Shimotsu-Kai :: Bio Dennis

Dennis Shimoko, founder of Shimotsu-Kai, is a holistic healthcare practitioner treating clients with Ayurveda, Acupressure and Shiatsu. He is also a teacher of martial arts and motion and conducts workshops on various health and balance related topics.

Prior to truly finding himself, Dennis spent 21 years in the corporate world operating, troubleshooting, training and managing in network technology at the Bank of America. It was a wonderful experience but one that didn’t truly satisfy Dennis’ passions.

His passions began with his introduction to martial arts (watching Kato (Bruce Lee) in the Green Hornet), Dennis developed a love and knack for all movement and motion, especially the martial arts. At the age of 9, Dennis had begun playing little league baseball and on weeknights, his father would take him to the Berkeley Dojo (Wado-Ryu Karate-Do) to watch classes. Dennis was always impressed with the quick movement, strong stances and a chance to participate in a Japanese art form. Dennis was enrolled in the Berkeley Dojo and began classes in September of ‘71. Dennis took to his training very quickly. He had a knack for picking up the movements and a desire to help his classmates do the same. He also found himself helping others in baseball to help them to achieve more.

Dennis very quickly advanced through the ranks and at age 14 entered the adult classes as a brown belt. By age 15 (after the second attempt), he was awarded a 1st degree black belt and was helping in the adult class. In 1979 he was awarded a 2nd degree black belt. From 1980-81, he began training with Hiroyuki Kishimoto (Goju-Ryu and Shito-Ryu Karate) and received a 2nd degree black belt from Kishimoto Sensei (teacher). It is from Kishimoto Sensei that Dennis began to understand how to kick, punch, block and move. His dept of understanding blossomed at this time. He returned to the Berkeley Dojo in 1982 and stayed till 1989 (awarded the rank of 4th degree black belt in 1985) where he continued to develop and share his method for karate movement while still respecting the Wado-Ryu style. In 1993, Dennis began teaching private classes in his home to neighbors, family and friends, this continued until the adoption of his son in 1994. In 1995, Dennis began training in Arnis (Filipino Stick Fighting) and Hapkido (Korean jujitsu/tae kwon do combination) at Ylagan Martial Arts studio in Pinole under Master Nestor Ylagan. From Master Ylagan, Dennis began to understand fluidity and flow. The need not to strike when the opponent was open but to flow and calmly decide what to do (you're not much good to humanity if you hurt or kill someone). Work from the extremities in versus always attacking the body or head.

In his early 20’s, Dennis developed a love and desire to do bodywork. Perhaps it was during the latter stages in Dennis’ mother’s life, that Dennis developed this knack and need to perform bodywork when his mom would ask for a back rub only to find that his hands quickly tired (she died in 1981 of pancreatic cancer). Dennis took a deep tissue massage class and was hooked. Although always finding a way to ease an individual’s tension, Dennis didn’t officially enroll into massage school until the year 2000. In March of 1998, right after the announcement of the Bank of America/NationsBank merger, Dennis discovered Ayurveda. He was browsing in the sports section and discovered a book entitled “Body, Mind and Sport” by John Douillard. This book was authored by a chiropractor/tri-athlete and now an Ayurvedic practioner. John’s book detailed how to train within the bodies limits, listening and challenging, listening and challenging. These were Ayurvedic principles that John was expressing. Dennis searched the web and discovered the California College of Ayurveda (CCA) in Grass Valley. In August of 1998, Dennis enrolled and in October, the same month of the official merger of the BofA and NationsBank, Dennis’ Ayurvedic program was to begin. This was a tremendous period of growth for Dennis, existing in two worlds (the hectic, fast paced world of a corporate merger) and a calm and fully aware world of Ayurveda. Talking about a world of opposites….

Dennis left the corporate world in March of 2000, enrolled at the McKinnon School of Massage, opened his center (Shimotsu-Kai) in June, graduated from CCA in October and the rest is history.