Enshin Karate

Not all dojos are created equal. They seem pretty similar at first glance. They are the arch enemy of socks and shoes. On the other hand, they love heavy canvas pajamas. These pajamas have no buttons, velcro, or zippers (take that modernity!) and rely simply on belts in many colorful hues to maintain modesty. They may all involve some amount of naked hand and foot waving, stepping all over others and pads and bags. Or they may involve some tussling and rolling around on the floor. But this is where the common ground ends.
The litmus test of whether a dojo is a great dojo is whether anyone lives there. Is there someone who would love pajamas and hate socks so much that he or she would live in a dojo and partake in every single pajama party thrown each day? In the case of Enshin, the answer is yes. At present, there are two sock-​hating pajama-​lovers in residence. The children love these dojo-​dwelling people and appear to have learned much hand-​waving and foot-​stepping as a result.
And fortunately for me, my shoes, and my other clothes, Enshin teaches a martial art that is effective even with shoes on and no pajamas within reach. A martial art that blends hand and foot waving with tussling and rolling. Learn to strike better than a judoka and throw better than a karateka (whether you throw better than a judoka and strike better than a karateka is up to how you train).
Classes are generally small, and, despite their capability to knock me out at will, staff are all affable and knowledgeable. Training here is highly recommended for people of all ages and walks of life with the one exception of those with an extreme aversion to feet.

Great stuff very traditional

I have not trained here actively in some years but whenever I’m in Denver I come by for a lesson.
Truly, Enshin Karate is hands down the best martial arts training in Denver. If you train here, you will learn from the Ninomiya family, who are probably the kindest and most humble group of complete badasses on planet earth. Train here a while and you’ll feel like kin.
This school is the global headquarters of Enshin style karate, which is a martial art based on the Sabaki method. I’m not really qualified to tell you what that means but at least in part it refers to «whole body movement», that is to attack and defend using every part of the body to achieve maximum torque, optimum positioning, and fluid movement. The grandmaster here demonstrates the power gained by routinely kicking through wooden baseball bats. Yea, that’s batS plural.
But despite the amazing power harnessed in Enshin, the culture of the school remains one of humility, compassion, and warmth. It’s a perfect place to send kids.
I won’t talk too much about the Sabaki challenge, but Enshin also hosts a global full contact karate tournament that draws the fiercest competitors from all over the world. It’s truly a sight and a cultural treasure of Denver.
So many reasons to visit Enshin, but at a bare minimum it’s an inspiring place run by kind fantastic people. Stop by and see.