KYOSHI THOMAS HARRIS WELCOMES YOU

MENSORE (welcome)

Thank you for visiting the Small Forest Karate and Kobudo Dojo (School) in Poquoson, Virginia. Kyoshi, Hachidan Thomas Harris, the school director and head instructor, invites you to join us in the study of the ancient martial arts of Okinawa. We are a traditional Karate school of the Okinawa Shorinryu Kensankai Karate-Do and Kobudo Association which is directed by Sensei Harris’s teacher, Hanshi Judan Doug Perry Kudan (10th degree black belt). The Kensankai has its core roots in Shorin ryu Shorinkan Karate-do. Hanshi Perry’s teacher, Shugoro Nakazato, Hanshi Judan is the founder of the Okinawan Shorin ryu Shorinkan in Okinawa.

The practice of karate originated in Okinawa and spread to the rest of the world due to the dedication of the great masters of the different karate systems on the island. Okinawa is an island South of Kyushu Japan and is the largest island in the chain of islands called the Ryu Kyu archipelago. Even though the Island is a prefecture of Japan, Okinawa has a unique history and spirit that is all its own.  With the propagation of Karate and Kobudo, The Okinawan Sensei (teachers) have passed on to the rest of us a sincere insight into the propriety of the island peoples’ art and heritage. Much has been written about Karate. All the different views and ideas that have been written and talked about add up to little without actually experiencing the art. Come join us and expand your physical and self-defense capabilities. Develop your self-confidence and self-discipline.