Satsuma Karate Dojo

Satsuma Karate Dojo Satsuma Karate Dojo Satsuma Dojo was founded and led by Sensei Isao Wada. While in the U.S.

Satsuma Dojo is a proud contributor to the Sunnyvale community and member of the rich traditional karate community of the San Francisco Bay Area. Satsuma Dojo is one of the first member dojo of Shotokan Karate-do International Federation (of Kancho Hirokazu Kanazawa) in the United States, ca. 1983. Wada Sensei began his karate training in Shorinji-ryu karate with Soke Isamu Tamotsu, 10th dan found

er of Renshinkan Karate-do and the All-Japan Shorinji-ryu Karate-do Federation in Kagoshima, Japan. Army, Wada Sensei trained in Shotokan karate with Sensei Takayuki Mikami while stationed in Louisiana. After his military duty, Wada Sensei, focused his efforts on building up the Satsuma Dojo in the Bay Area before he joined SKIF in 1983. Wada Sensei retired from active participation in 2000 due to health reasons. Since 2000, Satsuma Dojo's chief instructor has been Sensei Jay Castellano. Castellano Sensei began karate training in 1966 with Sensei Cal Avila in Monterey, CA, then of O'Sensei Richard Kim and the Zen Bei Butoku Kai. Castellano Sensei joined Wada Sensei's Satsuma Dojo after finishing college in 1980. Castellano Sensei was awarded the Hanshi title and 8th dan in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Through the generous sharing of time and knowledge by the all-volunteer instructor corps, Satsuma Dojo enjoys its partnership with the Columbia Neighborhood Center to provide opportunities for families to enjoy traditional karate training and its many benefits in the areas of personal and character development.

Thank you to Kancho Kanazawa for leading such engaging and inspiring karate seminars at Satsuma Karate Dojo! We are grat...
06/23/2025

Thank you to Kancho Kanazawa for leading such engaging and inspiring karate seminars at Satsuma Karate Dojo! We are grateful for the opportunity to train under your guidance!

Incredible night of training with Kancho Nobuaki Kanazawa. OSS! 👊🔥🇯🇵
06/18/2025

Incredible night of training with Kancho Nobuaki Kanazawa. OSS! 👊🔥🇯🇵

Happy Birthday, Sensei Jay! 🎂
05/04/2025

Happy Birthday, Sensei Jay! 🎂

Sensei Jay enjoyed a night of training with Iwilei Dojo
04/18/2025

Sensei Jay enjoyed a night of training with Iwilei Dojo

04/06/2025
Satsuma Dojo members at the 2025 SKIF International Seminar
04/06/2025

Satsuma Dojo members at the 2025 SKIF International Seminar

This picture is from the IRF International Renshinkan Federation page. Seated are the original Renshinkan Soke ...
03/14/2020

This picture is from the IRF International Renshinkan Federation page. Seated are the original Renshinkan Soke and Founder Isamu Tamotsu (1919-2000) and his wife. Standing are the Soke Iwao Tamotsu (1948-2016) and his wife. The founder of Satsuma Dojo, Sensei Isao Wada, originally trained with the original Soke in the 1960’s, and we have been fortunate to host Soke 2 in the US on a number of occasions.

Tamotsu Family

OSS!Satsuma Dojo Members,In accordance with today’s mandatory moratorium on gatherings of 35 or more people imposed by S...
03/14/2020

OSS!

Satsuma Dojo Members,

In accordance with today’s mandatory moratorium on gatherings of 35 or more people imposed by Santa Clara County’s Public Health Department, Satsuma Dojo is suspending its classes immediately. Likewise, we will resume classes in accordance with guidelines that we anticipate the Public Health Department will issue in the future. At this time, we do not yet have an estimate of when classes might resume.

Thank you for your understanding. You're welcome to contact me if you don't hear from me for a while. Please know that our actions will align with the Public Health Department. j

OSS!

The County Health Officer issued an order, effective at 12:00 a.m. on March 14, 2020, prohibiting public or private gatherings of more than 100 people.

OSS!Satsuma Dojo Black & Brown Belts,It is with great sorrow that I inform you of the very recent passing of Sensei Isao...
03/22/2018

OSS!

Satsuma Dojo Black & Brown Belts,

It is with great sorrow that I inform you of the very recent passing of Sensei Isao Wada, founder of Satsuma Dojo about 1974 and one of the three sensei in the U.S. to first join SKIF in 1983. Wada Sensei's family notified me on Wednesday that Wada Sensei passed away this past Monday, March 19. See this link for more information on Wada Sensei.

https://xtinas.wixsite.com/isao

I am personally very saddened by Wada Sensei’s passing. He first accepted me into his dojo in 1980, and he provided me with many valuable and memorable training and teaching experiences, including trainings in Tokyo with SKIF and in Kagoshima with his original karate instructor, Soke Isamu Tamotsu of Renshinkan Shorinji-ryu Karate-do. Wada Sensei's unfortunate heart attack in 2000 forced him to become inactive in karate at the early age of 48, and it forced the senior dojo members to assume responsibility for Satsuma Dojo and for its members, and to quickly develop our own teaching and leadership skills. Everything we have now began in the small dojo on El Camino Real in Santa Clara in which Wada Sensei taught classes and raised his family. I’ll forever be grateful to Wada Sensei for his personal instruction and for the many people and experiences I've enjoyed as a result of his misfortune. j

OSS!

___________________________
Jay Castellano, Kyoshi, 7th Dan
Chief Instructor, Satsuma Dojo
General Secretary, Shotokan Karate-Do International-U.S. Federation
www.satsumadojo.com

Enjoy some pictures from Sensei Fumitoshi Kanazawa’s recent visit to Satsuma Dojo!
11/17/2017

Enjoy some pictures from Sensei Fumitoshi Kanazawa’s recent visit to Satsuma Dojo!

Address

588 N Fourth Street
San Jose, CA
95112

Opening Hours

Tuesday 7pm - 9pm
Thursday 8pm - 8:30pm
Saturday 7:30am - 12pm

Telephone

+14087578073

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