Begin your training at JMAC – Incredible Physical Fitness for Men & Women in Ann Arbor

At Japanese Martial Arts Center we help men and women with their fitness needs. Martial arts training helps you develop both mindfulness and balance. It’s also a terrific activity that will help you improve your physical fitness. We teach a variety of different martial arts styles. Whether you’ve trained before or are a beginner, we provide step by step instruction. We’ll help you achieve your fitness goals in a supportive atmosphere.

Come watch a class at Japanese Martial Arts Center!

The best way to learn about JMAC and the styles we teach is to visit one of our classes. You’ll see martial arts we teach and you can choose which one suits you best!

Click Here to learn more about training at JMAC or give us a call at 734-720-0330!

Can Training in Kids Judo or Karate at JMAC have a Positive Impact on your Teen? Read one Mom’s Feedback!

“I find that he’s calmer and he thinks things through. I’m sure part of that is him and part of that the training. It’s always interesting to see him helping the younger kids – whether they’re age younger or belt younger he really seems to step up whenever needed. He’s definitely more confident - I think that comes from here (JMAC).”

“He has a quiet nature and this helps him be more outgoing - And, speak his mind. He’s found his voice. At the beginning of class, there’s a call to meditate, ‘Mokusou’, a moment to get your head in the game. It’s incredible to hear his loud, strong voice.” She smiles and continues, “One of my favorite memories is of him in a Mokusou contest a couple years ago, at the JMAC anniversary celebration. He was very young and the entire community was cheering him on as he belted out the Mokusou in his young, high pitched voice – red faced, he eked out every last bit of air in his lungs.”

“It’s nice for us and it’s nice that he’s met his best friends here. And…read more.

“What’s Your Greatest Challenge in the Kids Judo or Kids Karate Program?” JMAC teen, Matthew, Responds:

“In judo” he says, “we do randori, which is applying principles that we learned.” He continues, “It’s kind of hard not to be tense all the time. You try to be unpredictable so you can get people off balance, but I have to work on practicing more types of throws. Right now, I have two or three that I usually do, so they know what to expect.” He adds, “I mean, how do you think about being relaxed? Because, when you think about being relaxed, you try to be relaxed and you get tense,” he smiles and adds, “it’s really weird.”

Read more of Matthew’s story.

Surprise Benefits of Kids Martial Arts in Ann Arbor

Improved Attention: in other sports, kids experience negative consequences for losing focus, like missing a ground ball at third base. In martial arts, focus is expected but also consistently rewarded. And when minds wander, instructors reset with a ready stance and kids don't experience the pressure of letting down the team.

Family Bonding: while you wouldn't take a class together until your kids are older, participating in martial arts can be a family experience. You might have back-to-back lessons so you can watch each other practice and work on moves at home. Or siblings might enjoy taking a class together and even learn to get along better at home through lessons of respect in the dojo!

Confidence Boost: martial arts improve kids' confidence with self-defense skills. Whether or not your little one experiences bullies, they are likely to feel less intimidated in situations when they develop solid self-defense moves. Kids also build confidence by setting and achieving concrete goals such as mastering a skill, learning a new move, or moving up a level in their art.

Fun: underlying all these benefits is the foundation of a fun and accepting atmosphere. When you give kids experiences and lessons in a fun way, they are more likely to learn and retain skills and stick with an activity long-term. While martial arts can be very structured and formal, instructors motivate kids through joy and encouragement, too!

Read more about the surprising benefits of kids martial arts here!

The Search: JMAC Student Amy on Finding Iaido and Choosing a Dojo

“I wanted to find something that would work on my lower body strength and balance, because as we age these become real big issues. I thought iaido would be something that would help me with that. My aikido instructor, who also taught iaido, was no longer teaching, so I looked at a couple dojos that were close to where I live but none of them appealed to me. My search was expanded to Ann Arbor, where I spoke with Suino Sensei and automatically noted that JMAC was far superior to the other places I had visited. It was like night and day. I took my intro lessons, wobbling all over the place”, and she added, smiling, “and Sensei said ‘I think we can help you’. I felt it was worth it to drive all the way to Ann Arbor.” Read more.

