Zen Goju TempleUrban Goju Hall #004
(718) 645-2402Free class
Your first class

What to Expect at Your First Karate Class

The hard part is the door.

Here is exactly what happens, so none of it is a surprise.

The first hour

Start to finish

01

Before you leave

Call (718) 645-2402. Times change, and we would rather you arrive to the right class than the wrong one.

02

Arriving

Ten minutes early. Someone will meet you, show you where to change, and point you at whoever is teaching.

03

In the class

You line up with everyone else. Beginners train alongside senior students rather than being kept separate.

04

Afterwards

You go home and think about it. Your first class is free.

Straight answers

The things people worry about

"I have never done this before"
You do not need any experience to start. We welcome students of any skill level, starting from zero.
"I am not fit enough"
Fitness, strength, endurance, coordination and concentration are what the training builds. They are not what it requires up front.
"Will I have to fight someone"
Not on your first day. Sparring is part of training here: Thursday is motion study, Friday is harder. The lower rank sets the pace, and nothing is thrown at a beginner unprepared.
"I do not have a uniform"
Students bring their own uniform. Black judo or karate uniforms are preferred. You do not need one to try a class - wear something you can move in.
"Will I be signed up for something"
No. There have never been contracts here, and there is no sales process. The prices are on the site so you never have to ask.
"Can I just watch"
Parents are welcome to watch any class. Everyone else trains. Your first class is free, so take one rather than watch one.
The room you are walking into

What kind of dojo this is

We pride ourselves in teaching U.S.A. Goju, keeping to the way Grandmaster Peter Urban taught. Our dojo is a house of discipline where all martial artists, who want to train hard, are welcomed.

The dojo's own words

Grandmaster Urban set out the rules of a karate dojo in three lines, and they have not needed changing.

Everyone works. Nothing is free. All start at the bottom.

Peter Urban, The Karate Dojo, 1967

The first class costs nothing because we would rather you saw the room than took our word for it. Nothing after that is given away, and that is the point.

Book a free classSee the schedule