Ito Dojo Kyokushin Oregon

**Budo_Brown** · Posted On: 12/01/2012 6:47pm

Aliveness: 9

Equipment: 7

Gym Size: 8

Atmosphere/Attitude: 9

Striking Instruction: 9

Grappling Instruction: 1

Weapons Instruction: 1

My first class was November, 29th, 2012. Class was from 7:00pm-8:45. The first 30 min was high level cardio and conditioning. The second 30 min was striking/blocking technique instruction and cardio through shadow boxing, push-ups, ab workouts, ect.. The last 45 min was full contact sparring consisting of 2 min rounds. Only higher belts wore sparring gloves and footwear on lower belts. I did not use any protective gear. After sparring, we did 50 clap push ups and 50 ab v's with clapping underneath the thigh. We then grabbed paper towels and sanitizing spray to clean the blood off the mat.

Class is like that every Tuesday and Thursday I am told. Mon,Wed,Fri, and Sat focus more on technique, kata, strength training, bone strengthing, ect...

The Shihan comes off right away as a knowledgeable, confident, and kind man. He is the real deal in every sense of the word. His thick accent and perfect technique support that as well. He took time various occasions through out the class to correct my stance/technique. It was my first night and I felt very welcome and valued already. The instructor was a very technical and skilled brown belt who is currently competes on a national level. I believe he recently placed first at national Kyokushin tournament but I need to double check that. I may be mistaken. He was an all around great teacher. I've played sports my whole life and I knew right away he was going to be someone I could respect and learn a great deal from. Overall, I had a great experience and would recommend this dojo to anyone looking to study and train seriously in Kyokushin Karate. It is also the only Kyokushin dojo in the entire state of Oregon. It's exactly what I was looking for.

Side note: Shihan Ito is also a Doctor of acupuncture. His practice is located directly next door to the dojo. He offers discounts to members of the dojo. A nice perk in my opinion.

Below, I have attached a couple pictures I took of the beginners class that was in session when I arrived. It gives you an idea of what the space in the dojo looks like. Full list of equipment is as follows: 2 hanging heavy bags, 2 ground weighted kicking bags, boards with rope for bone strengthening, muay thai pads and shields, and weapons( bo,Nunchucks,baton, ) All used for kata only I believe.

I've commited to training here 5 days a week starting Monday. A diamond in the rough in my opinion.

http://www.oregonkyokushin.com/shihan.php

**Budo_Brown** · Posted On: 12/07/2012 5:29am

After training for a week I would say the aliveness is a 7-8. I also found out that there is a higher belt member that teaches BJJ on Saturday mornings for any members interested. It's usually followed by sparring. Also, spar more than just Tuesday and Thursday. Those are just the scheduled adults or advanced classes with sparring. Students receive tournament illegal self defense instruction as well as instruction for competing. Also, if you are looking for help on a specific skill or kata, just show up early or stay late. Either Shihan Ito or a senior will spend some one on one time usually. I can't say enough good things about Shihan Ito. I won't go into numbers but I'll just say if you are on a budget but are dedicated to working hard and learning Kyokushin... He'll make it work. I'm paying under a $100 a month for full access 6 days a week. He also offers VERY cheap on site acupuncture.

Before Nov, 29th, 2012 I had absolutely zero martial arts training. I've decided to jump in head first and compete in a bare knuckle full contact knockdown tournament in the Seattle area April 13th. I'm train tues-sat sometimes twice a day until then. Shihan and all the senior members are very supportive and helping to get me ready. I'll make a thread about my road to my first karate tournament soon. It's going to be an experience.

**patfromlogan** · Posted On: 12/12/2012 8:45pm

Osu! Thanks for the write-up. Sounds like good ol' hardcore KK Karate. These types of dojo are actually hard to find - you are a lucky guy and have fun training!

**Budo_Brown** · Posted On: 12/13/2012 12:01am

Originally Posted by patfromlogan

Osu! Thanks for the write-up. Sounds like good ol' hardcore KK Karate. These types of dojo are actually hard to find - you are a lucky guy and have fun training!

Osu!

I love the training atmosphere. I couldn't have found a better dojo or style to begin my martial arts journey. When I'm not training, I'm reading about karate training methods, techniques, and philosophy. Shihan Ito is as good as they get. We are lucky to have him here in Oregon with us. Thank you for reading the review.