Interested in trying an authentic martial art with deep cultural roots? Searching for a fun, healthy activity for your entire family? Or are you an experienced karate practitioner looking for a new dojo?
Whatever your reasons, welcome to Boston Shotokan Karate!
We are a nonprofit karate school that has been teaching karate and self-defense in Boston for over 40 years. Being nonprofit allows us to keep our monthly fees low so that everyone can afford to train and grow in an authentic traditional Japanese martial art.
While we encourage you to explore this website, the best way to learn about what we do, and how it can enrich your life, is to come in and check out one of our practices. You can observe, or even better, participate, and see if karate is for you.
Class locations and times
We practice at St. James the Greater Church, 125 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02111, which is easily accessible by public transit. Metered street parking is available on Harrison Ave and side streets. Our practice times are:
- Mondays, 6:30pm to 8:00pm
- Wednesdays, 6:30pm to 8:00pm
- Saturdays, 8:00am to 9:30am
Before joining us for the first time, please fill in the form below.
Affordable and Authentic Martial Arts
Because of our strong resolve to offer high-quality martial arts to the public, we have remained non-commercial and nonprofit. Monthly dojo fees are only ~$60 in total, which includes includes $125 annual membership for Shotokan Karate of America (SKA) and $50/month for dojo fees. These fees are a fraction of those charged by for-profit dojos, and there are no testing fees.
As a traditional karate organization, SKA has only three belts (white, brown, and black), and the highest level is 5th dan (which was the highest degree of black belt ever bestowed by Master Funakoshi). Our instructors are senior blackbelts who have trained for decades, and competed thousands of hours of special training. The Boston Shotokan Karate dojo is run by our two most experienced seniors: Jesse Winch (Sandan, 3rd degree black belt) and Johnson Chung (Godan, 5th degree black belt) who have been with SKA since the 1980s. They are both pupils of Mr. Tsutomu Ohshima, founder of SKA. Our instructors receive no compensation, and teach out of a duty and desire to preserve the skills that were taught to them.
Karate Training for Life
Anyone can enjoy and benefit from karate. We welcome all ages from older children, to college students, professionals, and seniors. Our dojo is a supportive, encouraging group of people from all walks and ages of life. We strive to provide an environment in which each member can attain their personal best. We are like a family, and we welcome individuals and families who want to get fit, learn self-defense, become more mindful, challenge themselves, and have fun.