Sensei David Michelson

SANDAN (3rd Degree Black Belt)
MATAYOSHI KOBUDO
(Sunday mornings 9 - 11 AM)

SANDAN (3rd Degree Black Belt)
SHOTOKAN KARATEDO

David started training in the martial arts as a youth and reached the rank of fourth degree black belt under the guidance of his father, Arthur Michelson, 9th Dan, and of the founder of the Shorin Ryu based Doshinkan Karatedo, Hanshi Isao Ichikawa, 10th Dan.

Following a hiatus to complete medical school and residencies in pediatrics and child neurology, he took up karate training again with Sensei Ty Aponte at the DAC in 2011.  He received his Sandan (3rd Degree Black Belt) in December 2022.

David began studying Matayoshi Kobudo with Sensei Robert Johnson at the DAC and under Sensei Franco Sanguinetti at the Kodokan in San Marcos, CA, reaching the rank of Sandan in February 2024. He was handed the torch for teaching Kobudo classes at the DAC in April 2021.

David is also currently serving as the DAC webmaster and welcomes being contacted at any time with your ideas, additions, concerns, and questions: dmichels@llu.edu or 909-286-0316.

Timeline

DOSHINKAN KARATEDO
Started   1978
Shodan 1985 - Hanshi Isao Ichikawa
Nidan     1989 - Hanshi Isao Ichikawa
Sandan  1993 - Hanshi Isao Ichikawa
Yondan 1995 - Hanshi Isao Ichikawa

USKL SHOTOKAN KARATEDO
Started   2011
Shodan 2013 - Shihan Ty Aponte
Nidan    2015 - Shihan Ty Aponte
Sandan 2022 - Shihan Ty Aponte

MATAYOSHI KOBUDO KODOKAN INTERNATIONAL
Started 2013
Shodan 2018 - Sensei Franco Sanguinetti
Nidan 2022 - Sensei Franco Sanguinetti
Sandan 2024 - Sensei Franco Sanguinetti

Papers

Articles
Kumite Kamaidachi gasshuku.jpg
Papers
David Michelson
2020 Gasshuku Recap
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David Michelson
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David Michelson
David Michelson Biography
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David Michelson
David Michelson Biography
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David Michelson

I have great respect for all of my teachers at the USKL dojo and appreciate how much they inspire me to improve myself.  I have many selfish reasons to try to follow my father’s example in pursuing a lifetime of karatedo training, and I feel very fortunate to have found a dojo in which I feel I can do so, but I also hope to carry on the small family tradition that my father started, teaching my children to live healthy lives and to always try hard, even when they have cold feet.

Papers
David Michelson
Empty Hands
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David Michelson
Empty Hands
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David Michelson

The movements we practice, even in isolation, are difficult to perform correctly with good power, speed, and posture.  Putting the movements to imaginary but spirited use in katas ups the ante further with greater focus on timing, distance, rhythm, and agility.  In kumite sessions, awareness, reaction, and strategy are added to the mix (along with a healthy threat of “negative feedback” for any deficiencies).  Karate is at the very least a training method, a crucible even, for developing physical and mental skills for fighting.

Papers
David Michelson

Photos:

My father (Shihan Arthur Michelson, 9th dan) demonstrating the flexibility I was learning in Doshinkan Karatedo

Just like the end of Rocky II

Learning Matayoshi Kobudo from Sensei Robert Johnson

Learning Shotokan Karatedo from Sensei Ty Aponte