Morisi’s Das Academy

I have been an adult member of Morisi’s DAS Academy for eight years. It has been a great part of my adult life. Our training is physical — blending exercise, endurance and technique to create a great fitness program that keeps us motivated to continue training. Shihan Mark keeps the classes moving, and he serves the role as a motivator who focuses the students on aerobic conditioning. We stretch and strengthen, but we also learn the art of Karate and Jujitsu. This prepares us for self defense and teaches us muscle control and a respect for form.
Mark Morisi blends the meaning of traditional karate with the practical use of jujitsu. The whole body is involved in these techniques. We learn to relax and be strong at the same time.
My entire family attends. My wife and children maintain athleticism that would not otherwise be possible. We have core strength and great balance. We understand the concept of a strong «base».
The instructors at DAS are as important as the director because they bring to all age levels the level of quality of the Director. I know that when my sons are in a class they are learning something correct no matter who is teaching the class.
Younger students are motivated by seeing progress and moving up in rank as a result of their time and commitment. The blackbelts have truly earned it, and we share a mutual respect.
One of the measures of a great dojo is the retention rate of students. DAS has a long record of loyalty, and when students get their black belts they don’t just hang it up and quit. We are proud to continue to deepen our training because it is personally fulfilling — a credit to our Shihan and the staff.
Women and girls are a large part of our Dojo — the exercises are good for us all. We train cooperatively and even in sparring situations we are comfortable with each other.
i happen to be a sports medicine orthopedic surgeon. I speak with athletes all week long. My training at the DAS Academy earns me the respect of other athletes and I can understand and speak the language of competitive athletes on-​par with them because this program is all about the things that keep us healthy — strength, endurance and flexibility.
Barry Kraushaar, MD