Our Story
Rising Sun Martial Arts has been part of the Scottsdale community since 2007. What began as one instructor teaching a small evening class has grown into a full-time dojo with hundreds of students and a tradition we're proud of.
Chief Instructor, Founder
Kenji Hayashi began training at the age of nine under his father, a student of the Japan Karate Association's founding masters. By his mid-twenties he had achieved black belt rank in Karate, Judo, and Aikido, and began a decade of study in Iaido under Shogo Yamaguchi Sensei in Osaka.
He moved to the United States in 1998 to work as a JKA-certified instructor, spending nine years teaching at affiliated schools in Phoenix before opening Rising Sun Martial Arts in Scottsdale in 2007. His certification through the Japan Karate Association places him in a direct instructional lineage reaching back to Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of modern Karate.
Sensei Hayashi holds a 7th Dan (Shichidan) in Shotokan Karate, a 4th Dan in Judo, and a 3rd Dan in Aikido. He has represented Arizona at national tournaments and has produced more than 60 black belt students at this dojo alone.
His teaching philosophy is simple: the techniques are a vehicle. The destination is a more disciplined, more humble, more capable person. He brings that same standard to every class, whether the student is five years old or fifty-five.
The Dojo History
Rising Sun Martial Arts opened its doors in November 2007 with a single evening Karate class, six adult students, and a borrowed mat. Sensei Hayashi taught every class himself and cleaned the floor after every session.
The kids program launched in 2009 after parents began requesting classes for their children. The Judo and Aikido programs followed as student demand grew and additional certified instructors joined the team.
In 2015, the dojo relocated to its current space in Scottsdale. The new facility was designed from the ground up as a proper dojo, with hardwood floors, traditional decor, and dedicated changing rooms. Iaido was added to the curriculum that same year.
Today, Rising Sun serves more than 200 active students across all programs. We have represented Arizona at regional and national JKA tournaments, placed competitors on national podiums, and promoted 60 students to black belt rank.
Budo Principles
Budo is not a sport. It is not fitness. It is a way of life guided by principles that have been refined over centuries. Every class at Rising Sun is taught with these in mind.
Principle 01
Discipline is the foundation. Training happens when you're tired, when it's hard, when progress is invisible. The ability to show up and commit, regardless of feeling, is the first thing the dojo teaches you.
Principle 02
In the dojo, ego has no place. A black belt bows to a white belt. A senior student corrects a junior with patience, not superiority. You are always both teacher and student. That never changes.
Principle 03
Continuous improvement. Not perfection. Not comparison to others. The goal is to be fractionally better this week than last. A practice maintained over decades transforms a person completely.
The Space
The environment shapes the training. Our facility was designed to reflect the seriousness and tradition of the arts practiced within it.
3,200 sq ft of traditional hardwood tatami-style flooring. No mirrors. No music. Just space to train with full attention. The floor is cleaned before and after every class.
Full inventory of training weapons: bokken, jo, shinai, iaito, and pads. Students at appropriate levels have access to all equipment. Some loaner gear is available for trial students.
Separate men's and women's changing areas. Lockers available for regular students. Clean, functional, and maintained with the same standard as the training floor.
Community
Competition is one measure of growth. Students who want to compete participate in JKA-affiliated tournaments at the regional, national, and occasionally international level. Rising Sun students have placed at Arizona, Southwest, and US National JKA events.
Participation in tournaments is entirely optional. Many of our best students never compete. The training is the point. The tournaments are simply one way to test what you've built in a different environment.
Beyond competition, the dojo community trains together, attends seminars, and occasionally hosts visiting instructors from Japan and across the US. It's a genuine community of people who take the art seriously.