Sensei Keeling marks 40 years doing Shotokan!

As many already know, Sensei Jon Keeling has a long and deep history with Karate. He started his journey in his hometown of Newtown, CT, on September 3, 1982 and instantly fell in love with the activity, attending every class offered. He eventually started teaching at that first dojo in 1984 and after attaining his shodan (1st degree black belt) less than three years later, moved to Japan (September 1985) to get more serious about it.

Having amassed a nearly unheard of 15,000+ hours of teaching experience, Sensei Keeling has recently accepted a position at Stanford University, where he will be teaching courses in both martial arts and self-defense, which he will do while continuing to teach approximately 20 hours/week through Silicon Valley Karate. He has also recently been awarded the rank of nanadan (7th degree black belt), which while rare, many would argue is long overdue considering his experience.

Keeling Sensei agrees with the quote from his main instructor in Japan, Kawawada Sensei (winner of both kata and kumite at the first world ShotoCup in 1985): “Strive to become a great teacher rather than a winner.” He prides himself on having a wonderful group of students at Silicon Valley Karate.