TAKEMICHIKAIKAN

[yoshukai]

Osu!

Anyone have any experience with Takemichikaikan?

It appears to be an offshoot of Seidokaikan. Takemichikaikan started out as a karate organization. It appears as though they are more MMA based now. They call the karate part Takemichikaikan Kakutougi. Which in Japanese is a general term for fighting sports.

I believe that Takemichikaikan founder Brian Wright was a student of Arne Soldwedel, former Seidokaikan International Director and United States branch chief.

I found some videos on youtube of The Spirit of Challenge. Apparently Takemichikaikan used to host this event.

Osu!

[powerof0ne]

Here's the website with some info: www.realmixedmartialarts.com/index.php?mod=Gallery&op=full&id=86.
Here's the website: www.realmixedmartialarts.com/index.php?mod=Gallery&op=full&id=86

I hold a shodan in a style called Chokushinkai kakutougi but was primarily taught stand up and knockdown kumite...and some shoot boxing. Most Chokushinkai practitioners in Japan and a few in Hawaii via Haru are MMA fighters or Kickboxers, now, though. Some do shin karate (gloved karate), too.

I bring this up because it seems like this happens to a lot of "kakutougi" schools for one reason or another.

I like the sounds of this dojo, sounds like a gym I used to train in and partially what I hope to be doing somewhat down the road or more of a seidokaikan way of starting everyone out in Kyokushin and gradually adding kickboxing/MT techniques, and shootboxing, BJJ, etc.
Osu!

[curlbroscience]

Looks like a great dojo.

[yoshukai]

I thought that it looked solid, as well. Jason Teitelbaum, a fighter from this dojo won the World Sabaki Challenge lightweight championship in 2006, I believe. They seem to have a good thing going with the way the gym is set up.

Just found their striking basics video on you tube and some technique videos. Looks like they start everyone off with knockdown kihon.

Osu!

[bobh]

I had a disappointing experience with a knockdown tournament he (Brian) held. I think it was his second tourney and maybe the kinks weren't worked out. I think he was using the term "Real Karate" at the time. It looks to me like he's adjusted things along the way to find his sweet spot so-to-speak.

[49ers2014]

I know of Sensei Brian Wright. I visited his dojo/gym a few years back. His original dojo was of a medium

size, but he was in the process of opening up a newer much larger gym in another part of New Jersey. I have lost touch

with him a few years back.

I do not recall what style Brian started out in. I do know that he first started competing in Koshiki rules karate

before entering into knockdown karate competitions. During his fighting career he has freelanced back and forth

between knockdown karate, koshiki, Muay Thai and MMA. He did tell me he took a temporary hiatus from standup training

to focus on Judo. After a few years he combined his Judo with his standup background.

For a brief period before starting his own style, he was the 2nd branch chief of Seidokaikan under Arne Soldewedel

in the U.S. The head of Seidokaikan Mr. Ishii started having contractual problems with Sony which affected his

K-1 promotions. There were some other issues going on behind the scenes. Brian left Seidokaikan and started his

current style I believe in the mid 2000s. Arne left Seidokaikan and has become a successful lawyer in Japan. I do

not believe Arne is teaching or training in the martial arts at least for the time being.

My late friend and colleague, Shihan Paul Silva Jr. of our style, Jissenteki Karate had briefly trained in

the Seidokaikan camp in New York/New Jersey under the tutelage of Sensei Arnie Soldewedel and Sensei Brian Wright

in the early 2000's in hopes of becoming a K-1 fighter. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Paul had to forego this

career goal to take care of other personal matters.

As I recall from the few conversations I had with Brian, he believes more in doing a lot of one step sparring

as opposed to kata. The last I saw of him, he still had knockdown karate in his curriculum, but was pushing more

towards MMA.

[MMX]

Thanks for the update!