Samurai Kids Club of Yakima

08/28/2026

The Mighty River Classic is Nov. 7th, sign up now for cheaper rates. Special rates on a fabulous hotel, and great photo ops alongside the Columbia with your medal when you win! We want 15 students competing at this event. This is going to be fun! Come watch your Sensei Compete! He will probably fight World Champion Ryan George! Champion of the ICO league. His nickname: RPG! A picture of Jabriel below on the Mighty Columbia after winning Grand Champion in forms at The Mighty River Classic!

08/28/2026

The Mighty River Classic Nov. 7, 2026!
We want a team of students going to this event! We are hoping for 15 students to attend this year. This is an amazing tournament! If we want amazing tournaments in the PNW we need to support them by going! This tournament has great people, great competitors, and deserves us coming.
Sifu Rick Cropper does an amazing job with this event. He tries so hard to make this the greatest tournament in the PNW. It is a very fun tournament in a beautiful location. The tournament hotel is gorgeous; it has a beautiful fire pit, deck, and party room that overlooks the Columbia River. It has a great swimming pool for the kids. There is always a big party after the tournament located at the hotel. This allows time to get to know other martial artists from our area and meet new friends who value karate the same way we do! There is a special price which is a GREAT deal to stay at the hotel, if you go two nights you can have a great weekend in Portland as family. Maybe hit the Portland Zoo, the Japanese Garden which is very close by, or San Lu Chinese Garden, shopping, etc. Seaside is only an hour and a half away.....maybe a quick trip to play in the ocean, sneak a Monday off, and then head home?! :) Winter will be upon us very soon following this event. It is a great chance to go compete, have some fun, relax and enjoy the PNW. This has the makings of a FANTASTIC weekend. We want you all there with us to have some fun! The link to register for early registration is below. Training for this event will start soon! Yes, any of you can compete they have brackets for all ages and skill levels. By the way, your youngest Sensei won Grand Champion in forms here last year, it is a super fun tournament! Jabriel is on the flyer. :) He took 2nd in fighting against the beast of a fighter nicknamed RPG! RPG (AKA Ryan George) He is also shown below. , he will also be doing seminars on fighting if interested. Ryan George is the World Champion of the ICO (International Combat league). If you want to attend, do the early registration while the price is the lowest---now--and save your spot at the hotel before it fills up. I know it is still summer, but this event is right around the corner, and winter is coming. Yakima gets pretty dreary come November. This is an opportunity to go have some fun at a discounted price! We always have a great time at this tournament and you can too! Just watching your Sensei compete if very fun in itself. If you have not seen him compete, it is time! It is time to know who you are training with! You are in a very special place!!! The flier is below! Sign up now! ANYONE can attend.

The 24th Annual Mighty River Classic Martial Arts Tournament November 4th 2023 at the Portland Expo Center

08/28/2026

Hello students and parents, a couple of things.......1. AAU fees are due for youth 18 and under, $27 paid once per year. 2. September is almost here and school has begun for many! This is the time to get in a really good routine with training. We will be promoting students soon, we are constantly evaluating and watching skills grow. In reality, we know before you ever test, if you are ready! We test students when they are ready. We are not in the business of criticism. We are in the business of pushing you----- We are in the business of lifting our students up to success. That means, by the time we test you---we know you are ready! If you are inconsistently showing up you are missing a lot. We are a skills based dojo. What does that mean? It means we have specific skills at every belt that are taught and have to be learned. It is a steady climb toward blackbelt. We do not give belt/rank away without the hard work. Belts in our dojo are about meeting those goals. Belts are not about power, attitude, etc. At Karafuto Karate everyone is to be treated respectfully from the minute you walk in until 50 plus years later....belts are about knowledge and skill, not attitude. We are about growing every person in their personal goals. Karate will have different meaning to you at age 12, at age 20, at age 40, and age 60. It is an opportunity to continue growing and striving your whole life. Any questions you have do not hesitate to approach me, I love talking about karate. :) See you soon! Sensei

