The Style We Teach

Iesu Karate Do is an eclectic martial art developed by Hanshi Paul Lepkowski, and Kyoshi Benjamin Nickels that has influence from American Karate, Taekwondo, Jujitsu, and Hapkido.

It is self-defense focused making use of both traditional and modern martial arts and self-defense concepts. Practicality and simplicity are emphasized with modern defenses against typical street weapons.

Core Principles

The core principle of Iesu Karate Do is the use of minimal amount of force needed to defend oneself or others with emphasis on escaping conflict or restraining an attacker.

Iesu Karate Do is a system of American Karate that blends the best techniques from traditional Japanese and Korean martial arts and employs a combined approach of hard style (linear) and soft style (circular) techniques from several traditional martial arts (Karate, Tang Soo Do, Taekwondo, Jujitsu, and Hapkido). Training is safety focused and appropriate for ages 10 and up.

Iesu Karate Do is rooted in strong Christian values and morals that are Biblically based and taught in a family friendly environment. Christian values and morals are taught by incorporating Bible verse memorization, devotional time, and/or other core Christian aspects.

Hanshi, Paul Lepkowski

Hanshi Paul Lepkowski, founder of Iesu Karate Do and Iesu Bujutsu, has trained in the Martial Arts for more than 35 years and holds black belts in multiple styles.

Since beginning his martial arts training in 1984, Mr. Lepkowski has taught several hundred students in traditional styles, self-defense seminars, and at various martial arts conferences.

He is a 2018 inductee in the Philadelphia Historic Martial Arts Society Hall of Fame (PHMAS) and an inductee in the 2020 Second Edition of American Martial Arts Alliance (AMAA). In addition, he is featured in the 2020 Martial Arts Masters & Pioneers Autobiography Book and the AMAA Who's Who Legends Hall of Honors.

Hanshi Paul Lepkowski's current belt rankings are 7th Degree Black Belt IESU Karate Do and IESU Bujutsu, 6th Degree Black Belt Jujitsu, 6th Degree Black Belt traditional Taekwondo, and 4th Degree Black Belt Hapkido. He is a certified weapons instructor, self-defense instructor, and Christian Martial Arts Chaplain.

Class Schedule

Our class schedule is Tuesday and Friday 6-7:30PM.

Download Class Calendar

Frequently Asked Questions

We are located in the Village of Livonia near the elementary school. Please map.

It costs $25 per month to attend up to two classes per week. There is a one-time registration fee of $75 that covers first month's tuition, uniform and patches, administrative costs, and access to online resources. Belt Ranking fee is $15 which pays for a new belt and certificate.

Our classes are designed for new or experienced martial artists. Come with a desire to learn.

If you're interested in our program, you can take a trial class and if you decide to join, we will provide you with a link to a registration/waiver form that you can fill out. When you submit the form along with the startup fee, you will be given the day and time slot for the class you will be in. A trial class isn't necessary but it gives you an opportunity to "try before you buy". Otherwise, if you're ready to join just let us know and we'll get you started.

Classes begin promptly so you should be at the dojo ahead of class time ready to start. Classes open up with a prayer of thanks and then we start with warm-ups. Warm-ups include a combination of stretching, strength, and conditioning exercises. After warming up we'll do kicking and punching drills, work on fundamental techniques, and katas (forms). We often incorporate balance and breathing exercises.

Contact Us

If you would like to attend a class to try us out, you can contact us ahead of time to set up a time during one of our regular classes. Or stop in during one of our class times and join in.

41 Spring St.
Livonia, NY 14487
(585) 595-0210

We are located in the Village of Livonia.

Please feel free to get in touch with us with any questions you may have about our program. We look forward to hearing from you.