4 Surprising Benefits of Enrolling Kids in Martial Arts

Why should you choose kids martial arts in Ann Arbor over other activities for your children?

Want to learn more about the benefits of kids martial arts?

In the Ann Arbor area and searching for an enriching experience for your kid?

As a parent of school age children, your time is limited and precious. So it makes sense that when you're looking for an after-school activity for your kid, you want to get the most out of your time. On the list of activities that have a lot to offer your kid, martial arts should be at the top. Sure, there's the obvious appeal of physical fitness and self-defense, but you might be surprised by some of the other benefits your kid will experience when they participate in martial arts, like improved focus and ability to learn. Whether your child enrolls in kids judo or kids karate — or our "Little Dragons" class for 4-6 year olds, you'll notice a number of surprise benefits that come from their participation.

Read more here!

There’s more to Iaido than Meets the Eye!

JMAC Student Amy’s Feedback on the Unexpected Benefits She Experienced as a Result of Her Training. 

“What comes to mind first is the camaraderie and the friendships. There’s a diverse population at JMAC, all ages and persuasions. Everyone here is nonjudgmental and you don’t feel lesser for who you are. It’s a non-competitive atmosphere and people are supportive of each other and this makes for a wonderful kind of learning environment and dojo experience. “And, of course, the instructors here make a huge difference - Absolutely, they’re all great.  I ended up taking some private lessons with Holland Sensei, because I couldn’t always get here during my busy workweek. That made an enormous difference. The one on one time was a great way for me to learn. I think that if those things had not been true, if the teachers were not supportive, I wouldn’t have kept coming. It’s very gratifying.”

“I didn’t know very much about iaido at the beginning and found it interesting in so many different ways, including philosophically and the exactitude of it.  It’s very beautiful when it’s done by people who know what they’re doing. It’s an exquisite art form. And since I went into it for the exercise, I wasn’t expecting to love the history of the art – the samurai culture, uniqueness of the sword itself, and its fittings. I have a whole new appreciation for…. Read more.

6 Ways Kids Martial Arts in Ann Arbor Encourages Focus

Goals: Whether it's a skill, routine, move, or advancing to the next level, kids focus on meeting concrete goals. When achieving the goal is rewarded, their focus is also rewarded.

Routines: this element is great for kids who need extra help to focus. Techniques in kids karate can be long and complicated, but kids learn in manageable chunks and gradually improve. Instructors help kids concentrate by calling them into ready stance to reset when minds wander.

Structure: with clear expectations and consistently reinforced rules, the structure of martial arts doesn't afford kids much opportunity to lose focus. This means you child is constantly practicing this skill.

Read the rest of the list here!

How Martial Arts Can Help Your Child Focus and Learn

Does your child struggle with focus at home and at school?

Looking for a fun way to help improve your kid's attention?

Wondering how kids martial arts in Ann Arbor can help with focus?

Every kid has a hard time focusing now and then. But when focus is a regular issue, it can affect a child's ability to learn and leave you struggling to find a way to help. What if there was a fun, engaging activity that could help your child work on their focus without them even knowing they were learning? That's exactly what you can get out of kids martial arts in Ann Arbor with the right dojo and some dedication. We think every kid should experience martial arts. 

Keep reading to learn more!

9 Benefits of Kids Martial Arts in Ann Arbor

Fitness: every kid needs physical activity in their life. From cardio warm-ups to the strength-based challenges of routines, martial arts like kids judo and kids karate will get your kid moving and burning energy. Keeping up with practice at home will enhance these benefits.

Empowerment:: kids gain confidence by learning self-defense moves and mastering skills to advance to new levels. A kid who struggles with bullies can feel more confident learning techniques to avoid a fight; a kid who has struggles academically and/or athletically will feel more confident by focusing on personal growth instead of competition.

