GEM Martial Arts

GEM Martial Arts is a traditional dojo situated at 1170 Ridge Rd Suite 5 in Webster, New York. Founded in December 2011, the school provides Okinawan martial arts education and character development for practitioners across Webster and neighboring communities. The academy is directed by mother-and-son instructors Renshi Gail and Renshi Zach, who have trained and taught together for more than twenty years. Gail began her martial arts journey in 1997, earning her first-degree black belt before spending over a decade managing local dojos. Training centers on Isshinryu karate, an Okinawan style founded in 1953 by Master Tatsuo Shimabuku meaning One Heart Way. Programs include shorter classes for young children, forty-five-minute youth karate classes, hour-long tween and teen sessions, and adult Big GEMs classes. Instruction emphasizes physical stretching, fundamental blocks, kata forms, and practical self-defense without requiring long-term contracts. Families and prospective students can contact the dojo to learn about full-time and part-time training options.