Founded by Legends

Tadashi Yamashita and James Ninios

Suibukan of Indiana is one of, if not the oldest, continuously operating dojos in the United States. We are overseen by Tadashi Yamashita, and Suibukan of Indiana is his first dojo, dating back to 1965. He is a world renowned martial arts master of both karate, weapons, and his own personal style, Suikendo. He has some 50 dojos across the United States, Greece, and Bulgaria.

Aside from his notable prowess as a martial arts expert, Sensei Yamashita has a storied film career, most notably: the American Ninja franchise; The Octagon; Rising Sun; The Karate; Gymkata; and Bronson Lee, Champion.

The story of karate in the United States was written by US service personnel, and James Ninios is part of that fabric. Sensei Ninios was a marine stationed in Okinawa, where he learned karate and brought it home to South Bend, IN. In 1964 he opened Midwest Karate Academy. He was a fierce competitor, losing only 1 of 33 championship fights, and holds a place in the Japanese Hall of Fame. His competitive spirit, combined with Yamashita’s raw street skills, put Midwest Karate Academy on the map through the heyday of karate in the 70’s and 80’s. Sadly his fighting career was cut short by a brain aneurism, and we lost him in 2013.