Thousand Waves Martial Arts & Self Defense Center Nfp

I am a parent and a teacher. I am completely impressed by the quality of thought, care and teaching that infuse the whole organization. This is a truly unusual Dojo. It is a gem. The single descriptor I would use for it is Integrity. My family has been involved for 3 years and Seido Karate as practiced at Thousand Waves has added to our parenting strategies as our kids grow. We’ve had occasion to go to other Seido Dojos around the country and this one is exceptional.

I can’t recommend this karate school enough for all parents with energetic kids. I am so impressed with all the instructors who are equally strict and fun. My 6 year old daughter has been taking classes for a year and I’m sure we will keep going for a long time!

My daughter started taking Karate and Thousand Waves three years ago when she was 6 and I liked the feel of the place so much that several months later, I joined too.
Since I am getting older, I was looking for something that would help me stay flexible. Learning a martial art not only does that, but has helped me gain strength, learn self defense techniques, and learn something about Japanese culture and language.
What makes this place special though is its inclusivity and supportive environment. Thousand Waves is diverse by any measure I can think of: gender, race, income, age, sexual orientation, and physical ability. They have fostered an environment that is both challenging and careful.
Though a lot of adults practice Karate at all levels, by far, kids are the biggest group there. I really like that the place has strong female role models for my daughter. I think the emphasis on respecting others and yourself is great.
Thousand Waves also teaches practical self defense courses and holds free meditation classes. There are other special opportunities like beach training, board breaking, potlucks, tournaments and performances too.
I never would have thought my daughter and I would have lasted as long as we have. It is a great way to develop your body, mind, and spirit. The students and teachers are welcoming. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Come for the Karate, stay for the community.

This is a great karate school! My kids started training here last summer and they are learning both the physical skills of karate as well as core values that go along, such as respecting self and others, and peaceful conflict resolution. This dojo also can work well with kids who have learning issues that impact their training.

I moved here from Austin, TX in 2013. I’d been training at a sister dojo there, and was looking forward to training at Thousand Waves. I wasn’t disappointed. The training is rigorous and pushes me to do my best, and the community is incredibly welcoming and warm. The instruction is top-​notch, and I’m inspired every time I go there.

My kids and I have been training at Thousand Waves for about three years now, and all of us love it. The kids’ program is amazing – the teachers are patient and encouraging, and know how to make the classes fun. The adult program is just as good. The focus is on empowerment and respect, and the atmosphere is a welcoming community. At the same time, you can get a great workout there. The teachers can set a rigorous pace so you’re sweating and feeling ‘done’ by the end of class, but will also respect limits and won’t push you farther than you’re willing to go – you get as much out of your training as you want to put into it.
The best part is the flexible schedule: any class that teaches your rank is open to you. You don’t need to commit to a specific time/​day of the week. So, when life gets hectic and my schedule needs to change, I can still manage to get there and train. The dojo is also open to personal practice if there are no classes going on. I’ll sometimes go just to hit the heavy bag or practice my own material.
They also offer special workshops on some weekends where they teach non-​curriculum material. They have invited instructors of other arts, like Judo and Parkour, to teach basics to anyone who wants to learn. They also sometimes teach weapons, like nunchaku, and board-​breaking.
I’ve also taken the full self-​defense workshop, and I highly recommend it. The 3-​hour workshop is useful, but there is so much more offered in the full workshop. Not only do you learn ways to physically defend yourself, you also get verbal tools, as well as how to spot and defuse conflict before it gets out of hand. When I walked into this workshop, I was expecting it to be good, but it went beyond my expectations.
Overall, Thousand Waves is a great place filled with great people. If you’ve ever wanted to try a martial art, this is the perfect place to start.

This place is wonderful. My 5-​year-​old son has been taking karate lessons here for five months and loves it. I think getting his orange belt was the proudest day of his life. The staff and instructors, especially co-​director Sarah Ludden, are great with children – attentive, engaged, thoughtful, and funny, but also constantly emphasizing discipline, respect, and learning. I can’t recommend Thousand Waves strongly enough.

Just participated in an intensive self-​defense class which was outstanding in so many ways. In an amazingly short amount of time, I gained confidence, skills and learned to use my voice, something I never knew how to use. I found the instructors able to work with different learning styles and their demonstrations were clear and our repetition of their demonstration were carefully monitored. Most importantly, they respected each person’s needs.

Took a 3-​hour one-​time self defense workshop and was pleased. It gave me more non-​physical skills to consider to avoid, mediate, and counter violence. I definitely feel a bit more confident after the class. I would have preferred more focus on some physical defense (for sure they did teach some physical basics which I hadn’t thought of), but I hear their 4-​week course really goes in-​depth with this.
The instructors were very nice, personable, knowledgeable, and respectful. They reinforced the the ideas of respect and non-​judgment during the learning process and I felt very at ease (and not like an acting fool) when going through the roll-​playing and vocal defense exercises. I have met other members of Thousand Waves and they’ve also been very friendly. After watching a black belt test earlier this year, I also respect that they teach not only physical skills, but mental and psychological real-​world skills. They focus on the spiritual and mental aspects of personal energy, so I feel this place is very much all-​encompassing. Will consider the longer 4-​week self defense workshop later this winter.

I’ve been training at Thousand Waves since February 2006, and I love it. The instruction is top-​notch – the teachers are some of the best teachers I’ve ever had for anything. The classes are physically and mentally challenging and a lot of fun.
The sense of community at Thousand Waves came as a surprise to me. I’ve made several good friends since I started training there, and everyone really looks out for each other – not just on the training floor, but outside of the dojo too.

Thousand Waves is great! I think what most struck me when I first started there was how friendly and welcoming everyone was. It was clear that it was a very respectful community. If people have injuries, their physical limitations are always honored.
At the same time, TW can provide you with a great workout. I am a big fan of the sparring skills classes and all the teachers are great. As Rae mentioned, the schedule is flexible and you are exposed to many different teachers and teaching styles, which makes you stronger in your practice. There are many black belts, and the newcomers are often paired up with the more experienced members in order to benefit from their wisdom.
TW teaches Seido karate, which focuses not just on the physical, but on the mental & spiritual as well. I highly recommend TW for anyone interested in learning or improving their karate practice.