Dragon and Crane Dojo is a traditional karate studio serving kids, teens, and adults, established August 2021 in North Hills, CA.
Chief instructor David Chung was motivated to open the dojo upon reflecting on the degree to which the skills he learned implicitly as a karate instructor in his youth - emotional intelligence, cross-cultural fluency, and community engagement - informed his career as a software engineer.
Thus, the dojo curriculum aims to make explicit this expanded skillset beyond physical strikes and throws. Every class begins and ends with meditation to develop mindfulness. Yellow belts lead stretching to practice the public speaking skills of vocal projection and enunciation, while higher belts count off kicks in Japanese and Korean to develop cross-cultural awareness. Off the mat, students are provided journals to encourage note-taking and reflection, and track their height and weight in both metric (cm/kg) and imperial units (ft/lbs) to foster scientific fluency. And cultural events such as Dia de los Muertos night bring all of the above together in forming a cohesive community identity.
It is on this level of community development that the prospect of collaboration between Dragon and Crane Dojo and Penny Lane Centers - which are, fortuitously, located just down the street from one another - that Chung Sensei is most excited. Coming from a family of professionals in mental/public health and family counseling, the prospect of the dojo serving as a conduit between families with resources in their time of duress is his way of continuing the family tradition.
At this time Chung Sensei is offering a free class (see schedule) for any Penny Lane staff or client. There is no fee for the first lesson, just arrive 10 min before starting time to sign waivers and wear clothes you can move comfortably in e.g. shorts and t-shirt.
For more information about this Dojo, please visit his website: https://dragonandcranedojo.com/
Check out some photos of our David and his studio below!
