Located just South of Salem, IL, we are the ONLY practical karate school in Southern Illinois, dedicated to providing world-class, self-defense and MMA training based in traditional Okinawan martial arts, with instruction from internationally-recognized practical karate expert, World Combat Association instructor, and International Neoclassical Karate Kobudo Society (INKKS) co-founder, Noah Legel (4th Degree Black Belt, Renshi)!
What is the pricing?
When our small-group classes have filled, we will run two youth classes and two adult classes each week, and the cost is just $75/month, with a 20% discount for active duty military and veterans! You can also purchase your classes in advance, saving you money each month, with our bundle packages–the more months you pay for in advance, the less you are paying for each month!
- 3 Month Package = $200 (less than $67/month)
- 6 Month Package = $380 (less than $64/month)
- 1 Year Package = $720 (just $60/month) *BEST VALUE*
We currently offer both in-person and online private lessons, which can be purchased ala carte or as part of a package. Families can have two members share private lessons. Active duty military and veterans get an additional 20% off any private lesson package.
- Ala Carte Private Lesson (30 Minutes) = $35
- Tier 1 Package (4 Private Lessons) = $130
- Tier 2 Package (8 Private Lessons) = $240
- Tier 3 Package (12 Private Lessons) = $330
We also offer webinars at a per-attendee rate, which can run 1 to 2 hours, depending on the content requested to be covered. Seminar pricing depends on both the content and amount of training time requested. World Combat Association (WCA) members get an additional discount on seminar bookings!
- Webinar = $20/attendee (minimum 8)
- Seminar = Contact us for our current rate!
What does the student need to train?
The student should bring always have a full water bottle, with a cap, during every training session–preferably a reusable bottle–and they can start out simply wearing workout attire, before purchasing a uniform. Students will also need to use the following safety equipment once they begin sparring, which can be purchased through Arizona Practical Karate:
- Groin protector/cup
- Mouthguard
- Open-finger/MMA sparring gloves
Students can also purchase and use the following optional sparring gear through Arizona Practical Karate, if they wish:
- Shin/instep pads
- Headgear
What is the code of conduct?
- Maintain good personal hygiene and wash your uniform after every training session
- Keep nails trimmed and filed for safety
- Remove all jewelry before training for safety
- Do not bring food, gum, or drinks other than water into the training area
- Arrive at least 10 minutes before class begins to change/warm up
- Wear your full keikogi (training uniform) to class, unless otherwise specified by the instructor
- Ask permission to enter or leave the training area once class begins
- Bow when entering or leaving the training area
- Youth students should refer to the instructor as “Sensei” or “Sir”
- Communicate any health issues or injuries to the instructor and training partners
- Be mindful of others’ health issues and injuries to maintain a safe training environment
- Respect your training partners and their boundaries
- Do not use vulgar language outside of specific training exercises where it is necessary
- Acknowledge instructions by saying “Yes sir” or “Hai” (meaning “yes” or “affirmative” in Japanese)
- Bow to your partners before and after training with them
- Do not disrupt the class
- Always make the best use of your time in training
What is practical karate?
Karate originally comes from a small island between Japan and Taiwan called Okinawa, where it was developed by nobles involved in law enforcement and security, for the protection of themselves and others, which they routinely had to use in real life, as well as in challenge matches between martial artists. This meant that karate was a well-rounded martial art, containing strikes, throws, joint locks, chokes, and more, and was routinely pressure tested to ensure its effectiveness.
As karate became more popular, however, and tournaments were created to promote it, most of these methods were set aside and forgotten, because they don’t look as nice for competition. Practical karate puts aside the concern for aesthetics and focuses on fighting methods that are effective for protecting yourself and your loved ones, rather than winning a trophy. It covers both physical and mental aspects of self defense, and students must train with realism in order to become confident in themselves and their ability to use what they have learned.
What does training involve?
