Birth of a Martial Arts Dojo
Magic City Dojo came to Birmingham at the request of a few martial arts students that were, at the time, under the guidance of Shidoshi Arlando Sanders and BTSD Tuscaloosa Bujinkan Martial Arts Dojo.
These students were traveling all the way to Tuscaloosa from Birmingham to stay active in their training. Talk about dedication!
So when the word got around that Shidoshi Tucker was returning to Birmingham, they asked if he would be starting a new dojo. Shidoshi Tucker’s thoughts were that if someone wanted to train, then training needed to be available. Thus, Magic City Dojo was born.
Humble Beginnings
During his first few months back in Birmingham, Shidoshi Tucker went to train in Tuscaloosa with Shidoshi Sanders all the while looking for a place for the Magic City Dojo group to train. Dr. Doug White, at the time a green belt and member of Mt. Brook Baptist Church, secured a room at the church for training twice a week.
They had to move furniture around at each session, train on the hard linoleum floors, then set all the furniture up again after class. Eventually, they got some floor mats to prevent injury and built a small, but loyal group of martial art practitioners. Training at the church went on for two years.
Power of the Present
In February 2010, the dojo moved into their own training facility. This was a significant step in the right direction for the dojo. Magic City Dojo became the first Bujinkan branch dojo in the State of Alabama to have their own dedicated facility. At the time of writing this, they still are.
On July 31, 2010, Shihan Phil Legare led a traditional dojo opening ceremony for the training hall. This set the feeling of the dojo as a place of training, transformation, and connection.
Having their own facility greatly enhanced the freedom of the training schedule and ensured that true martial artists would always have a home in Birmingham.
Looking to the Future
Magic City Dojo’s training isn’t just about martial arts, but about warriorship. One of the tenants of warriorship is selfless service. In this spirit of selfless service, Shidoshi Tucker’s mission is to continue to bring the best martial arts training he can to the dojo. His vision for the dojo is to be of service to our community through training and fostering the martial spirit in Birmingham.
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