Shotokan Karate Club celebrates 15 years

The Buffalo Shotokan Karate Club will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year.

In light of this milestone, they are hosting two free introductory training sessions during which participants will be introduced to the basic movements and some of the philosophy behind this original Japanese karate form.

The introductory training will be held from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 8 at the Harlem Road Community Center, 4255 Harlem Road in Amherst.

Shotokan karate is a widely practiced form of karate. Shotokan students learn to defend themselves using their hips, body core and low stances to make strong, coordinated movements. "But Shotokan karate is more than self-defense techniques, we also learn respect and restraint," says longtime club member and third-degree black belt Jerry Krull.

The club also caters to adults and older teens.

"The people who train with us are serious about what they are learning and keep coming back to learn more. This is a great exercise program with the additional benefit of learning self-defense and basic tenets which we can apply to our everyday lives," states Krull.

The club is a member of the International Shotokan Karate Federation . The ISKF is headquartered in Philadelphia and headed by Mr. Teruyuki Okazaki, holder of the highest rank (ninth degree) awarded by the Tokyo-based Japan Karate Association. The club's instructors follow the high technical standards established by the ISKF and JKA. "It's important for new members to know their instructor's roots - what's his/her training history, who is his/her instructor?" adds Krull.

The BSKC was founded in 1992 by UB Professor and fifth-degree black belt Bill Ruyechan shortly after he moved to Western New York. "There was no school or club specializing in the Shotokan style of traditional' Japanese karate, so Mr. Okazaki "suggested" that I start a club. I transformed my second garage into a training facility (dojo), found a few interested people and BSKC was on its way," says Ruyechan. Eventually the club outgrew its original dojo and moved into Saint Mary's school gymnasium in Swormville. In 2004, the club moved to its current location in the Harlem Road Community Center in Snyder.

BSKC training occurs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. every Monday and Thursday. The classes are usually divided to ensure that beginners and lower-ranking students get the personalized attention needed to learn specific skills, according to the club's representatives.

For further information, contact Bill Ruyechan at 741-8145 or by e-mail at ruyechan@buffalo.edu.