When I first started training with Sensei Ken at the age of 10, I was an overweight, underconfident kid who thought he could never do anything right. 11 years later, I can say that Ken’s teaching and guidance changed me for the better, and it is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. It can be challenging to put labels on exactly what Ken teaches in class, but the result of his instruction is that you will move in ways you never thought you could and think in a way that will transform you into a better, more conscious person.
Akiyama Dojo is not your typical martial arts school. Despite Ken’s wealth of experience and skill in a wide variety of martial arts, you will not find a conventional BJJ, Karate, or Krav Maga experience there. Instead, what you will learn is a way of moving and thinking that can be applied to literally any martial arts or fitness activity you could imagine. By stripping away all the unnecessary frills and embellishments of systematized martial arts and beginning with the breath, Ken has achieved a deep understanding of body mechanics that will help you achieve amazing things. Physical fitness was something I struggled with throughout my teenage years-a few months ago I did my first back handspring. Not everything at Akiyama Dojo is 100% related to “fighting”, but that’s really the strength of Ken’s teaching method: he doesn’t limit his exploration of movement and consciousness to what is only useful in a combat situation.
After about 11 years of training with Sensei Ken, I felt like the time was right to move to a more BJJ focused gym. Having trained at a few different places since leaving, I can tell you 100% that the type of awareness and control you will gain from training at Akiyama Dojo is very rare. If you’re on the fence at all about whether Akiyama Dojo is right for you, I strongly recommend you see for yourself. I firmly believe any human being of any age, skill level, or fitness level can benefit from what Ken has to offer. I know I did, and you can too.
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