Today I’d like to blog about the Okinawa Karate Kaikan. Now for those of you who have visited Okinawa before may have had the pleasure of visiting the Okinawa Karate Kaikan so know what is has to offer. However, there may be some who did visit Okinawa yet didn’t have the chance to visit. Please be sure that on your next visit, or even first visit, that you stop by.
I’ve been to the Okinawa Karate Kaikan several times, mainly when conducting our Karate History Tours. It is located in Tomigusuku City, which is about a 15-minute drive from central Naha. It’s a really interesting place. The dojo located in the main building has 4 courts for competition use.
There is also a training room with lots of equipment including 3 makiwara posts of different height and 3 punching bags of different weight.
Here is a video of a group from Poland that came to Okinawa in January, 2020. The group is from the “Łódzka Akademia Karate Tradycyjnego” located in Łódź, Poland and they stayed for 11 days. It is basically a video on the dojo training they received in Okinawa. We organized their dojo training sessions, a Karate History Tour, and more for them. In the first minute of the video, you will see the group training at the Okinawa Karate Kaikan’s training room. Yup, the training room is big enough for group training, and there were more than 20 people in the group.
The reference room which contains a lot of information on Karate and its history is located in the adjacent building. There is an entrance fee that is reasonable, and not only do you get to read about Karate’s history but you also get to watch 2 short films about it. There is however a lot to read so be prepared to spend some time in there, taking advantage of the entrance fee.
There is a big open space in front of the building with the reference room, and that is where you will find the “Special Dojo” or “Shurei Hall”. It’s open only for special use and no one is allowed inside unless you are a special guest or the cleaning lady.
If you want to find out more in depth information on the Okinawa Karate Kaikan, the please click here .
I had mentioned that I had been to the Okinawa Karate Kaikan on our Karate History Tours. If you haven’t been on the tour and are planning a trip to Okinawa, then it’s worth going on because not only would you have the chance to visit the Kaikan, but you would also be able to visit other karate-related places as well. Click here for more details on the tour.
And for those of you who are interested in having some dojo training like the Łódzka Akademia Karate Tradycyjnego from Poland, check out our programs page here and you will find different programs to choose from.
I’d love to write more but then I would run out of ideas for the next blog. If you have any questions or comments, you can contact us through our contact form. Until the next blog, continue to stay safe and well.