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Founded by Sensei Richard Gracie in 1973, Ken Yu Kan Karate School's instructors headed by Sensei Michael Croft and Darin Sanders, have dedicated themselves to providing martial arts instruction, specifically AUTHENTIC Japanese Karate, to the Atascadero, Templeton & Paso Robles area...

We hope you enjoy our website and will stop by and visit us if you are in the area. This site is designed to give you information about our facility, our style of martial arts, our staff and provide you with information on how to contact us as well.



Ken Yu Kan Moves to New, Larger Facility!


Ken Yu Kan (The House of Fists & Friendship) has opened a new, larger Dojo (training facility) at 3210 El Camino Real. We're located about halfway between Kennedy Fitness and the Mission Oaks Annex at Del Rio Rd. (formerly Factory Outlets). Just look for the red "KEN YU KAN Martial Arts" sign on our building. Our brand new facility is nearly twice the size of our old location and nothing has been spared to create this beautiful, 3,600 square foot Dojo. It promises to be the finest martial arts training center you've experienced. More news is coming, but in the meantime, please note our new address. We look forward to seeing you here!

Ken Yu Kan Offers New Class on Friday Nights

Ken Yu Kan is now offering a Friday Night class. This class is now available to all members. Students will practice Kihon (pronounced kee-hohn). These are the basic techniques of Shotokan, including stances, blocks, punches, elbows, knees, kicks, sweeps, throws, grappling, joint control and Atemi (pressure points). Shotokan is considered a balanced art in the sense that it utilizes many techniques in its self-defense arsenal.

Kumite (pronounced koo-me-tay) which means sparring, will also be practiced. Kumite is the sport aspect of Karate. However, it is much more than simply competition. Kumite teaches timing, distancing, combinations, and Kime (pronounced kee-may). Kime is intense focus and concentrated energy. Kumite also helps a person overcome their fears of engaging. Early practitioners of our style of Karate, Shotokan, actually invented the rules of Kumite, its scoring system, safety, etc. while adhering to superior technique, form, and applicability to real self-defense.

Unfortunately, many schools in the U.S. today have abandoned the original guidelines of budo-based (self-defense based) sparring. Many schools have turned sparring into a glorified version of tag; lacking stances, effective techniques, and Kime (pronounced kee-may). Applying this type of "flashy" sparring to a real self-defense situation would not likely help a person.

We at Ken Yu Kan are dedicated to maintaining the integrity and practicality of authentic, traditional Kumite. Japanese/Okinawan techniques and scoring systems are based upon altercation-ending scenarios. Of course, our Kumite is taught in a very safe, structured environment. Please note: This is NOT "Fight Night". Beginners start very slowly, with little or no contact. We are also training as a team, patiently helping each other along the path. This class will be taught and supervised by Sensei Olaf Saul, a 3rd degree black belt with extensive Kumite experience and a champion tournament competitor. Twice this year alone, Sensei Saul has won Grand Champion, all ages, all belts, all styles at tournaments.Sensei Saul is a very friendly, patient instructor who uses a lot of humor to make learning Karate FUN! (Yes, we allow fun).

What is Karate?

"True karate is this: that in daily life one's mind and body be trained and developed in a spirit of humility, and that in critical times, one be devoted utterly to the cause of justice."
-- Gichin Funakoshi, Founder of Shotokan Karate-Do and creator of the phrase "Karate"

Karate translated either means "Chinese hand" or "Empty hand" depending on which Japanese or Chinese characters you use to write it.

Okinawan Karate styles tend to be hard and external. In defense they tend to be circular, and in offense linear. Okinawan Karate styles tend to place more emphasis on rigorous physical conditioning than the Japanese styles. Japanese styles tend to have longer, more stylistic movements and to be higher commitment. They also tend to be linear in movement, offense, and defense.

Both tend to be high commitment, and tend to emphasize kicks and punches, blocks, strikes, evasions, throws, joint manipulations and a strong offense as a good defense. Karate techniques consist basically of hand and foot techniques. Hand techniques are divided into defensive or offensive moves. Foot techniques are divided into kicking techniques; snap and thrust kicks. Other important elements of Karate include stances, posture, body shifting, hip rotation, and breathing.

Training differs widely but most of the Karate styles emphasize a fairly equal measure of basic technique training (kihon), sparring (kumite), and forms (kata). Forms are stylized patterns of attacks and defenses done in sequence for training purposes.

An art of self-defense as well as a sport, Karate has in recent decades proliferated worldwide. It is one of the most widely practiced of the Asian martial arts, with a large following in the U.S., Japan and Europe. For more information about martial arts, click on "you should know" on the left of this page.

Ken Yu Kan Members Earn More Honors

Brown and Black Belt competitors representing Ken Yu Kan Martial Arts in Atascadero recently competed successfully in the Central California Coast Karate Championships held in Arroyo Grande. The tournament was a USKA sanctioned event, hosted locally by Shinjin Karate, Rebecca Prewitt Head Instructor.

Nigel Croft won first place in Men’s Brown Belt Kumite (Point Fighting). His twin brother Quentin Croft took second place for a one-two Ken Yu Kan sweep of the division. The tournament utilized single-elimination bracketing which ultimately pitted the twin brothers against each other in the finals. “It was difficult to watch my sons compete against each other, but the way they were defeating their opponents one-by-one leading up to the finals, I just knew they’d end up against each other. I just rooted for both of them and hoped neither of them got hurt”, said Sensei Michael Croft, Ken Yu Kan’s Head Instructor and father of the twins. “I was very proud to see them take first and second; that was a tough division and they were the youngest ones in it”.

Nigel Croft also took second place in Men’s Brown Belt Kata (Forms), while Quentin Croft took fourth in that division.

Sensei Olaf Saul earned first place in Men’s Black Belt Kumite (Point Fighting). A large group of spectators gathered late in the day, as Black Belt Kumite is always a crowd favorite. Sensei Saul competed with men from various styles of martial arts, including Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and MMA. “The competition was really tough” said Michael Croft, “But Olaf’s level of focus and intensity, combined with the his incredible skill, allowed him to go undefeated. I was concerned about him because he was recovering from back problems that he had been suffering all week. You would have never known to watch him fight, though”. Sensei Saul was also recognized by the tournament director for his outstanding sportsmanship. Compliments to Shinjin Karate and the USKA for hosting such a good tournament. We have experienced problems at "Open Tournaments" in the past, however we found at this event that the judging was fair, they were strict about techniques and points, and all competitors were held to a high standard of etiquette and sportsmanship.

Below are photos (L-R) of Olaf Saul, Nigel Croft, Quentin Croft, and Michael Croft: