Our Dojo.

JO SAN-LU KARATE DO HISTORY

Hanshi Sana Bennett, an eighth dan (degree) black belt, is the founder and chairman of JoSan-Lu Karate Do. He is well known throughout the karate world for kata skills, crisp techniques, lightning fast moves and many years of teaching experience both with children and adults. Hanshi Sana has given numerous martial arts demonstrations and lectures in many parts of the country and internationally.

Hanshi Sana began his karate training in Jamaica West Indies during the early 1970’s in the Kyokushin Kai Kan style, under the instruction of Sensei Alan Monteith and senior belts Monty Allen, Newton James, Neville Cohen, and Hanshi’s brother Leroy Bennett.

In the spring of 1975, Hanshi Sana received his first degree black belt under Kaicho Nakamura in New York City under the old system of Kyokushin Kai Kan. After receiving his black belt, he began traveling back and forth between New York and Jamaica. In 1979 he returned to live permanently in the United States and continued to study under Grandmaster Kaicho Nakamura after Kaicho created the World Seido Karate Organization.

In 1995, Hanshi and his family moved to New Jersey. Hanshi continued to teach in NYC, but because of the daily commute and long hours away from his family, Hanshi decided to open a karate school near his home. In October of 1997, he opened the doors to Sana Seido Karate in Garwood, New Jersey. Hanshi was determined to build a family of Karate students in this new location.  Now, twenty seven years later, many students of all ages have trained at the Garwood dojo.

In February of 2014, Hanshi Sana respectfully asked to take a sabbatical from the World Seido Karate Organization in order to establish himself on his own and to try and reflect some of his own beliefs about the true meaning of karate as a way of life and family togetherness. The name of his new school was JoSanLu Karate Do.

In the fall of 2021, Hanshi Sana was promoted to the rank of eighth dan (degree) within Bas-I Kyokushin Karate, a traditional form of Karate founded by Mas Oyama.