Way Of Japan

Way of Japan started in 1971 when Abe Belardo and a handful of students set up a small Delano dojo in a Catholic church’s auxiliary room. Since that time, Sensei Belardo has promoted countless black belts, trained world class kickboxers, promoted hundreds of tournaments and kickboxing shows, and is a respected boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, and kickboxing judge.Currently, Way of Japan is located in Bakersfield, 4400 Ashe Road, near the corner of Ashe and White Lane providing beginner, intermediate and advanced classes in Shotokan Karate affiliated with Shotokan International Karate Federation and United States Karate Federation.
Tai Chi class is available Wednesday nights at 7 o'clock.

Kancho Nobuaki Kanazawa Eighth Dan Shotokan Karate International, Sensei Abe Belardo,Tiemoko Diarra, Tyler Garza, Sarah Howard and Mark Howard. Sensei Belardo was promoted to Rokudan (sixth degree) on Saturday, June 24th in Fresno.

Sensei Abe Belardo

Sensei Abe Belardo Born and raised in Delano, California, Sensei Belardo earned his first black belt in 1971 in Japanese Goju after taking his first class in 1966. In 1972, he began teaching Shotokan karate at a church hall with a handful of students that lead to his first dojo in Bakersfield in the summer of 1975. In the addition to this, Sensei Belardo trained full contact karate and kickboxing under Ruben and World Champion Benny “The Jet” Urquidez in the early 1980’s and was a ranked contender in his weight division.