About Us
Karate West Training Centers are owned by Randy and Janice Holeman. Their first full-time training center opened in Issaquah in 1989. It had been their goal to build a martial arts school that offered not only an effective self defense program for children and adults, but also a comprehensive program of personal growth and development. It would be the emphasis on teaching the life skills of leadership, integrity, goal setting, self discipline and academic excellence, to name a few, that would cause the community to respond. The couple, married 26 years, are living their dream with two very successful schools and a wonderful staff.
Their Sammamish training center, the largest martial arts school in the Northwest with nearly 1000 members, relocated to its present facility on East Lake Sammamish in 1995 to acquire additional space to accommodate the school's continued growth. The beautiful facility ranks among the top 1% in the nation with three large training rooms, Olympic style rubber flooring, spacious lobby, pro shop, quiet homework area for children, and a coffee bar. The Holeman's were excited to open a satellite school on the South end of Mercer Island in August 2007. The school enrollment already exceeds 150 students. Karate West training facilities are among the best in the country. They are as beautiful as they are functional.
Randy & Jan Holeman
Randy Holeman began his martial arts training under Morris Mack in 1971. Mr. Holeman now holds the rank of 5th degree black belt in Shudokan Karate-do. He has also been awarded the title of Shihan (professor). Under Mr. Holeman's tutelage, over 520 students have obtained the rank of black belt. This is a first in the history of Western Washington. Mr. Holeman is active in his community supporting public and private schools throughout Western Washington. He sits on the board of directors for the American Shudokan Scholarship program which awards scholarships to graduating black belts. To date, over $150,000 has been awarded to students. Mr. Holeman is a popular local and national speaker.
Jan Holeman began training in 1986. She earned her first degree black belt in 1991 and currently holds the rank of 3rd degree black belt and title of Sensei. Jan has worked alongside her husband for 20 years helping build Karate West into one of the most successful martial arts schools in the country.
Shudokan Karate
In the United States the art of Shudokan Karate is being taught by the American Shudokan Association (ASA) under the leadership of Morris Mack of Yakima, Washington. The ASA, with over 15,000 members in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, was founded by Walter Todd and Morris Mack in the 1980s. Walter Todd was a student under Yoko Takahashi who was a direct student of Kanken Toyama. Later, Kanken Toyama appointed Walter Todd as Shibu-cho (Branch Director) for the U.S., authorizing him to rank students in Shudokan (Toyama-Style) karate and direct the development of Shudokan in America.
