World Seido Karate

Great dojo! I started April 2012 and I never looked back. The staff and students are not only friendly but very helpful as well. It’s a great source of physical and spiritual inspiration.

I’ve been practicing Seido karate at Honbu (World Headquarters on 23^rd St) for a little over a year now, and joining was one of the best decisions of my life. I wanted to get back into karate as an adult after having practiced a couple of different styles as a child. I found Seido to be the perfect balance of mind, body and spirit. I absolutely love training at Honbu and only wish I could attend more classes during the week. Training here is pretty affordable, and worth every penny. The dojo is clean and everyone is very friendly. Also, I regularly keep my belongings in an unlocked locker and have never had any problems. Lastly, I highly recommend any class with Jun Shihan David!

My husband and I trained at Seido Honbu many, many years ago and loved it. Honbu had great people, great teachers (Kaicho, the grandmaster is truly worthy of great respect) and a huge well lit dojo. I was never in better shape than I was then, plus I could (probably) kick butt. Many years later and middle aged, my husband and I decided to return. There are closer dojos but we went back to Honbu where many people remembered us. Same great atmosphere, new teachers but still excellent and accepting of all different levels. The space is the same but they have air conditioning now (sometimes they just turn on the fans). I decided to start again as a white belt and work my way up. I am again hooked. I never leave without feeling better. I have to admit though that the first few months were rough and I didn’t know if I could continue. I am now however in pretty good shape and don’t need to use Advils.
Nidaime (Kaicho’s son and vice chairman) and Senpai PJ are my main teachers and they give me a great workout AND keep the classes interesting.
My son is also training at Seido and loves it. The children’s classes are very good. The waiting room during the afternoon and weekends do get a bit crazy with all the parents and kids around.
Way more black belts. Very reasonal fees. Still can’t hear Jun Shihan Walter!
Cons– lately the classes have gotten big, so necessarily the exercises have to be more restricted. I suppose a good time to focus on basics. I have looked at other schools — Seido is THE BEST.

If you are interested in traditional Karate this is the best dojo in the world. Physically challenging for sure but with an emphasis on personal discipline and spiritual growth. A unique opportunity to train under a true grandmaster. All levels of physical ability and age are welcome as long as you are prepared to give 100% and strive for more.

I’ve studied Seido Karate (with Kaicho Nakamura, Jun Shihan Walter and Sensei Gil) for over two years during the 1990’s and ended my training with a green belt.
Without giving away the «experience» of learning Seido Karate and passing the belt promotions (esp. green belt), I can honestly say my training at the 23^rd Street dojo was challenging and fun. Most of all, I’ve met alot of great and interesting people.
I would recommend Seido Karate for anybody interested in learning a form of martial arts for exercise, motivation or as a hobby. The dojo is multi level and spacious. The programs are reasonably priced, taught by experienced black belts holders and the class schedules are convenient and very kids friendly.
Osu…

Simply the best karate dojo in NYC. I moved from Japan to train under Kaicho (grandmaster) Nakamura for 10 years. If you like to learn traditional Japanese karate, look no further!

Seido Karate is a martial arts school like none other. The setting is spacious and calm and most impressively, the atmosphere is friendly and respectful without the aggressively macho attitude one may expect in a martial arts setting.
While Seido is steeped in the traditions of the Japanese martial arts, its founder, Kaicho Nakamura emphasizes the importance of everyone, regardless of age, gender or ability, to benefit from the study of karate. A class may include students with varying degrees of agility along with senior students who have been training for decades – everyone is included and encouraged to do their best and help each other.
Lest you think that the training is soft, I assure you it is definitely not! The classes are high energy and may push you to your breaking point, but it’s an amazing experience to work out with a group to find that you can achieve far beyond what you would be capable of going at it alone.
One of my favorite aspect of training at Seido is the mental stimulation of constantly learning new facets of the art. The Seido system efficiently teaches techniques and with regular attendance you are guaranteed to improve. To learn the more in-​depth aspect of karate, there are seniors who are always willing to teach and give pointers. There is a sense of humility even among the highest ranking seniors – there are regular students in their 60’s and 70’s who have been training with Kaicho for over 40 years– that is inspiring.
As a 43 year old who was never into health clubs or exercising – I never thought that karate would be my path to physical and mental well being, but Seido exceeded my expectations of what a martial arts school could be. My training has helped me with my insomnia, depression and the daily stress of living in the city. It has made me more confident in my body but also more patient and less prone to negativity. If you are looking to take up a serious exercise regimen in a positive atmosphere, I’d strongly recommend Seido Karate.

I am a new student to Seido Karate joined February 21,2011 in there Elmsford NY location and I have to say without any hesitation the Owners and Staff are by far the warmest and caring people I have ever wanted to be associated with. The instructors are patient always willing to go above and beyond for a student making sure that all there needs physically and spiritually are met. My classmates range from all age groups from High School students to working adults and all are wonderful people looking out for one another. In all my 40 years of life have I every meet or dealt with a more amazing group of people in one location the classes are fun and full of energy.
Just an all around great experience.

My daughter just recently began classes here. The vibe is positive, supportive and respectful. I was pleasantly surprised that there was no pressure to sign up or commit to anything. When she took a trial class, I hesitated to give my phone number for fear they’d call me and offer me a great deal on a two-​year membership or something, like a health club I once checked out. Mercifully, they let us make all the moves.
They offer adult classes at all levels and other things like Pilates in a big, nice space. The waiting area can get a little crowded and chaotic, though, when lots of kids are around.

I started with Seido a few years ago, having studied Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan as a teenager for 6 years. With so many martial arts chains out there just looking to make a buck (franchise expansion, charging huge rates, selling you this and that)… I have to say that, these days, Seido is a very unique dojo, teaching a real traditional martial arts, and not one of these «profit machine dojos» that come and go.
Kaicho and Nidaime (the founder of Seido and his son) teach many of the classes themselves, and run the dojo as a really positive place to learn, with students helping each other no matter what ability level, gender, etc. The dojo itself is run more like a family business (the rates are very reasonable), and a place that serves the community (there are special programs for the blind, mentally disabled, winter coat drives, etc.).
On the training side, Seido Juku is a far more disciplined and intense martial arts than I was ever used to with Moo Duk Kwan; and while I did achieve cho-​dan in Moo Duk Kwan, no offense to that form, but if I am ever fortunate enough to reach the black-​belt level in Seido, it would really feel like a major life accomplishment.
So to sum up: if you are just looking for just any gym to go work-​out and only focus on physical training, you can get this at Seido, but you’d be missing the point. Seido is an ideal environment to learn martial arts at your own pace, but more importantly, to learn a martial arts form that encompasses not only the physical (endurance, kumite, etc), but mental (meditation classes) and more traditional (kata) elements of the martial arts. It’s a really special place, and I feel lucky to have found it!