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08/23/2026

Hope you all voted for us this year!
Yakima Readers’ Choice Best Karate School
In the 2025 CommunityVotes Yakima “Sports, Recreation and Fitness” category, the top-ranked karate school is Karafuto Karate
yakima.communityvotes.com
yakima.communityvotes.com
2025 Readers’ Choice Winners – Martial Arts
Platinum: Karafuto Karate
Gold: Urj Training Center
Silver: Northwest Kyokushin Karate
Bronze: Yakima Taijutsu
yakima.communityvotes.com
yakima.communityvotes.com
This means Karafuto Karate was voted the best karate school in Yakima by community members in the 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards.
About Karafuto Karate
Located at 2802 W Nob Hill Blvd., Yakima, WA, Karafuto Karate offers:
Traditional Okinawan and Japanese karate
Sport karate
Wushu (Kung Fu) — the only dojo in Central Washington teaching wushu
karafutokarate.com
karafutokarate.com
Programs for teens and adults, with a focus on self-defense, discipline, and respect
Friendly, respectful dojo environment
Monthly dues starting at $100 for a single student (family rates available)
karafutokarate.com
karafutokarate.com

Why It Stands Out
Unique wushu program in the region

Long-standing instructor with over 50 years of martial arts experience

Strong emphasis on building confidence, discipline, and respect

Suitable for all ages and skill levels

If you’re looking for the community-voted best karate school in Yakima, Karafuto Karate is the top choice based on the 2025 Readers’ Choice results
yakima.communityvotes.com
yakima.communityvotes.com

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08/10/2026

Tournament Team/Demo Team: In the past, we have left this open to anyone who wanted to participate. Due to limited coaching time on our part, we will be selecting the team this year. Coaching for tournament team is free. We will have a list soon of where and when our tournaments will be for 2027. We will also be limiting the numbers so we can invest in our students who are wanting to compete.---Sensei

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08/10/2026

Gentle reminder it is time to pay August dues if you have not done so---thank you! It is time to pay the registration AAU fee of $27 for kids under age 18, and $37 for adults. This is paid one time per year at the end of August. Please pay registration /AAU fees by August 31. Thank you! Sensei

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08/10/2026

Age 14 :) I am soon to be 61. You can do karate for a lifetime. Come sign up! Adults no longer have to join the AAU. We have a small registration fee, and reasonable monthly dues. One of the best things you can do for your brain is kata.

John Ratey on Movement and the Brain
Dr. John J. Ratey, MD, a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist and author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, argues that movement is not just good for the body — it is essential for brain health and cognitive performance.

Why Movement Matters for the Brain
Ratey explains that our brains evolved to help us move, and in turn, movement fuels executive function skills like planning, adapting, and remembering. Physical activity physically remodels the brain, increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) — often called “Miracle-Gro for the brain” — which supports neuroplasticity, strengthens neural pathways, and helps create new brain cells.

Cognitive and Emotional Benefits
Focus & Memory: Exercise boosts attention, learning, and memory, with studies showing children who move more perform better academically.

Mood & Mental Health: Regular movement can relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, and may be as effective as some medications like Prozac or Ritalin in certain cases.

ADD/ADHD: Movement can improve focus and reduce symptoms in attention disorders.

Aging & Cognitive Decline: Consistent exercise can slow cognitive decline by 10–15 years.

Start now, Come train!

08/10/2026

A few years ago......1978 at YVCC tournament. Age 12,. She is hitting me bare knuckle, lol. I should have taken those gloves off. You live and learn. :)

08/09/2026

Who is that girl? Age 19. :)

08/08/2026

Gentle reminder, it is time to pay August dues if you have not done so! Also, for kids 17 and under AAU fees $27 once a year are now due. For adults, you are no longer required to have an AAU membership, however, there will be a one-time per year, yearly registration fee of $37. This fee replaces the AAU fee once per year. These need to be paid by August 31, 2026, to train. This is just the business of keeping our dojo open and running safe! Thank you!

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