Martial Arts Instructors - Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Arizona

The Phoenix valley has many martial arts instructors, some are good, and a few are more reminiscent of Cobra Kai in the Karate Kid. The 'arts' include Traditional Martial Arts and Sport. MMA is not a martial art, but employs some techniques from martial arts and lack philosophy, traditions, and esoteric value necessary to be considered an art. MMA is more of a pseudomorph of a martial art.

Traditional martial arts have been around for centuries and most were created in the East. The martial arts from Okinawa have been considered the foremost martial arts used by many military regimes and law enforcement agencies due to its effectiveness and evolved from Chinese Gung Fu to fit the personalities of the Okinawan people. Traditionally, the forms of Karate and Tode from Okinawa are blended with Kobudo (weapons).

When searching for a martial arts school and instructor in the Phoenix Valley, it is recommended to search for a true traditional martial art - such as Shorin-Ryu, Shotokan, Goju Ryu, Okinawan Kempo, Shito Ryu, Naha Te, Shuri Te, Wado-Ryu, etc. To be sure you are getting into the right system, there are some things that you can check about the instructor and school.

Are they affiliated with a Soke (grandmaster)?
Does the school hand out diplomas in Japanese?
Is the school affiliated with a major martial arts association with ties to Okinawa, Japan?
Has the instructor been teaching for a few years or a few decades?
What kind of national and international awards does the instructor have?
Is he or she an inductee in a Hall of Fame?
Does he or she have another profession? This may sound odd, but traditional martial arts instructors rarely live off of martial arts.
Talk to as many students of the school and instructor as possible and find out specifics on the instructor?

Sensei Harden (1st dan) provides direction to one of our family members at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate
in Mesa. Generally, we do not teach children with the exception of those who attend classes and train with their mother,
father or grandparent, and prove they can focus on karate for at least an hour. Here, Sensei Ryan Harden
 works with one of our Japanese-American students, while adults in the background train with Sensei Scofield.

Two of our senior seniors. Sensei  Bill Borea and Sensei Paula Borea, both grandparents and both
2nd dan instructors in Shorin-Ryu Karate. Sensei Paula is Japanese-American and of Samurai lineage