Japanese Yoga & Martial Arts for Kids

Since 1981, we've been offering a fun and well-structured program in Japanese yoga and martial arts for children age five and above. These affordable classes are taught by experienced instructors and are non-competitive. Class sizes are small, and instruction is personalized.

Learn an Effective & Traditional Martial Art

The Sennin Foundation Center presents training in Saigo Ryu aiki-jujutsu, a traditional martial art. While many Westerners use "jujutsu, jujitsu, or jiu-jitsu" to describe their art of self-defense, most of these methods bear little resemblance to the original Japanese jujutsu, Japan's oldest martial art. Both aikido and judo stem from jujutsu, and our dojo is one of few in the USA to offer authentic Japanese jujutsu.
Our class features a wide variety of powerful throwing, pinning, and grappling techniques stemming from older methods (kobudo) originating in the Aizu-Wakamatsu area of Japan. Saigo Ryu also features advanced training in the sword, spear, staff, short stick, iron fan, and other weapons. It is unique and distinct from many more well-known martial disciplines (like karate-do, kendo, and iaido). While training is dynamic, and the practiced self-defense techniques effective, the emphasis is on subduing an opponent without unnecessary injury. Children improve their health while learning martial arts as meditation, which helps them to remain calm under pressure. Some students have likened training in our dojo to "moving Zen."

Combining Self-Defense with Japanese Yoga & Meditation

Instruction in the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation is included at no extra charge. Japanese yoga training makes it easier to master the martial arts, and it helps children to realize their full potential in other activities as well. Studying Japanese yoga and aiki-jujutsu gives young people a great opportunity to develop self-discipline, self-confidence, willpower, respect for others, as well as a stronger mind and body. Children learn meditation, stretching, breathing exercises, mind and body coordination drills, along with valuable self-defense techniques. Training in Japanese martial arts is vigorous, but due to the disciplined nature of our classes, we have few injuries. Parents report that their children show increased calmness at home, confidence in social situations, and better grades in school.

An Exceptional Teacher & Teaching Staff

As someone who began studying Japanese yoga and martial arts as a child, H. E. Davey Sensei, one of the highest ranking traditional jujutsu teachers outside of Japan, was ideally suited for creating a program for children. Under his guidance, and with the help of his staff of expert teachers, young people from Albany, Berkeley, and the Bay Area have discovered their true potential and hidden talents for many years.
Parents can learn more about our program for children by visiting Martial Arts & Kids. Give us a call, and we'll be happy to discuss how we can help your son or daughter to become healthier, safer, and more confident.

Testimonials from Top Martial Arts Experts

• Stephen M. Fabian, PhD
• Kawabata Terutaka
• Wayne Muromoto
• Sato Shizuya
• Nicklaus Suino
• Walter Todd

Recommended Websites

• Martial Arts & Kids
• Sennin Foundation Blog
• Shudokan Martial Arts Association Blog

Visit www.senninfoundation.com for more information.

Mu

A number of Ways (Do), owing to the fact that a Do is a particular expression of the Way of the universe itself, have used the term mu to point to the sum and substance of the universe. And since it is the mind after all that perceives the absolute universe, various mental states in the Ways have appellations that utilize the character for mu as well. Originating in Buddhism, but having parallels in other religions, mu means, “the void,” or “nothingness.”--H. E. Davey, The Japanese Way of the Artist

"Do not think of work—any work—as a duty. If it is a duty it will become a burden. How do you turn a burden into a pleasure? Live respectfully, correctly, positively, and boldly."--Nakamura Tempu Sensei

About Japanese Calligraphy: By H. E. Davey



Expanded attention, deeper relaxation, increased focus and resolve . . . shodo students have a chance to achieve lasting spiritual transformation through the classical art of Japanese calligraphy (shodo). Simple step-by-step exercises let beginners and non-artists alike work with brush and ink to reveal their mental and physical state through moving brush meditation.

Kanji, or "characters," used in both Japan and China, have transcended their utilitarian function and collectively can serve as a visually stirring piece of fine art. Shodo allows the dynamic movement of the artist's spirit to become observable in the form of rich black ink. In shodo, you can sense both the rhythm of music as well as the smooth, elegant, and balanced construction of architecture. Many practitioners feel that the "visible rhythm" of Japanese calligraphy embodies a "picture of the mind"--and calligraphers recognize that it discloses our spiritual state. This recognition is summed up by the traditional Japanese saying: Kokoro tadashikereba sunawachi fude tadashi--"If your mind is correct, the brush will be correct."

Some Japanese calligraphers and psychologists have written books on the examination of our personality through calligraphy. Just as Western companies have employed handwriting analysts to help them select the best individuals for executive posts, the Japanese have traditionally expected their leaders in any field to display fine, composed script. This stems from the belief that brush strokes reveal the state of the body and subconscious mind--its strengths and weaknesses--at the moment the brush is put to paper. It has also been held that the subconscious can be influenced in a positive manner by studying and copying consummate examples of calligraphy by extraordinary individuals. Japanese tradition teaches that by using this method, we can cultivate strength of character akin to that of the artist being copied. Since shodo is an art form, it's not strictly necessary to be able to read Chinese characters, or the Japanese phonetic scripts of hiragana and katakana, to admire the dynamic beauty of shodo. Within Japanese calligraphy, we find essential elements that constitute all art: creativity, balance, rhythm, grace, and the beauty of line. These aspects of shodo can be recognized and appreciated by every culture.

Excerpt

Harmony is a central aspect of shodo. Harmony is frequently expressed through a state of dynamic balance. Balance in shodo is asymmetrical, which produces an active feeling of movement within the characters. One could liken it to a picture of a sprinter whose inclined running posture has been frozen by the camera. Seeing such a picture, you instantly have a sensation of movement, but this sensation is different from what you experience when viewing a photo taken of a runner at the moment he trips and is falling forward. Both photos show bodies inclined in the direction in which they are moving; the difference between the two is balance. Balance in shodo can also be witnessed through a natural alternation of heavy and light brush pressure, which in turn produces an oscillation of thick and thin lines of ink. If all the brush strokes are of equal thickness the work looks stilted, unnatural, and dead. --The Japanese Way of the Artist

Free Class!

The Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts will offer a free introduction to the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation. The class will take place in Albany, California on Thursday, September 14 at 7PM. If you would like to take part in this introduction to mind and body unification principles, call 510-526-7518 to reserve your place for the class.

Kevin Heard

Recently, the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts promoted Kevin Heard to So-shihan in the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation. He received the same advanced teaching certification in this discipline’s related healing arts (yuki). This is the highest possible rank and similar to a PhD. Mr. Heard has been studying and teaching at the Sennin Foundation Center for nearly 30 years; he is the first and only person to have received So-shihan certification.

On a related note, Mr. Heard was also recently promoted to rokudan, sixth-degree black belt, by the Shudokan Martial Arts Association Jujutsu Division. The SMAA is an international coalition of Japanese and Western martial arts experts. Mr. Heard is now one of the highest ranking members of the SMAA Jujutsu Division. You can read more here: http://shudokanmartialartsassociation.blogspot.com/2011/04/kevin-heard-receives-sixth-dan.html.

Mr. Heard earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of California at Berkeley. After working in the software development industry, he returned to the University to become Director of Computing and Information Services for UCB's School of Information. His professional interests include UNIX/Linux system administration, building information systems based on open standards, open source software, and privacy and security in the digital age. He is co-author of Mastering Netscape SuiteSpot 3 Servers (Sybex).

He regularly teaches Japanese yoga, healing arts, and martial arts to children and adults at the Sennin Foundation Center. You can read more at www.senninfoundation.com.