Discipline:: training in martial arts requires concentration and focus and there are elements built right in to help kids develop these skills. You'll see discipline reinforced in the moves, uniforms, customs, and attitudes of martial arts. The discipline kids learn in the dojo often positively affects behavior off the mat, too.

Respect:: for their master, instructors, peers, self, others, and for skills they develop, kids learn many forms of respect through martial arts. Respect is often seen as the primary lesson of martial arts, even before the powerful moves that initially attract so many martial artists.

Read more benefits here!

Can Training in Martial Arts Make You Happier?

JMAC karate student, Andrew’s perspective:

“Karate really became a part of my life until I let it go to focus on my career in my 30s; I never stopped thinking about it. In fact, I kept working on kata on and off. I really regretted the several years being out of the martial arts. It was definitely not a good thing to be away from in terms of mental and physical health and well-being. There’s also the meditative aspects of it and the mental discipline.  There was a clear distinction in my happiness when I was training and when I wasn’t.” He smiles, “Yes, martial arts will make you happier.”

Read more.

Why Should Your Kids Experience Martial Arts?

Does your son or daughter need more discipline, focus, and activity in their life?

Is your child interested in martial arts and you want to learn more?

Not sure about the benefits of kids judo or kids karate?

Picture an after-school activity with countless benefits for the body, mind, and behavior. Martial arts checks all these boxes. Among all the options for kids' activities today, martial arts may have one of the widest range of benefits. Although fitness may be what draws people to the dojo at first, martial arts like kids karate or kids judo help people improve in so many other ways as well. Parents are often impressed by the variety of skills and lessons kids learn in martial arts and are even more impressed when they see these things translate to other areas of life like performance in sc

hool, behavior at home, and with focus and the ability to learn .

Ready to learn more? Check out a few of the top benefits your kids can get from martial arts here.

What’s your Greatest Challenge in Martial Arts?

JMAC karate student, Andrew, shares his greatest challenges in martial arts:

“Self-discipline and Focus. Being able to push through and exceed perceived physical and mental limitations.  As I age, I find myself hitting that wall earlier and the challenge is being able to work through that and push myself beyond what my mind tells me is my limit.”

What helps you push through? “I just do it. It’s also the energy of the people around me.  But, overall, I’m self-motivated. Practicing kata can be a very solitary thing.  I’ll practice over and over again, pushing myself beyond my limitations.”

“The other challenge is working through injury.” Andrew injured a hamstring twice but is now feeling better. He worked through the injury by “being cognizant of it, not pushing past the breaking point, not becoming stagnant, and not giving up.”

Read more.

Kids Karate: One Dad’s Take on His Daughters Training at JMAC

Kentaro, father of JMAC student Haruka, shares his thoughts on her training at JMAC:

“I have found that the way that they teach is very good and I’m very impressed with the instructors.”

“There have been some occasions where Haruka was invited to events at other martial arts schools and I found JMAC to be more organized and clean. It seems too, that the focus at JMAC is to teach kids martial arts in a manner that is fun for them without compromising safety and Japanese tradition. This is not always the case at other schools. It’s important that the kids are learning martial arts and not just playing.”

Read the entire interview here!

Kids Karate: Haruka Describes Her Training at JMAC

In an interview, JMAC student, Haruka, and her dad, Kentaro discuss training at JMAC. Haruka describes how her training has carried over into her everyday life:

“In school, it has helped me put a lot more focus and effort into one thing and to not procrastinate.  Although, I still procrastinate,” she adds.

“And, this is a basic thing”, she says, “when it gets cold and icy outside and I fall, with the practice of falling in class, I just fall easier and don’t hurt myself.”

“I think that even though it’s self-defense, it’s not just preparing for if someone attacks you, but more so about how you would mentally prepare yourself to work hard.”

“When I’m at karate class, it benefits me to watch not just what the teacher is doing, but how the teacher is teaching other students.  It’s an extra something when you get to understand what another student’s difficulty is as it helps you to better understand what you are doing.  When you understand what you are doing right, it helps you understand more of it. And watching other people in sparring, you notice their reactions, strengths, and weaknesses that you could use when you are sparring them.”