In order to be able to train harder, and be more prepared to protect yourself and your loved ones, training should be rigorous, and include hojo undo (supplementary training), such as the use of weights, and karate-specific training tools. Okinawan karate is known for its tai tanren (body conditioning), which is done through a variety of exercises which build up toughness over time. The curriculum of karate comes from its kata (forms), which are essentially a series of self defense techniques put together in a pattern for students to practice when they do not have a partner available. These also serve as a nearly endless source of study as a martial artist progresses and matures. Every movement has a practical application in self defense, and classes will have you drilling those techniques with partners. You will utilize modern equipment such as pads (focus mitts, kicking shields, etc.), heavy bags, sparring gear, weights, and resistance bands, along with old-school, traditional equipment, such as the makiwara (striking post), chi-ishi (stone mallet), kongoken (iron loop), and ishi-sashi (stone locks).
What is sparring/resistance training like?
Sparring and training against resistance is vital to developing real skill in martial arts! You can practice in the air, hit pads and bags, and drill techniques all you want, but without putting yourself under the pressure of trying to make it work against a resisting opponent, you will have a very hard time doing it in a real life self defense situation. Most karate programs, these days, have watered down kumite (sparring) to little more than a bouncing game of tag, which has nothing to do with the old-style, self defense focused curriculum of karate. Arizona Practical Karate approaches sparring differently, preferring to use several different methods to help students develop a well-rounded skillset.
To focus on the close range aspects of fighting, you will engage in kakedameshi (“sticky hands” sparring) and clinch sparring (similar to that seen in Muay Thai) at varying degrees of resistance and contact, which involve remaining at close range with your opponent, learning to control their limbs and posture, and working in strikes, joint locks, takedowns, chokes, and other appropriate techniques. To focus on longer range skills, you will learn to spar in a manner similar to kickboxing, which is both fun and useful for learning to work with offense and defense at a distance where both participants can move freely. In order to prepare students for the possibility of ending up on the ground, students will engage in “free grappling,” where they train on how to move and control an opponent in that situation. Sparring similar to that seen in mixed martial arts (MMA) can then be employed for students to get the opportunity to combine all of these ranges and methods.
For students to truly be prepared for the realities of self defense, these methods are not sufficient, because they do not put the techniques and methods into the proper context. This is where self defense focused practices must be employed, such as “bully sparring” (one person keeps throwing punches until the other does something to stop them), various degrees of intensity in kata randori (free practice of kata techniques, where one person attacks with habitual acts of physical violence and resists attempts to stop them), and scenario simulation training (setting up real-world scenarios and using role playing to learn de-escalation, avoidance, preemptive striking, and defense).
What does the logo mean?
Our dojo (martial arts school) logo prominently features the kanji (Japanese symbol) for “hand,” which is pronounced “Te” in Japanese, or “Ti” in Uchinaaguchi (the language of Okinawa, where karate comes from). This is what the martial arts of Okinawa were called before the name karate (meaning “empty hand”) was coined, and the word “Ti” in Uchinaaguchi can also mean “skill.” The symbol in our logo has been stylized and done in green to resemble a leaf, representing growth and life. This is contained within a circle, representing the never-ending process of continuous improvement, known as “kaizen” in Japanese. The words “Protect,” “Break Free,” and “Transcend” at the bottom of the circle are the translation of the Japanese phrase, Shu-Ha-Ri, and describes the process a student is meant to go through as they learn a tradition; first, they learn to protect the tradition by copying it exactly as they are shown, then, they break free of the tradition by adding their own personal flair and interpretation, and finally, they transcend the tradition by developing their own.
Why do we use a black uniform?
It’s true that most karate schools wear white keikogi (training uniforms), which has been a tradition in karate since the 1920s, but Arizona Practical Karate has students wear black uniforms, instead. There are two main reasons for this. The first is practicality–white uniforms are very difficult to keep looking clean! Additionally, white uniforms can have a tendency to become rather see-through when soaked with sweat, and that can make students uncomfortable and self-conscious. The other reason is more philosophical. While the white color of traditional keikogi is meant to represent purity, black is representative of mourning. This is a trend that a number of karate instructors on Okinawa (the birthplace of karate) have taken up to represent their unhappiness with mainstream karate, which they see as having lost its way.