Moving Zen karate is a quiet practice that has been in Amherst since 2000 and is operated from a small and comfortable Dojo that is a part of Sensei Ken Bernstein’s home. Ken is the sole sensei (or teacher) of Moving Zen, and he has been practicing martial arts for 45 years and has trained with many renowned teachers. He has trained in both Zen and Karate, and as far as he knows: he is the only master to combine the two schools in such a united way. The name of his practice, Moving Zen, was inspired by the book of the same name by C.W. Nicol. As his website states:
“Moving Zen classes teach a traditional form of Japanese karate. Students learn skills and philosophy as a means of developing their bodies, minds and spirit. We offer classes for children, families and adults. Benefits are seen in school and work, and in relationships with family, peers and teachers.”
Most of the students of Moving Zen are younger, but Sensei Bernstein is ready to accommodate to any age and is completely open to the public. Moving Zen offers classes at a variety of levels, such as accommodations for beginners and intermediate/advanced levels. There are also different classes offered based on age group such as: Mature Warriors, Little Samurais, or group family karate sessions
Coming out of the Zen lineage and tracing roots back to Bodhidharma, Sensei Ken stated that his technique includes karate movements, but mostly it is a meditation practice of what he calls somatic meditation. Sensei Ken has earned a fourth degree black belt, and also offers professional consulting. As an owner of a private psychotherapy practice in Downtown Amherst, Sensei Ken states that he incorporates his psychoanalytic methods into Moving Zen classes.
Among many other karate practitioners, Sensei Ken believes that his method of practice improves both physical and mental strength. His practice is not as rigorous or violent as many popular culture portrayals of karate. Rather, he teachers karate to be more of a meditation than a fighting technique. Moving Zen’s karate is not simply a physical exercise, instead it is heavily influenced by the religiosity of Zen Buddhism. There is a strong mental component to Sensei Ken’s karate sessions that, like meditation, require both commitment and focus. In order to heap the psychological benefits from Moving Zen’s regime, one must continually practice with mental determination. There is a spiritual quality to karate that often goes undetected, and Moving Zen is unique in its ability to highlight the essence of meditation in the movement of the body.
Contact information for Ken Bernstein is as follows
Email: sensei@movingzen.com
Address:5 Hedgerow Ln, Amherst, MA 01002
(413) 256-3100