Read the entire interview here!

Playing Judo: This Dad Makes Martial Arts Fun for Kids!

“First, I have kids that age so I’m dialed in.  Second, we keep it fun and interesting with things they want to do at that age.  They love running around and we try to organize the chaos, we keep it simple where they are achieving things.” It’s obvious that Andy is passionate about this program as he continues “They get a big kick out of it.  They love judo tag, which is tag, but you have to do a movement before you get up! They love it!  They get all excited about all the different movements.  I think they like it because they are learning cool stuff and making progress.”

He thoughtfully adds, “Most of them have made a lot of progress – They have better focus, listening, and attention. And you can see the motor skills improving in all of them. We have some of our older students that are doing phenomenal! The improvement is very noticeable. They are almost ready to graduate to the kids karate or judo class.” 

Read more!

I am JMAC: Andy’s Insights on the Importance of Breathwork in Martial Arts

“A commonality in all the arts is that the breathwork is so hard to do.  Until you have a solid mastery of technique it’s difficult to focus on breathing.  When you start moving around and doing randori, breathwork is out the window until it’s engrained. You have to be constantly aware of it.  It’s not easy.”

What are the benefits of breathwork? “It’s good for energy conservation.  I’ve noticed it in other arts like judo. People like Holland Sensei or Jackson Sensei who have a really good handle on their breathing and moving, waste so much less energy than us lesser mortals.” He breaks into a smile and continues, “It’s funny, while I’m gasping for breath they have slow easy breathing with their motions and a full energy reserve left.” He explains that “breathing is a huge way for them to relax, be more efficient with their movements, be more aware of what’s going on, maintain a better sense of control in self, and better presence in the moment.  This is why it’s so difficult to do, especially in that stressful situation. I’m thinking about where does my arm go?  Where am I going to get locked up or pinned next, and the breathing part isn’t engrained yet so I lose that very quickly.”
Read more!

Nihon Jujutsu - Tomoe Nage – Whirling Throw

I am JMAC: One Women’s Story of Finding Fitness in Ann Arbor

“I remember Suino Sensei asking me what my first impressions were after my first lesson. I told him I felt really great about it, and he says ‘yeah I can already tell you’re going to like this, you’ve had a big geeky smile on your face this whole time’”. Just that one private lesson sealed the deal for Amber. She knew this was going to something she’d enjoy.

“Since then, I have found at JMAC the things that made me happy when I started lifting, but to a much greater extent. In the dojo, I can let go of everything else that’s happening in my life. It takes so much more of my mental focus when I’m there and there’s no room for anything else in my head, and I think that’s so therapeutic.  Read more!

Nihon Jujutsu, Brazilian Jiujitsu (BJJ, Gracie Jujitsu)! What does it all mean?

Jûjutsu, which generally refers to systems of unarmed combative techniques, is one of the oldest branches of Japanese martial arts. Images of fighters using jûjutsu techniques can be found in a variety of early historical records.

Nihon Jujutsu is a modern Japanese martial art that focuses on practical, efficient techniques as originally found in both ancient and contemporary martial arts. Its principles and techniques come from Japanese unarmed combat and self-defense techniques from pre-1945 judo and aiki-bujutsu, as well as taihojutsu (Japanese police immobilization and arresting methods). The founder of Nihon Jujutsu, Sato Shizuya, established this system based on his extensive studies with leading Japanese budoka (traditional martial artists), many of whom introduced ancient bujutsu methods into modern budo. 

Despite its name, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was originally based on the techniques of Kodokan Judo, a system created by Kano Jigoro. A student of Kano Sensei, Esai Maeda, later known as Conde Koma, visited Brazil, and his instruction formed the basis of today’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Learn more about the similarities and differences between Nihon Jujutsu and Brazilian Jiujitsu techniques and overall dojo environment are here!