Twenty-two years on this floor
Sensei Daniel Ashworth holds a fourth-degree black belt in Shotokan karate, awarded through a lineage that traces back to a dojo in Osaka where he trained for six years before returning home to teach. Ironwood opened in a converted warehouse eleven years ago, and the floor still carries the dents from the first heavy bag.
Two assistant instructors, both former students who tested to black belt on this floor, run the children’s classes and the conditioning class. Every instructor here has been evaluated by Sensei Ashworth personally - rank on the wall is not enough to teach at Ironwood, temperament with children matters as much as technique.
The dojo keeps one rule above all others: what is learned here is for the mat, for confidence, and for the rare moment it is truly needed - never for settling a score.
