In the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) area, there are also a number of “traditional” dojos. Most of these dojos have head instructors who hold high black belt ranks in various Asian martial arts styles. Unfortunately, many of these instructors received much of their training while stationed abroad for a short number of years, oftentimes becoming a “black belt” while in Asia, then returning to the USA where they started teaching. Most of their subsequent training was done with infrequent visits either back to their teacher or when their teacher came to the US. This is unfortunate because “black belt” is when one only first becomes a student.

Being the most skilled in an unskilled country, some individuals started teaching as if they were masters.

In Asia, significant continued training occurs as one moves up through the various black belt ranks. Most of the heads of these “traditional” styles did not experience these higher levels of training in the traditional way. Instead, being the most skilled in an unskilled country, these individuals started teaching as if they were masters. And although many of these individuals became very skilled martial artists, their higher level training did not receive all of the benefits of the methods and knowledge passed down for generations.

East-West Kara-Te has a direct living link back to the traditional higher-level black belt training in Asia.

The head of our style, Master Yamashita, grew up, trained, and lived in Asia, becoming a 7th degree black belt in Okinawa before he moved to the US in the early 1970’s where he has trained students for the past 30+ years. East-West Karate therefore has a living direct link back to the traditional higher-level black belt training in Asia. Sensei Dombeck’s instructor, O’Sensei Dan Schroeder, is Master Yamashita’s senior-most student and is presently an 8th Dan. Students of East-West Kara-Te are given the opportunity to augment their training through special seminars with both O'Sensei Schroeder and Master Yamashita several times a year. The depth of long-term knowledge and advanced training available through East-West Karate, therefore, has few (if any) equals in the Twin Cities area. This is why many of our students came to East-West Karate after years of training in other schools.