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Traditional Shito-Ryu Karate & Kobudo in Port Coquitlam
Serving Port Coquitlam & Burke Mountain since 2018


Early Bird Fall Registration Open
Early Bird Fall registration is now open! Get ahead of the crowd and take advantage of our special training offers. Register for...
pocokarate
Aug 31 min read


Free Class @ PoCo Sports Festival
PoCo Karate will once again be participating in the 3rd Annual PoCo Sports Festival on Sunday, July 13th @ 10am (Gates Park). We will be...
pocokarate
Jun 291 min read


Ask a Kyōshi (教師, Teacher) - What does it mean to be a Black Belt?
Ask a Kyōshi (教師, Teacher). Hello everyone! I am Jascha Espley, the Head Instructor at PoCo Karate, which is a member of Satoha Shito-Ryu...
pocokarate
Mar 262 min read


Migrating from Twitter (X) to BlueSky
PoCo Karate is migrating to BlueSky because we stand for diversity, equity, and inclusion. We provide a safe training environment where...
pocokarate
Feb 161 min read


Karate - Martial Art or Sport?
Following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, I've had a lot of questions from confused individuals about the nature of Karate. The general public...
pocokarate
Jan 262 min read


A Message of Compassion
This past weekend at the 78th Satoha Brown and Black Belt Workshop, we were privileged to listen to an important address from our Soke...
pocokarate
Dec 9, 20241 min read


Affordability of Sports
Recently, I have made a few posts about philosophy and ethics in the pursuit of excellence in Karate. Today's topic is a bit more on the...
pocokarate
Oct 22, 20241 min read


A Heart of Propriety
As we close off a productive summer of training, I think it is the perfect time to reflect on the values held dear by one of the fore...
pocokarate
Aug 31, 20241 min read


Cross-Training in Karate. Be undefeated.
As practitioners of Karate, we often think about opportunities to cross-train in other sports and martial arts in order to augment our...
pocokarate
Aug 7, 20242 min read


Excellence as a process
Excellence means greatness... the very best. It is something that as a society we appreciate because it is so very scarce. We admire...
pocokarate
Jun 8, 20242 min read


PoCo Karate Discord Server
Hello everyone! To facilitate collaborative learning and foster our dojo community, we now have our very own Discord server. Anyone 18+...
pocokarate
May 24, 20241 min read
The Science Behind the Karate Kiai (Shout)
One of the most identifiable features of Karate is that Karateka (participants) often shout when executing techniques. This short,...
pocokarate
Mar 15, 20242 min read


Mindful Meditation in Karate
When I say to people that Karate is more than just self-defence, one of the first things that comes to mind for me is our meditation...
pocokarate
Feb 12, 20243 min read


The Power of Silence and Distance
In my experience, respect is best described as when a person engages with you while demonstrating that they value you as a person...even...
pocokarate
Jan 27, 20242 min read


Sensei Jascha's article on personal wellness made the front page of the Tricity News
Sensei Jascha submitted a small opinion piece of personal wellness called "Wellness is a skill that requires practice and balance" and...
pocokarate
Jan 7, 20241 min read


Everything is a choice
Prepare to be a little uncomfortable about what I am about to say. Everything you think, do, or feel is a choice...a choice that you have...
pocokarate
Dec 20, 20233 min read
What level of contact to expect at PoCo Karate?
I get this question a lot from new students and their parents. The short answer is Karate is a contact activity, but we don't do full...
pocokarate
Oct 10, 20231 min read


Cultivating Intrinsic Motivation
Martial arts has a lot going for it, especially for children. It can help to develop confidence, physical literacy, manners and respect....
pocokarate
Sep 15, 20233 min read


How long does it take to get a Black Belt?
Hello everyone! This week I am answering another very common question that we get from beginners: "How long does it take to get a Black...
pocokarate
Aug 30, 20232 min read


The Importance of Humility
“To all those whose progress remains hampered by ego-related distractions, let humility – the spiritual cornerstone upon which Karate...
pocokarate
Aug 20, 20232 min read
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