UNC-CH Shotokan Karate
Since Janury 1997
Come to practice! We meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons! See weekly schedule for more detail.
Learn Japanese Karate for Fitness, Well-Being, Improved Concentration, Character Building, Self-Defense, and as a Competitive Sport
UNC-CH Shotokan Karate is a student organization that practices the traditional Japanese martial art of Shotokan Karate, which originated in Okinawa and was founded by Funakoshi Gichin (1868-1957). We are affiliated with the Japan Karate Association (JKA), which was founded in Japan in 1949 and has become the largest international umbrella organization for karate. Our group is a member of the South Atlantic branch of the JKA, the South Atlantic Karate Association (SAKA), which was founded in 1975.
We attend regional and national camps regularly and excel in tournaments. Beginners are welcome to join us. Our club primarily aims to serve UNC-CH students. However, other adult members of the Chapel Hill community are welcome.
Our instructor Mr. Kent Wang is a 6th degree black belt with more than 40 years of teaching experience. Our training consists of drills that emphasize basic techniques (kihon), traditional routines called forms (kata), and sparring (kumite). Our school practices non-contact karate, meaning students are taught to use good control during sparring drills and not to execute techniques that would harm or hurt the sparring partner. Instead, students practice what is called “sun-dome” in Japanese, meaning techniques are “terminated an inch” away from the sparring partner’s body. Any contact below the belt or with the opponent’s head is prohibited.