We get this question over the telephone all the time. It is often asked before the caller explains for whom the lessons are for – a child? teen? or adult? Your answer is located below - under the ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP question. However, if you read the following five lines, the information will make much more sense to you.

TKC does not charge TUITION for its program classes; we do charge an Annual Membership (weighted by curriculum) – explained in further detail below. We do offer discounts for families and several other qualified demographics – all are explained in further detail below. Finally, shouldn’t quality and credentials count for something? Our qualifications are explained in several areas of this website – “Our Staff”, “About”, “Our History” and “Programs” pages contain a wealth of information our background. We don’t believe any other karate schools in the Staten Island & Matawan areas offer as rich a set of credentials as that found at Traditional Karate Center.

Our Annual Membership fee is not based on attending any certain number of classes or months of instruction. TKC is open 52 weeks each year and only closes due to major holidays, extremely dangerous storms and/or conditions. Incremental payments can be designed to your comfort – annual, quarterly, or monthly options are available to consider. The availability of payment options is purely a financial convenience afforded to the student. Annual Memberships rates are not influenced by a member’s health condition; nor is it predicated on whether they are away on vacation or move – therefore there are no pro-rating, or terminating an active membership. Memberships are only in one-year increments and this is something that is predictable and can easily be planned.

Our annual dojo membership fees are all-inclusive and they are weighted appropriately – according to your curriculum. Furthermore, students may engage in unlimited classes in both of our dojo locations. If you scroll down below, you will find the exact price (prior to any promotional specials that are being offered on this website or in other media) for your desired program.

Reflected in the annual membership fee are:

ALL regularly scheduled classes for your child’s group (skill level and/or age)

Opportunity to join our Sport Karate Curriculum at a substantial discount over non-TKC members

Opportunity to utilize our Non-profit organization (NPO) status for legitimate karate fundraising

Annual IKGA membership

Insurance coverage

Discounts for Civil Service Workers, CWA & IBEW Union Workers, Military Personal, and TKC/IKGA Black Belts not to exceed other promotional offers

Items that are NOT covered by the annual membership fees are:

Costs associated with promotion exams (under Black Belt... $50/exam - opportunities are twice annually) or special guest instructor seminars;

International Karatedo Gojukai Association (IKGA) diplomas and certificates

Uniforms and equipment – However, our Special Offer DOES include an official TKC karate uniform upon enrollment

Sports Karate – it is significantly reduced for TKC students (no additional discounts apply)

Drinks/snacks sold in our school

STANDARD (NON-DISCOUNTED) RATES: For a student age 3 – 6 in one of our Developmental Curriculum For Young Children – Little Warriors Program, your All-inclusive Annual Membership Fees is:

NINJA (Ages: 3 - 4) $100/Month ($1,200/Yr.) For Approximately 150 classes/year at each location [Special note: if enrollment is too low, Ninja will be combined with Samurai and Samurai times will apply.]

SAMURAI (Ages: 5 - 6) $100/Month ($1,200/Yr.)For Approximately 150 classes/year/location.

STANDARD (NON-DISCOUNTED) RATES: For a student age 7 ~ 99 in our International Curriculum, your All-inclusive Annual Membership Fee is:

JUNIORS, SENIORS & SEIDO-HO (Ages: 7 & older) $125/Month ($1,500/Yr.) For Approximately 150+ class hours/year)

Note: All JUNIOR and SENIOR students are also welcome to the Saturday & Sunday Open Mat forum.

Membership in TKC means membership is good at all affiliated TKC locations. Students are offered up to 3 classes weekly within our programs at each location. Due to a staggered schedule of classes, Mon./Wed./Fri. in Staten Island, NY and Tues./Thurs./Sat. in Matawan, NJ, students CAN attend as many as 300 classes per year... at NO additional cost.

* NOTE: First month is already discounted as a promotional offer and may not be combined with other discounts.

Military, Civil Service & Union Discounts... TKC offers 10% membership discounts to members of the following qualified entities and their immediate family members: New York Civil Service Workers (FDNY, NYPD, DSW, MTA, SIRT, etc.), CWA & IBEW Union Members, and Military Personal.

Family discounts for multiple members are as follows: 2 = 10% off total; 3 = 20% off total; 4 = 25% off total; 5 or more = $400 "flat rate". Other discounts do not combine with family discount.

TKC dojo Black Belts or IKGA Black Belts: 20% discount. No other discounts may be combined with the Black Belt discount.

NOTE: Our new, 2010 Referral Incentive Program offers $10 savings per month up to one year for each referral that permanently joins TKC dojo. The "ceiling" or maximum savings is reach when your monthly membership fee hits $50. In essence, you save approximately one month's membership cost for EACH referral that joins! Please speak with TKC management about the full details of this spectacular savings program.

