Map & Directions
NOTE: The map has been removed, since instruction is no longer provided at this location.
Class Schedule
SORRY! Classes in classical Shitō-Ryū karate-dō are no longer available at the Dawson Community Center. For information about our classes at Victory Assembly of God church, please click here.
Class Participation
Training in classical karate-dō is suitable for everyone. However, not everyone is suitable for training in classical karate-dō. Karate-dō is a Way of Life that demands attentiveness, dedication, personal discipline, and a strong desire to achieve excellence. It is not merely an exercise programme, a leisure activity, or a hobby. Even sport karate is more than a game! This is why we offer two different programmes of instruction at the Dawson Community Centre:
Youth & Family Class: designed for youth aged 8 through 12, along with older members of their immediate family who wish to participate with them as a family activity. The focus of the Youth & Family class is on karate as a sports and recreational activity, so emphasis in class will be on learning the rules, etiquette, techniques, and sportsmanship of karate as a competitive sport. Physical fitness and conditioning in preparation for tournament competition is also a key componenent of the Youth & Family Class. Opportunities to compete in local, state, and national tournaments will be afforded those participants desiring to do so.
Adult & Seniors Class: designed for participants aged 13** and over who demonstrate maturity in their karate training. The focus of the Adult & Seniors class will be on the traditional aspects of karate-dō as a healthy, enriching, and disciplined lifestyle that balances physical, mental, and spiritual development, as well as the practical self-defence applications of karate techniques. Physical conditioning is less rigourous in this class than in the sports-oriented Youth & Family Class, making it well suited to seniors (55 and older) and adults seeking to improve their fitness and stamina at a more gradual pace.
**NOTE: The classes described above are no longer available at the Dawson Commuity Center.
Fees & Costs
Instruction was offered at the Dawson Community Center in order to make training in classical karate-dō available at more affordable costs than are typically charged in a commercial dōjō that must pay high rental rates for facilities in a commercial strip mall.
Thanks to the generosity of Victory Assembly of God church, more comprehensive instruction is now available at the same low cost. Participants can now learn Shitō-Ryū karate-dō, Aragaki-Ryū Okinawa kobujutsu, Musō Jikiden Eishin-Ryū iaijutsu, Ono-Ha Ittō-Ryū kenjutsu, Shindō-Musō-Ryū jōjutsu, and Daitō-Ryū aiki-jūjutsu all for the same low monthly fees that were charged just for karate-dō instruction at the Dawson Community Center!
Please click here for details.
Notice & Disclaimer
Instruction at the Dawson Community Center by Pellman Shihan and/or John Mills Sensei was being provided as independant contractors; not as employees of the City of San Antonio, the San Antonio Parks & Recreation Department, or the Dawson Community Center.
Accordingly, the Seishin-Kan and Pellman Sensei were solely and wholely reponsible for the curriculum, class content, instruction methods, and activities conducted during the karate classes provided at the Dawson Community Center.
Any and all questions concerning the class activities, methods of instruction, and/or curriculum should be directed to the Seishin-Kan's authorised instructors. Please refer to our "Contact Us" page at the link below for information on contacting representatives of the Seishin-Kan.
The staff of the Dawson Community Center should only be contacted regarding the facilities themselves and its hours of operation.