Shotokan Kenkojuku Practitioners: Sensei Tuan Vo.

 

Shotokan Kenkojuku Practitioners: 
Sensei Tuan Vo 

1. Could you talk about your martial background and how you were introduced to Shotokan

Kenkojuku Karate?

My journey started in 1985 when I signed up for a class with Shihan Sugimoto at Miami Dade
Community College. I needed a physical education credit and the class seems interesting.
Little did I know that this will become a lifelong journey for me. 39 years later and I am still
training with Shihan Sugimoto. During my 39 years I have met many great karatekas and have
made lifelong friends. I always consider Honbu Dojo as my second family. I am currently a
fourth Dan.

2. What do you like the most about Shotokan Kenkojuku Karate?

Shotokan Kenkojuku Karate (SKK) with Shihan Sugimoto is very traditional. We focus on strength
training, stretching, and basics. Our philosophy is that you must have a strong foundation to build on,
just look at the pyramids. SKK training can be practice by all and that is why we have karatekas of all
ages, little ones starting out at 5 years old, seniors in their 70s, and everyone in between. Like other
martial arts, we have principles that guide us. In our case, it is the Dojo Kun, rules of the dojo, but in
my case and those who I train with, Dojo Kun extends beyond the dojo. These are rules that can be
applied to everyday life. The foundation for SKK is Uke No Go Genri, the 5 basic defense.

3. Do you have a Favorite kata (tokui kata)?

I love the Tekki katas. Most people do not like the Tekkis but I think they are often overlooked. I
also like the Bassai katas and Hangetsu, but my favorite is Empi.

4. Can you share a memorable experience and/or any other thoughts?

Over the years, I had competed with many karatekas in many different places in the US and abroad.
Some of my most memorable moments come from Shihan Sugimoto’s tournaments where we have
teams from many different countries. There were teams from Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico,
Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Bahamas and more and Shihan Sugimoto’s students were team
USA.
Unfortunately, I have been involved in a few situations where I had to call upon my training. You
never want to be in situations such as these, but it is good to know that when the time comes, your
training takes over and you can react.

5. *(In case of train Kobudo), could you talk about it?
I train in Kobudo with the Bo which is natural extension of the karate training since I see the Bo as
an extension of my body. Bo training is a great compliment to karate as it requires you to move
your feet. Bo techniques are not effective if your feet do not move correctly.