In our International Karatedo Curriculum, we teach a Japanese form of Karatedo called Gojuryu Karatedo. Goju, for short, is one of four classic styles of karatedo – Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu, Wado-ryu and Shotokan. Karatedo is a martial art system that utilizes a balance of: blocking, kicking, striking, sweeping/takedowns techniques and movement tactics.

To briefly explain karatedo, it literally means “the way of the empty hand”. Technically and theoretically, kara (empty) and te (hand) emphasize that the individual is the weapon – their hands, feet, body and mind are the tools to survive by thwarting and/or avoiding conflicts. The term do (the way) can encompass a larger philosophical spectrum – one main idea is that it is a way, or path, to self-improvement.

Karatedo is the main focus of instruction in TKC. Our dojo is dedicated to the individual student’s development – not sport karate. We offer sport karate as a separate entity for our students; however, this is separate from our standardized International Karatedo Curriculum in which students earn their belts and rank. Sport karate will be discussed later on this web page.

The organization we associate ourselves with - IKGA - is located in Tokyo, Japan and has branches throughout the world. This organization was founded by the late Grandmaster Gogen "the Cat" Yamaguchi, 10th Degree Black Belt. Upon his death, the international organization appointed his son, Goshi Yamaguchi (Saiko Shihan - Grandmaster) as his successor to the international organization and Gosei Yamaguchi Shihan as the leader of the Gojukai USA.

The oldest brother, Gosei Yamaguchi shihan lives in the United States and has autonomy over his organization - Gojukai USA. He has patented rights over the use of fist logo and he has territorial exclusivity over uses of the "Gojukai" name as well.

Since TKC staff all align ourselves under the jurisdiction of the IKGA, we honor the agreements that have existed for many years regarding the territorial usages, and restrictions, of these trademarked items. Therefore, we do not wear the fist logo on our gi (uniform) top or brandish the name "gojukai" on our advertizements as our fraternal members do around the world.

Karate is specifically a Japanese martial art meaning empty hand, or without a weapon being held and used. In karate, hands and feet become the weapon when provoked. Many mixed martial art systems and other Korean, Chinese & Phillipino fighting arts use the word
K-A-R-A-T-E in their media. They WANT to confuse the average person who calls or walks into their studio - most people don't know the difference.

At TKC, we teach Karatedo - the way of karate. More specifically we teach the Yamaguchi-soke Goju-ryu Karate-do system - which is globally referred to as Gojukai except for IKGA affiliated dojos in the United States of America. We impart this curriculum to our students technically, theoretically and philosophically. Our instructors would be happy to answer all of your questions about our dojo (school), or style of karate, and the wonderful attributes that one can extract from dedicated training.

Instruction during regular class times strictly reflects the international karatedo curriculum for the IKGA organization. At no time does Sport Karate enter into the lesson plans for our standard curriculum. The training is multifaceted and includes the following:

1. Kihon (basics) - individual
   
2. Kihon Ido (moving basics) – individual
   
3. Kata (forms) - individual
   
4. Bunkai Kata (forms application) and Goshin-ho (self defense) - paired
   
5. Yakusoku Kumite (pre-arranged fighting theories) – paired
   
6. Kumite (fighting) – paired

Students of all ranks, including White Belts, practice Kumite (fighting or sparring) during standard classes. This has been our practice over the past fourteen years and it will always remain that way.

There are many types of kumite performed at TKC. They are:

1. Heiko no kumite (stationary fighting)
   
2. Ippo Ido (one-step movement fighting)
   
3. Jyu kumite (soft fighting)
   
4. Awase kumite (adjusted speed fighting – can be increased/decreased in speed according to the students or the sensei)
   
5. Goju kumite (fighting utilizing cat stance as a beginning posture, open and closed hand strikes and kicks, and other classical karate techniques are permitted)
   Go kumite (fighting hard!) – * not permitted in TKC doj/io
   
6. Shiai kumite (competition rules fighting) – ** no longer permitted during regular class lessons

The first five types of fighting are constructive – working to improve the students’ understanding of fighting theory and application. The sixth one, go kumite, is too destructive and dangerous for the dojo and is not permitted by our insurance coverage. The last one, shiai kumite, is a specialty that will be dealt with separately in our Sport Kumite program.

Nobody “gets” a Black Belt in TKC – it is earned and it takes as long as that individual requires to demonstrate their proficiency with our IKGA syllabus and curriculum. In fact, when a new student enters our Karatedo program they start out without a belt. After they learn their kihon (basic blocks, strikes and kicks) and their first kata (form), then they will be awarded their White Belt. This is teaching work ethics to our students – everything is earned by patience, work and perseverance.

