East Madison Martial Arts

New students observe at least one class before joining karate. 

Jeff Hempel Sensei is a 4th degree black belt in Karate as well as a 5th degree black belt in Aikido. He is also a Kyoshi (licensed teacher) in Katori Shinto Ryu. He has over 40 years of martial arts training.

Maria Banchik Sensei is a 4th degree black belts in Bujin Ki Do Karate. She also holds a first degree black belt in Okinawan Goshin Karate and a first degree black belt in SKA (Shotokan Karate of America). She also studies the art of Aikido and Katori Shinto Ryu.

Classes at East Madison Martial Arts, LLC are very reasonable and we offer multiple student and family discounts. Please inquire for detailed pricing information.

For both Jeff Sensei and Maria Sensei, teaching evolved from years of training and moving up in through the ranks. Both Maria Sensei and Jeff Sensei have stuck with teaching due to a love of the martial arts and a dedication to their many students. 

We've worked with students of all ages and abilities. We've worked with students that come to martial arts to relieve stress and become more calm in both mind and body. We've also worked with students that are shy and introverted who come to us wanting to grow stronger and more confident. Some students are very physically gifted while others need more encouragement to become physically active. In these ways, we work with students from a full spectrum.

Recently, a parent of a student who was very shy and came to us with very little self-confidence, wrote us a thank you note saying how grateful she was that we are such an important part of her son's life and have helped him grow and develop. That student has been with us since 4th grade and now is entering 8th grade and still with us and improving with each class. It's times like that, when we get notes fromparents, that make us very proud of what we do at East Madison Martial Arts.

Number one word of advice... look around! Visit as many dojos (schools) as you can and find a school that fits what you're looking for in a martial arts academy. If the school requires contracts, look elsewhere. We do not require contracts; nor will we ever. Young students change their minds and their interestes very often. Being bound by a financial contract is not a good way to retain students... being a good teacher in a positive atmosphere is the way to retain students.

Think about what you're looking for in a school. Are you looking for a highly competitive tournament oriented martial arts school or one that is more traditional and focused on self-improvement over competition? Think about how long you plann to train and ask if there are contracts or if you can pay by the month.