The Association
The Society of Harmonious Fists
The karate association “The Society of Harmonious Fists” (SOHF) currently operates 8 karate schools (Dojos) in Germany, Switzerland and Ireland.
What is Karate?
The Way of the Empty Hand
Karate is a martial art whose origins date back to the 5th century AD. Chinese monks, who were not allowed to carry weapons, gradually developed a special martial art for self-defence out of gymnastic exercises. However, this martial art was primarily regarded as a path of self-discovery and self-experience. As a sport, karate is relatively young: only at the beginning of the last century was a combat sport with its own set of rules created in Japan from the traditional martial art.
Even today, Far Eastern philosophy is reflected in karate. Translated, “Karate-dō”, which is mostly shortened to “Karate”, means “the way of the empty hand”.
Many karateka practise their sport in order to be able to defend themselves in an emergency. And karate is indeed a very effective and practical form of defence. Strength and physical stature play only a subordinate role in karate self-defence. More important are speed, dexterity and composure. Only those who do not panic during an attack can defend themselves sensibly. That is why, in addition to the special technical skills, the psychological components of self-assertion and self-defence are also emphasised. These aspects make karate particularly interesting for women and girls.
Whether as a complementary sport, for general fitness or for self-defence – karate offers a wide field of sporting activity for everyone at any age. The age range in our karate sections spans from 5–76 years. Through its versatility, karate promotes health and general well-being. Step by step, dexterity and performance grow. The coloured belts serve as personal benchmarks and motivation.
History
Our Origins
Sensei Frank Schuck began karate in 1987 in Bad Kreuznach at an American military base and earned his first black belt (1st Dan) in 1990.
In 1993 he founded the karate section of MTV Bad Kreuznach, which still exists today and has been continued by his students Beppo Lugo (until 2009) and Stephan Schmitt (to this day).
In April 2004 Frank Schuck founded a karate section in SV Gronau in Bad Vilbel and a year later another one in TG Groß Karben. These two schools have also been successfully run by his then-student Kathrin Lepich to this day.
Since 2010, Frank Schuck, who is now a holder of the 8th Dan, has opened and continues to run his current school (Dojo) near Zurich in Switzerland.
The schools in Wiesbaden (2014) led by Steffen Ahnert and Fernwald-Annerod/Gießen (2019) led by Dr. Christoph Biehl have since expanded our offering in Germany and have been steadily growing.
The school in Bad Kreuznach led by Stephan Schmitt expanded in 2024 and now has two further branches. All three schools share the same name: WildCat Dojo Bad Kreuznach, WildCat Dojo Edgeworthstown in Ireland and WildCat Dojo Sponheim. Jessica Fuchs founded the Dojo in Edgeworthstown, Ireland, and Jamy Klotzsche opened the one in Sponheim, both in the name of their teacher Stephan Schmitt.
O’Sensei Peter Urban – founder of Urban GoJu Ryu
Our Values
Discipline
Consistent training shapes body and mind. We demand and encourage – with clear structures and high standards.
Respect
Respect towards training partners, teachers and yourself – in the Dojo and beyond.
Community
Our Dojos are more than training facilities. We grow together – across national borders.
Competition
Kumite & Kata
In addition to the traditional form of karate as the practice of a martial art, karate today also contains the aspect of competition. When karate is practised as a competitive sport, two disciplines are generally distinguished:
Kumite (Free Sparring): Two karateka face each other on a fighting area and try to land scoring punches, strikes and kicks. The criteria are set so that injuries to the fighting partners are excluded: anyone who does not abide by them is disqualified!
Kata (Form): A sequence of precisely defined attack and defence techniques against imaginary opponents who approach from different directions. About 40 different katas are distinguished, whose aesthetics lie in the harmony of fighting spirit, dynamics and rhythm. Some katas have been passed down from generation to generation over centuries.
The Style
Urban GoJu Ryu Karate
Urban GoJu Ryu is an American evolution of traditional Okinawan GoJu Ryu Karate. The style combines the classic hard-soft techniques (Go = hard, Ju = soft) with pragmatic elements of self-defense.
In contrast to many modern competitive styles, we value complete training: Kata, Kumite, Bunkai and self-defence are all equally part of the training. Our goal is not sporting comparison, but the personal development of every single student.
The karate style taught in our schools is called Go-Ju Ryu and translates as “Hard (Go) and Soft (Ju) School (Ryu)”.