By Randal Curtman
Managing Editor
EL DORADO — A half dozen pint-sized youth are tumbling down the mat during Tuesday night’s karate class at Hillsboro Church of Christ, but one young boy isn’t getting it.
Flop! Feet over head, he smacks the mat with a big grin, a loud thunk and a chorus of giggles from the rest of the class.
“That’s sort of close,” karate instructor Brian Dixon says with a grin.
The boy scrambles to the end of the mat and lines up for backwards rolls, then bear crawls, and then crab walks.
The children, all around 7- or 8-years old, are clearly having fun.
One Heart Dojo, the name of the karate club that meets at Hillsboro Church of Christ is different than your average karate class in that it is ministry based.
Kids don’t just learn punching and kicking — they learn scripture and develop character.
“The principals of martial arts walk hand-in-hand with Biblical principals,” Dixon says.
Dojo Beginnings
Dixon, 39, lives in Camden but travels to El Dorado twice a week to teach karate. He is assisted in the instruction by first-degree black belt Jonah Walters of El Dorado.
Dixon is an multimedia technology instructor at Southern Arkansas University Tech in Camden, where he teaches game design.
Dixon is also no stranger to the ministry.
“I have been the minister and the fill-in minister for Locust Bayou Church of Christ since 2004,” Dixon said.
The One Heart Dojo was started by fifth-degree black belt instructor Chris Ruddell, and was originally a ministry of Immanuel Baptist Church in El Dorado.
Ruddell recently moved to Little Rock, and Dixon took over the classes.
“We’ve been here (Hillsboro Church of Christ) for two and a half months,” Dixon said.
Dixon has been studying Isshinryu Karate-do under Ruddell for eight years.
Ruddell founded One Heart Dojo is a ministry of Immanuel Baptist Church located in EL Dorado Arkansas.
Ruddell was a student of eighth-degree black belt Harvey Lee Kennedy.
Ruddell began his Isshinryu training in 1994 in El Dorado under Sensei Lisa Long. Eventually, Ruddell would take over the dojo, and it had various locations in El Dorado before he moved to Camden and started teaching there. When Ruddell moved back to El Dorado after several years, he turned the Camden school over to his senior student, second-degree black belt John Bridges, and started One Heart Dojo.
Scripture-based budo
Besides the “budo” or martial way — the physical skills of combat — One Heart Dojo students also learn the Bible while developing important character traits.
“Students are required to learn scriptures as part of their belt testing,” Dixon said. “And the testing is cumulative. For black belt, they have to know all their katas, and all their scriptures.”The core scripture for One Heart Dojo is “Whatever you do work at it with all of your heart as working for the Lord and not for men,” Col 3:23 NIV.
“We continually strive to instill self-discipline and self-confidence into our students thru hard work and sweat,” Ruddell stated on Facebook. “But hard work and sweat aimed at furthering the kingdom of our Lord, Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ.”
Christian Martial Arts is the system taught at One Heart Dojo, with Isshinryu Karate being the core of the curriculum.
Isshinryu Karate is a style of Okinawan karate founded by Tatsuo Shimabuku in 1956. The name “Isshinryu” means “one heart method.”
“If something works from another style, we’ll use it,” Dixon said. “Isshinryu has always been a style that is open to adaption.”
An example is the axe kick.
“I like the axe kick, so I teach it,” Dixon said. “But the axe kick isn’t in Isshinryu.”
All rankings are issued through the Isshinryu Karate-do Association based in Shreveport, Dixon said, and some of the club’s teen-aged brown belts are nearly ready for their black belt tests.
“I believe learning martial arts helps students learn patience, especially the young ones,” Dixon said. “they learn to stand still, to pay attention, and self-discipline.”
While karate may not be for every child, some really enjoy it and stick with it for a long time, Dixon said, noting the teen-aged students, all brown belts, helping the small children with their techniques.
The karate students also have very supportive parents, Dixon said, who make sure the children are practicing on their days off and learning their scriptures.
“The kids come to class, and they know their scriptures, and you can tell they have been practicing,” Dixon said.
“Ultimately, it’s about teaching them character, to be good people,” Dixon said. “Self-discipline is the key thing karate can teach you.”
Classes are held Tuesday and Thursday beginning at 6 p.m. at Hillsboro Church of Christ. Dues are $10 a month.
For more information, contact Dixon at 850-974-2180.