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Enshin Karate
5 ★★★★★ 10 Google reviews · Karate dojo in San Francisco, California
Plan your first class
- Beginner-friendly all levels welcome, including total beginners — you don't need to be fit or have any experience to start
- Kids & youth classes kids and youth Karate classes — built around discipline, focus, and confidence
- Competition team a competition team for students who want to test themselves at kumite tournaments
- Today see hours ·
- Website & schedule enshinsf.com — book classes and see the live schedule
Hours
| Monday | 6–7:30 pm |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | Closed |
| Friday | 6–7:30 pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
The classes they run
“This is a great place for children and adults alike.”
“Great for beginners to advanced practitioners, great and tight community with friendly people (even Damien is a very nice guy when you scratch the surface ;) )”
Other martial arts here
What students say
“Naohiro Tomiyama sensei is a fantastic teacher who dedicated his life to karate.”
“Great for beginners to advanced practitioners, great and tight community with friendly people (even Damien is a very nice guy when you scratch the surface ;) )”
“Great for beginners to advanced practitioners, great and tight community with friendly people (even Damien is a very nice guy when you scratch the surface ;) )”
“Coming from shotokan karate myself, the style of enshin is quite different, and I particularly enjoy the focus on full contact training.”
“Coming from shotokan karate myself, the style of enshin is quite different, and I particularly enjoy the focus on full contact training.”
From the reviews
Enshin Karate is fantastic! Highly recommend it for both adults and kids. Sensei Tomiyama is a disciplined master of his craft, and he's also incredibly warm and attentive to each student.
An amazing community and sensei, I’m honored to be a student of enshin karate. ❤️
Sensei Tomiyama is caring, knowledgable, and thorough. The community is inclusive and active. You will learn a lot more than seek defense at this dojo as push yourself. You will discover more about your body, about control, and about yourself.
Naohiro Tomiyama sensei is a fantastic teacher who dedicated his life to karate. Coming from shotokan karate myself, the style of enshin is quite different, and I particularly enjoy the focus on full contact training.
New to Karate? Start at Enshin Karate
Enshin Karate comes up as a beginner-friendly dojo, going by their listing and students’ reviews. If you've never thrown a punch or set foot in a dojo, that's exactly who a good beginners program is for. A few things worth knowing before your first week. First, you don't need to be fit or flexible to start — you get in shape by training, not before it, and the sensei scales the intensity to you. Second, you won't be thrown into hard sparring — reputable dojos build fundamentals (stances, blocks, punches, and kicks) for weeks, and kumite (sparring) eases in gradually, with pads and control. Third, all levels and ages really are welcome — ask about a dedicated beginners or fundamentals class time so your first session is alongside others who are also starting out. Most dojos are happy to let you watch or try a class first, so reach out before you commit.
Your first Karate class at Enshin Karate
Nervous about walking into a Karate dojo for the first time? Almost everyone is, and a good sensei expects beginners to come through the door. Here's what to know. What to expect: a typical first class is a warm-up, then drilling basic stances, blocks, punches, and kicks — not hard sparring. Step to the side whenever you need to; no one will bat an eye. What to wear: athletic wear you can move in (or a gi if you have one); you'll train barefoot. What to bring: water, and a mouthguard if you have one — many dojos lend a loaner gi for a first class, so it's worth asking. As you keep training you'll add your own gi and the belt your dojo awards you. Kumite (sparring) eases in gradually, once your fundamentals are solid. Arrive 10–15 minutes early to sign a waiver and meet the sensei. It gets easier fast — most people feel far more at home by their third class.
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