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Karate Classes in Tennessee
90 Karate dojos across 43 cities in Tennessee — including 24 with a free trial, 19 beginner-friendly, and 60 with kids' classes. Pick a city for full listings with member reviews, live open-now hours, and the classes each dojo runs — or browse the map.
Karate travelled from Okinawa and Japan to every corner of America, and Tennessee now has dojos for every reason people train: a nervous first class, a serious workout, self-defense, kids' and women's programs, belt progression, or the competition team. You don't need to be fit or experienced to walk in — all ages and levels are welcome, and a good dojo meets you where you are.
Cities in Tennessee
- Knoxville
- Collierville
- Hendersonville
- Lebanon
- Memphis
- Nashville
- Gallatin
- Chattanooga
- Murfreesboro
- Alcoa
- Antioch
- Bartlett
- Cordova
- Franklin
- Jackson
- Johnson City
- Kingsport
- Maryville
- Mt. Juliet
- Oak Ridge
- Oakland
- Paris
- Arlington
- Athens
- Atoka
- Brentwood
- Clarksville
- Cleveland
- Cookeville
- Crossville
- Germantown
- Greeneville
- Hixson
- La Vergne
- Lawrenceburg
- Lewisburg
- McMinnville
- Old Hickory
- Red Bank
- Sevierville
- Smyrna
- White House
- Winchester
Featured karate dojos in Tennessee
Ranked by what members say — Google rating weighted by review count. See the full best-of-Tennessee ranking →
Master Booe's Karate Kidz
4.9 ★★★★★ 163 reviews
🥋 Free trial / intro class — check their site
Ernie Reyes' World Martial Arts
4.9 ★★★★★ 133 reviews
🥋 Free trial / intro class — check their site
Bushido School of Karate
4.9 ★★★★★ 94 reviews
Bill Taylor's Bushido School of Karate
4.9 ★★★★★ 83 reviews
Nashville Karate Academy
4.9 ★★★★★ 81 reviews
🥋 Free trial / intro class — check their site
Scruggs Karate Studio
4.7 ★★★★★ 74 reviews
More ways to train in Tennessee
- Best karate dojos in Tennessee — the state-wide ranking
- Karate for beginners — 19 beginner-friendly dojos in Tennessee, ready for your first class
- Kids & teen karate — 60 dojos in Tennessee with youth programs
- Free trial classes — 24 dojos in Tennessee offer a free trial or intro class
- Women's karate — 3 dojos in Tennessee with women's classes
- Browse karate class types — beginners, kids, teens, women's, kata, kumite, weapons/kobudo, private lessons and more
- Kenpo / Kempo Karate locations in Tennessee
- Isshinryu Karate locations in Tennessee
- Shotokan Karate (JKA) locations in Tennessee
- Premier Martial Arts locations in Tennessee
Karate programs in Tennessee
Find the class that fits — whether you're starting from zero, bringing the kids, or chasing your first competition.
- 🧒 Kids Karate in Tennessee
- 🛡️ Self-Defense in Tennessee
- 🥋 Adult Karate in Tennessee
- 🐉 Little Dragons in Tennessee
- 🌱 Beginners in Tennessee
- 🥊 Kumite / Sparring in Tennessee
- 👤 Private Lessons in Tennessee
- ⚔️ Weapons (Kobudo) in Tennessee
- ✨ Teens in Tennessee
- 🌀 Kata (Forms) in Tennessee
- 💪 Women's Karate in Tennessee
Other martial arts trained in Tennessee
Most karate dojos are multi-art. Here's what else Tennessee dojos teach under the same roof.
Karate in Tennessee: common questions
- How many karate dojos are in Tennessee?
- Our directory lists 90 karate dojos across 43 cities in Tennessee. The cities with the most are Knoxville (8), Collierville (5), Hendersonville (5).
- How much does karate cost a month in Tennessee?
- Most Tennessee dojos don't post prices online. Across karate dojos in our directory that do list a rate, monthly memberships run about $50–$150 (median around $89). Karate is usually sold as a monthly membership, and rates vary by dojo and style. Many offer a free or discounted first class — see our cost guide for typical ranges.
- Are free trial classes available in Tennessee?
- Yes — 24 dojos in Tennessee advertise a free trial, free first class, or intro week. It's the low-pressure way to try a class before you commit; confirm the current offer on the dojo's site.
- Can beginners and kids train karate in Tennessee?
- Absolutely — karate welcomes all ages and levels. 19 Tennessee dojos are highlighted by members as beginner-friendly, and 60 run kids' or youth programs. You don't need to be fit or have any experience to start, and no reputable dojo pushes beginners into hard sparring before they're ready.
- Do I need to be in shape or spar to start karate?
- No. You can start with zero fitness base and no experience — the training itself gets you in shape. Beginners spend their time on the basics (kihon), forms (kata), and controlled partner drills; sparring (kumite) is introduced gradually, kept light, and closely supervised, and a good dojo never throws newcomers into it. You learn at your own pace, and every black belt in the room started as a white belt.