The path to achieving a Black Belt is an individual journey – some travel it faster and others move slower and more methodical. An average length of time would be 5 ~ 6 years of committed attendance and practice.

Kyu ranks (under Black Belt grade) have promotion test exams offered twice each year - in May and November. Black Belt audition for grade is only available once each year - in December.

Upon achieving the rank of Black Belt, a dojo diploma is immediately awarded to the student. If their studies stay true and they remain in good standing with the dojo, an association diploma will be ordered for them from our Tokyo headquarters - IKGA. Association diplomas will only be awarded to students who receive unanimous approval from TKC's senior instructors.

TKC Black Belts have several unique benefits granted to them:

Their Annual Memberships are discounted 20%

The title of “Sempai” (senior student) is reserved exclusively for them in dojo

The honor of being selected as a mentor to a kohai (junior student) is possible

Black Belts of appropriate age/maturity may be entrusted with dojo keys allowing them access to practice during non-class times.

The dojo is the “training hall” or “house” where “the way” is practiced. Having exposure to the experiences of dojos for over a quarter century, TKC owner and chief instructor Michael Buttermark-shihan’s ideals of a traditional karatedo dojo consider two different approaches: eastern and western philosophies. “My experiences while living in Japan for nearly four years have opened greater understanding of the traditional concepts of dojo. Rather than merely acting the part, speaking Japanese words with little, if any, understanding, I have worked with TKC staff to heighten their awareness of the meanings and philosophies of the dojo. Collectively, we try to bring this experience to our students as well.”

The “Dojo Family” consists of the instructors and the students – only karateka (students of karatedo). Non-karateka in dojo are not members of TKC. Individuals’ goals, motivations and personal milestones may differ but the learning and working out on the tatami (mat) are our main commonalities. The “Dojo Home” is our retreat from work, school, problems and distractions – we come to train and work to improve ourselves.

Please do not misunderstand my usage of the terms like “dojo family” or “dojo home” with other philosophies like that of a clan or a cult – those organizations want you to isolate yourself from your family and their value systems. TKC, and dojo philosophies in general, do not mirror those kinds of organizations. We look at our dojo as a “home” and its members as a “family” in a figurative sense of unity.

We must remember that within both a home and a family there are some family members that are easier to get along with and yet others may be more difficult to understand or communicate with. We have worked with individuals who were not “ideal athletes” and some who had mental or physical disadvantages. Representative of nearly every race, religion, gender, age and financial means have entered our doors – all were given an opportunity to belong to our dojo family. Regardless of the diversities that differentiate us, it is the karate gi (uniform), the lesson, and our affiliation to dojo that unify us.

Some wonderful people have walked into the dojo and into our lives. Students have grown up at TKC in so many ways. One constant has been that our dojo has continued to produce a high quality karateka. We remain committed to excellent proficiency and understanding of our craft technically, theoretically and philosophically. We are ever cognizant of our decorum and our personal character because every one of our karateka is a representative of our:

Style of Karatedo and parent organization (IKGA)

TKC – our dojo “home” and “family”

Your family – What are the standards of your behaviors, ethics, and principles based on the students’ words and actions?

Yourself – how do others perceive you?

Yes, all TKC members are permitted to attend classes within their curricula if they are current with their Membership fees and in good standing status.

There are NO additional training fees.

Since we offer training in each program about 3 times weekly - approximately 150 classes per year, it IS POSSIBLE to attend 300 classes per calendar year by attending both locations. Our schedules are staggered Mon/Wed/Fri in Staten Island (South Beach/Grasmere), New York and Tues/Thurs/Sat in Matawan, New Jersey.

Yes. TKC senior instructors are available to teach private lessons for any rank-appropriate materials in which a student would like to improve their skills. All materials are taught during regularly scheduled class but due to absences, students may have missed their opportunity to learn these items to the best of their abilities. This is where private instruction comes in – to help fill the voids. Also, private instruction can be used to address the interests of those who wish to do kata and kumite competition divisions.

You may ask any one of the three senior instructors about scheduling a private lesson around class hours. Private lessons may not occur off to the side during a scheduled class or during Sunday open mat sessions. Also, Black Belt junior instructors (sempai) may not be approached for private lessons. We will not teach materials that are beyond a student’s next promotion requirements.

Private lesson fees are: $50 for up to 45 minutes and $25 for each 15-minute, or portion of the next 15-minute, interval afterward.

We created a 501.C.3 charity, or non-profit organization (NPO) in 1998. The name of this NPO is Tomorrow's Karate Champions Foundation. This NPO is a separate entity from Traditional Karate Center (the dojo). Among its purposes, it affords TKC members fundraising opportunities to fund competition and educational expenses (seminars). Our NPO also allows for individuals with limited financial means opportunity to seek donations to cover membership costs as part of an initiative to keep kids off the streets.