Blog
Dojo Matters - Perseverance
Oku Myo Zai Ren Shin (奥妙在練心) is a Japanese kotowaza commonly found in martial arts circles and displayed in many Meibukan dojos. Often translated as "Profound secrets are revealed to those with the right heart and mind," it reminds us that true understanding comes only when a student is prepared to receive it. In other words, when the student is ready, the lesson reveals itself…
NOX Dojo Matters - August 2026
Congratulations to three members of our Sport Karate team who have been selected by Karate Ontario to represent their region at the 2026 Ontario Summer Games.
The Ontario Summer Games provide one of the province's premier multi-sport experiences for young athletes.
Announcing our new Camp Format
We are excited to announce that The Kata Edge – High Performance Kata Camp is now open to all competitive kata athletes, including non-members of NOX Dojo.
Designed for athletes seeking to gain a competitive advantage, The Kata Edge focuses on the technical, tactical, and performance elements required to excel…
The 110 Principle
At NOX Dojo, athletes were instructed to perform each activity at what they believed to be 100 percent effort. Following the completion of the tasks, all athletes reported that they had exerted maximum effort.
The collected physiological data, however, suggested otherwise….
World Champions Come to NOX Dojo
We are so excited to host World Karate Champions Grace Lau (Gold Medalist) and Ariel Torres Gutierrez (Bronze Medalist) at NOX Dojo. Th overwhelming success of their last visit 2 years ago inspired this powerful duo to bring their famous Miami International Training Camp to Canada. It is being offered at the same price as if you lived in Florida.
MCO Sponsors
As the largest contributor to the Markham City Open, NOX Dojo is grateful for our community. We would like to take a moment to recognize and thank our new new fellow sponsors for their generous support of the MCO. Their contributions play a vital role in making this event possible.
Important November Changes
Modified November Schedule ***IMPORTANT***
From November 14 to December 3, 2025, the dojo will operate on a modified weekday schedule. Please note the following changes to children’s classes:
All 5:00 PM classes are cancelled
6:00 - 6:30: Ages 3 - 7 Years Old Striped Belts
6:00 - 6:55: Ages 7 - 12 Years Old Youth Classes All Belts
Winning Kumite Workshops with Canada Coach
NOX Dojo and ICKF Whitby are proud to host a special series of kumite workshops led by a former Team Canada coach. These sessions are designed to sharpen competitive skills through focused training on tactics, scoring strategies, and match management.
Karate Ontario Coaches Against Cancer – A United Stand
What makes this event especially meaningful is its open invitation. The seminar welcomes all karate athletes, regardless of affiliation, association, group, or club. On the tatami, we will set aside competition and differences to train together, learn from one another, and support a greater cause.
New House Brand Equipment
Celebrating our 35th year as a dojo in 2025, this fall we introduce our house branded equipment at substantial savings. You can visit our new online shop to see what is in stock. New gear every few months.
Black Belt Testing
Best of luck to our students who plan to test for their black belts in a couple of weeks. The Itinerary is as follows:
Sunday, July 27th, 2025
12:30 PM: Arrive and warm up.
1:00 PM: Spiritual Test
2:00 PM: Lunch
2:15 PM: Written Test Results
3:00 PM: Kata Review
3:45 PM: Yakusoku Kumite Test
4:30 PM: Kata Test (Open to guests)
5:30 PM: Certificate Presentation
10 Golden Rules of Champion Minds
Karate Canada national team member, Mahta Gharaei, will be at NOX Dojo on Monday, June 16 from 6:30 to 7:00 sharing her insights on “Beyond the Classroom”. It is an recount of her journey to the top of the podium and her discovery of the “10 Golden Rules of Champion Minds”.
June Update
Summer schedule begins June 2, 2025. Here are some major changes:
No 5:00PM Classes: All kids classes are merged to 6:00PM
All Monday Classes Merged: All Monday classes (Children and Adults) are merged to 7:00PM
June Monday Team Training: Team training in June will be only on Mondays and Fridays starting at 5:00PM. Mondays ending at 7:00 and Fridays at 7:15.
Wednesday training ends in June for the summer.
Sandra Sanchez and Jesus del Moral Seminar
It was evident in their course delivery and during their performances. They reinforced the value for the love of the art over winning medals. Athletes from all over Ontario shared the tatami and bonded with athletes from Newfoundland and Columbia.
Markham City Open….Successful
This event would not have ran smoothly without the help and leadership of members of Club Seiryu ExCom, Stephanie C., Ann T., Ann F, Joe L, Jessica L, and Kim V. They rallied our team of volunteers who helped with SportData, registration, mat setup/teardown, etc… We continue to be a shiny example to our community. Thank you for being an important part of the dojo tribe.
Aikido Seishinkai
Aikido Seishinkai student, Robert Tecson, was successful on his test for Nidan (second degree black belt).
2025 Marks Our 35th Year
Anniversary $35 Month Special
To celebrate, between January 1st, 2025 and July 10, 2025 anyone can add an extra month to their membership for just $35. This is a one time offer available only to active members. It is Sensei’s way of saying thank you. This special must be done only through Sensei and is not available online. In addition, stay tuned for an event celebration on July 13th, 2025.

