The Shurenkan logo was designed to represent the ideals we endeavor to teach our students. The logo consists of two main components, the renge or lotus flower and the kanji (pictograph) for the word saba(ku).

The lotus is a beautiful flower that emerges from the mud to stand tall and untainted in murky waters. The leaves and flowers of the lotus are coated with a waxy substance that makes them resistant to muddy water, while its strong stem allows it to maintain its integrity.

The world we live in can oftentimes be a harsh and difficult place. Without the proper skills, we can easily drown in the "muddy waters" that surround us. Training at Karate-do Shurenkan develops the mind, body, and spirit so that, like the lotus, we too can rise up through the mud...beautiful, resilient, and unstained.

The character included in our logo has several different pronunciations: HATSU, HACHI, and saba(ku) are but a few. The Naka Kazuhide Dictionary, defines this character as "to handle things well; to deal with skillfully; to manage; to solve; to manipulate." The character may also have the connotations "to move; to work; to drain." In Japanese martial arts, this character is most often seen in combination with other characters, as is the case with the words ashisabaki (footwork) and taisabaki (body shifting).

This character is included in our logo, because skillfully shifting the body to manage an attack lies at the heart of our karate. This strategy is essential to many Japanese budo such as judo, kendo, and aikido. By controlling one's body position we weaken an opponents attack and strengthen our own.  In life, this same strategy provides a way to successfully meet the challenges encountered at home, work, or in school.