ISKF Tempe Karate
About
ISKF Tempe Karate on South Rural Road
ISKF Tempe is the East Valley branch of the International Shotokan Karate Federation, one of the largest and most respected traditional Japanese karate organizations in the world. The dojo sits at 7070 S Rural Road in south Tempe, convenient to families across Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, Ahwatukee, and the Phoenix south side. The school teaches the same ISKF curriculum used in the federation's dojos worldwide.
Kids Martial Arts Programs
The youth program follows the standard ISKF curriculum, ranking students through the kyu belts toward shodan:
- Foundational kihon (stances, blocks, strikes, kicks)
- Classic Heian and beyond kata series
- Partnered drills
- Structured light kumite as students rank up
- Saturday Introduction to Martial Arts beginners class for new students
What's Included
- Chief Instructor Dave Bracklow, 5th Degree Black Belt, training since 1980 under Sensei James Field
- Clean lineage tracing through Master Teruyuki Okazaki to Funakoshi Sensei, founder of modern Shotokan
- Saturday: Intro to Martial Arts 9:00-9:30 am, All-Level Training 9:30-11:00 am
- Weekday classes Tuesday and Thursday evenings
- Trial classes available
Experience
The atmosphere is the formal, old-school traditional Shotokan environment - proper gi, dojo etiquette, and the patient repetition that rewards multi-year practice. The school suits families who want authentic federation-standard Japanese karate with a clean lineage and a structured path toward black belt in south Tempe.