Curtis
9th Degree, Hanshi
Beikoku Shidokan Karate
Roberto has been a student of internationally renown Karate Grand Master Seikichi Iha since 1979 and is now one of Iha's senior Karate students.
Grand Master Seikichi Iha
was honored in 2022 with the extremely rare title of "Intangible Cultural Asset" by the Okinawan Government for his Shorin Ryu Shidokan Karate skills.
During Homeleave from an overseas assignment, when Sensei Iha understood Roberto was teaching US Marines overseas he started teaching him advanced hand techniques found in kata. He said, "imagine there are no blocks in kata!" Plus the focus on Nagashi Uke, soft redirecting blocks, dramatically changed the focus from a brawler's type of "punch-kick-block' karate to a truly effective self defense karate that men and women use effectively regardless of size.
Roberto began his martial arts practice in 1969 studying Judo, Karate, and Kung Fu before beginning his training with Karate Grand Master Seikichi Iha.
Roberto served for 35+ years as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer and Civil Servant. He was a 4-year Peace Corps Volunteer. During overseas long-term assignments Roberto taught self defense Karate to U.S. Embassy Security Personnel, U.S. Marines, foreign security agents, and people like you. Whenever stationed in Washington, DC, he always developed a cadre of Karate students in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
Roberto is a member of the Mid-West and National Beikoku Shidokan Shorin Ryu Karate Black Belt Examination Boards. He is also a member of the International Ryukyu Karate Research Society led by Hanshi Patrick McCarthy.
Recent Martial Arts Awards include:
* Marquis Who' s Who, 2024
* Best Karate Classes in Alexandria, 2023
* Best Local Martial Arts Business, 2023
* Best Martial Arts School, Alexandria, VA 2022
* Best Martial Arts Instructor, Alexandria, VA 2021, 2020
* Best Martial Arts School DC-Area, 2019
* Best Martial Arts Instructor in DC-Area 2018, 2017
During his overseas assignments, he was recognized by the US Marine Corps, Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Agency, as well as foreign government agencies for his self defense martial art karate instruction.
He now teaches at the
Virgina Dojo in Alexandria, VA.
Roberto's Who's Who Press Release
Denise Hawkins Coursey
4th Degree Black Belt
Beikoku Shidokan Karate
Denise started training in Beikoku Shidokan Karate in Alexandria VA with Sensei Roberto Curtis in 2011. She began her martial arts training in 1998 studying Koryu Uchinadi and has a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do.
For much of her martial arts career, she was one of only a few women at the karate dojo. As a result, she became passionate about bringing more women into the martial arts because it builds confidence in every aspect of life -- career, home, community, and, of course, in the ability to defend oneself.
Over 40% of the Virginia Dojo members are women.
Outside the karate dojo, Denise formerly served as President of Motley Fool Asset Management, where she was also often the “only woman in the room.”
Denise's Homepage: Okinawan Karate for Women
