A traditional martial arts academy that has been working with families in the Jacksonville area for more than 10 years is moving to Ponte Vedra Beach and opening in April.
Led by head instructors Richard Mustafa and Ray Peet, Shobukan Martial Arts Academy will be located at 110 Solana Road, Unit 104, after being in Jacksonville Beach for nearly four years and a few other Jacksonville locations beforehand. The official opening day for the new Ponte Vedra Beach dojo is Wednesday, April 10.
“I was looking for something in this locale for quite some time,” said Mustafa, a sixth-degree black belt with 52 years of experience in martial arts. “I believe that it’s an area that has a lot of good families. I think we can grow there very well and help a lot of different people.”
Instructing people ranging in age from 6 years old to their mid-60s, the academy teaches styles and values that are rooted in the history and culture of Okinawa. The two disciplines they teach are Shobukan Goju Ryu (traditional Okinawan karate) and Matayoshi Kobudo (Okinawan weapons fighting system). Mustafa and Peet, a seventh-degree black belt, have been practicing Goju Ryu throughout their lives. Their respective ranks were awarded to them by their masters at their home dojo in Okinawa.
According to the academy’s website, Goju Ryu is a close combat fighting system that comprises kicks, punches, takedowns, submissions, pressure point applications and strikes used to subdue an opponent, all while using the least amount of energy possible. It’s highly effective as a self-defense system, as well as a close fighting technique.
“Traditional karate is taught for defense only,” Mustafa said. “It’s not an offensive martial art. … I don’t throw the first punch. I try to talk my way out of it, (or) run away from it. Last means of defense, if I’m cornered, then I’ll have to use all the means necessary to me to defend against an attack that is coming toward me.”
Available to both children and adults, Matayoshi Kobudo uses an extensive array of weapons that include the Bo (staff), Sai, Tunfa (police baton), Nunchaku (nunchucks), Kama (sickles), Ueku (boat oar) and three-section staff, providing an extra line of defense in extreme situations.
Shobukan Martial Arts Academy pursues the virtues and characteristics found in the Bushido Code of Conduct, which includes justice, courage, benevolence, courtesy, honor, temperance, wisdom and respect.
“Those are what we live by,” Mustafa said. “Everybody who belongs to our dojo lives by this code.”
Mustafa said students at the academy also learn self-respect, respect for others, discipline, self-confidence and self-esteem, which he noted are important skills and qualities for children, especially those who are being bullied.
Shobukan Martial Arts Academy currently works with 30 students on an ongoing basis, but that has been in their Jacksonville Beach dojo, which is 1,100 square feet. The new dojo in Ponte Vedra Beach will be considerably larger at 2,500 to 2,600 square feet.
For those interested in joining, Mustafa said the academy allows prospective students to take a few introductory lessons free of charge. If they enjoy it, they can sign up and join, and don’t have to sign a contract to do so. The dues will be changing at the new location and are to be determined. The academy helps students obtain a uniform and then guides them through the curriculum.
Mustafa said advancing through the curriculum requires serious dedication, noting that it typically takes about five years to get a black belt, and that’s if the student is practicing at the dojo three times a week minimum, as well as at home.
“Karate is not just coming here and training,” Mustafa said. “It’s going home and using techniques in front of a mirror, so you can continue your training. It’s all part of what you’ve taken through your heart as your art.
“It’s an art you’re going to learn the rest of your life,” Mustafa added. “There’s no end to learning in what we do.”
For more information on Shobukan Martial Arts Academy, visit https://shobukanmaa.com/ or call (904) 612-7808.
