Philosophy The name "Seido" means "Sincere Way". It comes from the Chuyo (Confucius's book "The Middle Path", or "The Doctrine of the Mean"), which says the following: "Sincerity is the way of heaven. To follow this sincerely is the way of mankind" Seido Karate is aimed at helping us live with sincerity; to throw away the traps of fear and false ego, and develop compassion and true inner strength. The Seido philosophy is encapsulated in three words: Sonkei (Respect), Ai (Love), and Jujun (Obedience). These three principles are represented as the three circles within the plum blossom logo of Seido Juku. History of the Central Queens Dojo & Shibus Shortly after receiving his Shodan in the fall of 1973, Sei Shihan William Best began to teach Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura’s (Grandmaster of the World Seido Organization) philosophy and teachings at the Jamaica (then Central Queens) YMCA located in Jamaica Queens, NY. Although the first classes held were for children, late in 1974 adult classes were added to the program. Since then the Central Queens Jamaica Dojo has grown to over a hundred dedicated and spirited members, nearly half of whom are female. Our children’s program has experienced tremendous growth over the years. Many of the first Black Belts first began their training in the children’s program, and those seniors are still training, assisting, and supporting the Queens Dojos & Shibus. In June of 1995, Sei Shihan Best moved to Connecticut and left his senior students, Kyoshi Michelle Cuttino, Kyoshi Alvin Stevens, and Kyoshi Gilbert Michel to care for and teach the students and to operate the Dojo. In September of 2000, Jun Shihan Michelle Cuttino and Kyoshi Donald Atkins developed the S.E.I.D.O. (Self Education, Independence, Discipline, & Obedience) Personal Safety & Self-Defense Seminar. This is a ten week seminar for adolescents and young adults in foster care or residential settings who desire to enhance their personal lives and gain insight and practical experience developing independent living skills, awareness of issues regarding aspects of interpersonal and social skills, personal safety, and learning self-defense techniques. This seminar is available to community groups and organizations in the fields of child welfare and education, and is facilitated by Kyoshi Donald (5th Degree Black Belt) and his adolescent assistants. Through the support of Kyoshi Alvin Stevens, and the efforts of Senpai James & Florence Stewart, a husband and wife Black Belt team, the CQ Brooks Memorial Shibu was founded in May of 2001. Today this karate club has both children and adult students, and several parent & child, sibling groups, and married couples training together. There is a warm family connection among the members. Both groups participate in activities and special events together to build our bonds, maintain friendships, and further the growth of the programs. In addition, the Black Belts train together on a weekly basis at the Central Queens Jamaica Dojo at the local YMCA, (located in Jamaica, Queens) and also train and attend special events and functions at the World Seido Karate Honbu (Headquarters) with the Grandmaster, Kaicho Nakamura, at West 23rd Street, New York City.